Reading Time: 2 minutes When Roy Kubica retired from farming, he thought of his alma mater. Earlier this month, the Class of 1966 Lakeland College alumnus donated $500,000 to buy land for the college’s student-managed farm. “I have put it in my mind that I am giving away a farm,” said Kubica, who retired from farming with his brother […] Read more
Donation helps college expand its student-managed farm
The future looks bright for today’s agriculture grads
A decade and a half ago, ag programs were struggling to attract students — that’s changed dramatically
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alot of young people — and their parents — weren’t so keen on farming’s prospects 15 years ago. “Fifteen years ago, enrolments were low in ag programs across Canada,” said Josie Van Lent, dean of agricultural sciences at Lakeland College. “Farmers didn’t want to send their sons or daughters into agriculture because they thought there […] Read more
Lakeland College gets VBP+ certification
Reading Time: < 1 minute Lakeland College is the first post-secondary institution in Alberta to attain Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) certification. Having the school’s herd of 220 beef cattle fall under this certification makes it “an example for future producers,” said Melissa Downing, Alberta VBP+ co-ordinator. “We can help influence students going through the program so they can become familiar […] Read more
Bull test changes a sign of the times
Bull testing has changed — shifting from selecting for size to selecting for feed efficiency
Reading Time: 4 minutes Manitoba’s lone multi-breed bull test station is the last of a dying breed. In its early days, the Manitoba Bull Test Station was a way for cattle producers to evaluate their genetics before genetic testing became de rigueur in the livestock industry. Opened in 1963 near Douglas, just east of Brandon, the Sire Indexing Centre […] Read more
Donation to aid Lakeland College farmland expansion
Reading Time: < 1 minute A $500,000 donation will allow Lakeland College to buy more land for its farm operations. The donation came from Judy Sweet, who had previously donated funds to modernize and expand the G.N. Sweet Livestock Research Facility, which officially opened two years ago. Sweet and her late husband, Garth Sweet, raised purebred simmental cattle for more […] Read more
It’s not the patter, but the passion, for auctioneering ‘rock star’
Reading Time: 4 minutes He’s a natural. People are drawn to passions they seem to have an inborn inclination towards. With a little drive and determination, they can take an ability that comes easily and turn it into something special. Fellow auctioneers talk about Ryan Konynenbelt that way. The talented talker uses his skills on a daily basis at […] Read more
The jobs are waiting for ag program graduates
Enrolment has soared in the past decade — and so has the number of unfilled jobs in the agriculture sector
Reading Time: 5 minutes A career in agriculture just wasn’t an option for Julie Mitchell when she was growing up. Or at least that’s what she thought. “I was really passionate about agriculture, but I didn’t think you could have a career in ag beyond being a farmer,” said Mitchell, who grew up on a cattle operation in Manitoba. […] Read more
End of refundable checkoff may be near
If successful, most of the $2 million refunded each year would go towards the creation of an industry development fund
Reading Time: 2 minutes The province has given the nod to a long-sought request for a plebiscite to make the cattle checkoff non-refundable. It’s hoped a province-wide vote on the contentious issue will be held this autumn, said Rich Smith, executive director of Alberta Beef Producers. “It’s a very positive step towards us being able to have a plebiscite […] Read more
Breakfast on the Dairy Farm an award-winning idea
Over 3,400 people have attended the annual summer event
Reading Time: < 1 minute A group of Olds-area dairy farmers who developed an innovative consumer outreach program are this year’s winner of Award of Distinction for Communication from Alberta Farm Animal Care. “Six years ago the East Olds Dairy Farmers group, which is made up of several dairy farm families, developed the idea to host a breakfast for their […] Read more
Get the lowdown on plant growth regulators and crop varieties
PGR fact sheet looks at lodging and staging while crop fact sheets examine performance in Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes New fact sheets on plant growth regulators and crop varieties are now available. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are synthetic compounds that can modify plant growth and development by altering plant hormonal activity. While PGRs are popular in other regions of the world like Western Europe, their use in Western Canada is relatively new. “The plant […] Read more
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