Reading Time: < 1 minute The annual elm-pruning ban is over until March 31, so it’s time to remove dead wood that can attract elm bark beetles, says the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED). The beetles breed and overwinter in dead and dying elms but trees can’t be pruned between April 1 and Sept. 30 because the pests […] Read more
Time to get the dead wood out
Family sawmill a link to the pioneer days of Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s well known that the Leonardo DiCaprio movie “The Revenant” was filmed in southern Alberta. What’s not is that a lot of building materials used to create the West of 1820s came from the Brooks Sawmill near Cochrane. The film is one of several westerns the sawmill has supplied among its highly eclectic client list. […] Read more
Thinking of buying a sawmill?
Kerf, daily production, and whether you want to saw lumber at the harvesting site are some of the key factors
Reading Time: 2 minutes Woodlot and acreage owners wanting some lumber cut can either pay someone to custom mill their trees or buy a sawmill and do it themselves. “If it’s the latter, there are several things to consider before buying,” said provincial bioenergy/agroforestry specialist Toso Bozic. “These include the size of your operation, the sawmill type you buy, […] Read more
Expert offers some tips for planting trees in the fall
Take a look in town for different species that can survive Alberta winters
Reading Time: 2 minutes You can plant trees in spring, but fall planting has its advantages because there is more moisture in the soil and higher humidity. “This gives the root system a better chance to get established so it can be ready to get growing earlier in spring,” said provincial agroforestry specialist Toso Bozic. In early spring, the […] Read more
Alberta NDP taps ex-AAFC staffer as ag minister
A former technician with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has been named as the Alberta New Democrats’ first minister of agriculture, forestry and rural development. Premier Rachel Notley on Sunday named Whitecourt-Ste. Anne MLA Oneil Carlier to the now-expanded portfolio, which takes over responsibility for forestry from the department of environment and sustainable resource development. Including Notley […] Read more
P.E.I. farms and fisheries ministries merge
A reorganization of Prince Edward Island’s government departments will see agriculture split from forestry and instead paired with fisheries. Having returned to office in the May 4 election, Premier Wade MacLauchlan on Wednesday announced his new cabinet, appointing former education and transportation minister Alan McIsaac as minister of agriculture and fisheries. As the agriculture and […] Read more
Earthworm Invasion! Help stop the spread of these alien invaders
Earthworms may be considered beneficial bugs in agricultural operations, but in Alberta’s forests, these invasive insects can spell trouble
Reading Time: 2 minutes A silent horde of alien invaders are worming their way through the Alberta countryside. These creepy-crawlies came from a world away, and there’s no stopping them now. The best we can hope to do is slow the spread of these invasive earthworms, says the head of the Alberta Worm Invasion Project. “In North American forests, […] Read more
Co-op model a winner for Edson foresters
By banding together, co-op members have achieved the holy grail of a guaranteed wood supply
Reading Time: 3 minutes Logging and sawmilling to supplement either a grain or cattle farm income has deep roots in Alberta. A group of Edson-area farmers has taken that model to a new level with the formation of a timber-based co-operative that provides them with what is often described as the holy grail of a supplemental farm income — […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
