Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Open Farm Days continues to grow and this year has reached triple digits. More than 100 farms, ranches, and other operations with a connection to agriculture will be opening their doors to the public on Aug. 19-20. Visiting farms is free and a complete list can be found at www.albertafarmdays.com. The website also has […] Read more
More choices than ever at Open Farm Days
Open Farm Days runs Aug. 19-20
Agriculture is my teacher — and I never fall asleep in class
Reading Time: 4 minutes Quinten Albrecht, 12, of Holden, was the junior winner in the Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Calgary Stampede. This year’s topic was: Working in agriculture is more than just farming. Harvesting crops, haying, calving out cows, and riding horses. These are just some of the things that fill up my event calendar […] Read more
U.S. bee numbers growing
CNS Canada – Honeybee populations are rising in the United States, turning around a recent trend of declines attributed to a set of factors know as colony collapse disorder. It’s estimated that 84,430 hives were lost to the disorder in the first quarter this year. That’s down 27 per cent from a year earlier. Year-over-year […] Read more
Unseeded acres create ripple effect in the number of insured acres this summer
Insured barley and pea acres are down, but canola, lentil, and hemp acres went up
Reading Time: 3 minutes Two years of rough weather conditions haven’t been enough to drive producers to increase their crop insurance coverage. “I don’t think there’s a huge change in the overall level of insurance participation. The reasons people participate aren’t always dependent on the weather,” said Jesse Cole, research analyst at Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC). “There could […] Read more
Mosaic shares tumble on disappointing fertilizer guidance
Reuters – U.S. fertilizer producer Mosaic Co on Tuesday forecast slower phosphate sales and weaker prices for the current quarter, causing shares to plunge as much as 9 percent. The Minnesota-based company predicted third-quarter phosphate sales of 2.2 million to 2.5 million tonnes, down from 2.6 million in the second quarter. Mosaic forecast third-quarter diammonium […] Read more
Farm management scholarship available
Application deadline is Sept. 15
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are now being accepted for the Robert L. Ross Memorial Scholarship, which gives a Canadian farmer a chance to attend the Canadian Total Excellence in Agricultural Management (CTEAM) program. The program provides farmers the opportunity to learn detailed financial, marketing and human relations management skills, using their own operation as a case study. One […] Read more
It’s time for Canadians to dig up their undies
It’s time for Canadians to grab their shovels, head into their gardens, flowerbeds or fields and reveal their underwear. Part 2 of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada’s (SCCC) experiment to help gauge the health of soils has come to an end, and if you buried a pair of cotton briefs, now is the time to retrieve them. “The Council was […] Read more
French farmers fume as government rejigs EU subsidies
Paris / Reuters – French farm unions cried foul over a government decision on Thursday to use part of European Union direct payments linked to output to finance rural development projects such as fast growing organic farming. The decision comes just days after France launched wide debate on the future of the food sector, aiming to […] Read more
AGCO to acquire Precision Planting from The Climate Corporation
Equipment manufacturer AGCO has made a deal with The Climate Corporation to acquire the Precision Planting LLC equipment business. “Precision Planting is a strong business that plays an essential role in the growth and adoption of innovative precision ag practices that help farmers enhance their productivity,” said Mike Stern, chief executive officer for The Climate […] Read more
Devil’s trumpet is a potentially deadly invader
Noxious Weeds: Jimsonweed
Reading Time: < 1 minute Although its exact origin is unknown, devil’s trumpet — otherwise known as jimsonweed — is found in many countries around the world in both agricultural and ornamental settings. Introduced to this province as a contaminant of agricultural seed, this smelly weed is under review by the provincial Agriculture Ministry and it has been recommended to […] Read more
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