Reading Time: 3 minutes From a climatological point of view, winter is now over. The 12-month year is broken into four equally long seasons, with winter covering December, January, and February. From a southern and central Alberta view, there is still one month to go. For most of the Canadian Prairies, winter starts in November and usually ends in March. In some […] Read more
Warm weather wins out in this crazy up-and-down winter
The recipe was simple but unusual: Send in warm weather, then a big blast of cold, and repeat all winter long
Share your family’s 4-H stories
Deadline for submissions is March 31
Reading Time: < 1 minute There’s still time to share your family’s 4-H story. The 4-H Heritage Families initiative is an opportunity for families with a strong 4-H history to talk about their involvement with 4-H, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary in the province this year. 4-H Alberta is collecting stories and photos of multi-generational families that will be […] Read more
How to build a soil-health bank account
This organic production technique offers a big-picture view of nutrient management — and a ‘tough love’ approach to soil fertility
Reading Time: 3 minutes Soil is a little like a bank account for nutrients — in order to manage them properly, you need to balance the budget. “No matter how big the bank account is, if you only take stuff out, eventually it runs out,” said University of Manitoba research technician Joanne Thiessen Martens. “We need to look at […] Read more
EU regulators said set to clear Dow, Syngenta deals next week
Brussels | Reuters — EU antitrust regulators are set to clear the US$130 billion Dow Chemical and DuPont merger and ChemChina’s US$43 billion bid for Syngenta next week, people familiar with the matter said Thursday. The European Commission could announce its approvals for both companies at the same time either Monday or Tuesday, the people […] Read more
Agrifood a pillar in federal budget’s ‘innovation’ plan
The federal government’s latest budget puts up Canada’s agrifood sector as one of six “key areas” to benefit from a new national “Innovation and Skills Plan.” Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Wednesday unveiled a budget projecting $330.2 billion in expenses in 2017-18 against budgetary revenues of $304.7 billion, for a $28.5 billion deficit. The […] Read more
Funding sparks boom in small-scale solar projects
Attractive lease rates for ‘micro-gen’ projects have many farmers thinking of doing their own
Reading Time: 2 minutes Although smaller-scale community-organized solar farms have, so far, been left in the lurch, there’s good news for farmers and other rural landowners interested in solar. Growing Forward 2 offers grants of up to $50,000 for ‘micro-gen’ solar projects where the power is used in the production of a primary commodity. That kind of government support […] Read more
Community-based project lost in the shuffle over solar power
Government inaction jeopardizes proposed community solar farm that backers hoped would be a model for rural Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes It only takes a cursory glance at the headlines to recognize that a solar energy boom is coming to Alberta. Last year, the province set a target of having 30 per cent renewable energy by 2030 — but it remains to be seen whether farmers and rural communities will be able to ride this coming […] Read more
The groupthink on CO2 levels ignores some basic science
Views will change as atmospheric CO2 continues to rise with little or no significant change in global temperatures
Reading Time: 3 minutes As an agricultural producer, a former science teacher, and someone who is involved in the delivery of agricultural extension, I would like to submit some comments in relation to Daniel Bezte’s article in the Feb. 13 edition, “Articles on climate change provoke some readers“. The article’s title is entirely fitting because articles on climate change […] Read more
No point in quarantine for verticillium wilt, CFIA says
Slapping federal quarantines on canola fields with verticillium wilt wouldn’t serve much purpose, since the yield-robbing fungi is already in all of Canada’s major canola-growing areas, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says. While the agency itself is recommending against regulation, CFIA on Wednesday posted a draft of a risk management document on verticillium wilt, seeking […] Read more
Avoiding ATV rollovers on the farm
Reading Time: < 1 minute You may use an ATV for fun or for profit. But more importantly you should always use them safely. Rollovers happen alarmingly fast, so always wear a helmet, gloves, long sleeves, pants, and boots, even when only travelling a short distance. Inappropriate gear, such as loose clothing, can get caught on controls and doesn’t provide […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
