Reading Time: 4 minutes Think water is your biggest limiting factor when growing a crop? Think again. “Soil aggregation is the most important constraint that we have,” said Yamily Zavala, crop and soil health management specialist at Chinook Applied Research Association. “In order for a soil to function properly, we have to have all the soil processes — physical, […] Read more
When it comes to healthy soil, you want to lump it
Soil aggregation is critical — in several different ways — to growing healthy crops
Elm pruning ban over until March
Pruning elms to keep them healthy is essential to keeping Dutch elm disease out of the province
Reading Time: < 1 minute The annual elm-pruning ban in Alberta has been lifted until March 31. “It’s time to start taking the dead wood out of your elm trees,” said Janet Feddes-Calpas, executive director, Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED). “To help eliminate elm bark beetle habitat, elm sanitation is essential to an integrated Dutch elm disease (DED) […] Read more
EPA approves Monsanto’s dicamba weed killer
U.S. seeds and agrochemicals maker Monsanto Co. has secured approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a new dicamba-based weed killer designed for its next generation biotech soy and cotton varieties, the company said on Wednesday. While approval had been expected, it is seen as a major step forward for the company’s newest herbicide […] Read more
Cellulosic sugar co-op looking for farmer investors
The Ontario-based Cellulosic Sugar Producers Co-operative is now ready to sign up farmers to supply 55,000 acres of wheat straw and corn stover to a new plant the co-op will partly own in Sarnia, Ont. The co-op will be supplying the biomass to a proposed $70 million Comet Biorefining plant to be built in Sarnia. […] Read more
A need for speed, making the farm safer, and less compaction
This year’s AgInnovation award winners bring three very different — but very valuable — things to the table
Reading Time: 5 minutes Innovation drives the agriculture industry and a lot of it is on display at Agri-Trade. “The technology is diversifying every year, and the ideas keep getting better,” said Rod Bradshaw, a vegetable and crop grower from Innisfail. He’s also chair of Agri-Trade’s ag innovations committee that chooses three products for its innovations awards. “We believe […] Read more
‘Start with your heart’ in order to win the trust of consumers
People want the facts on how their food is produced, but they want them from sources they know and trust, says expert
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s better to talk about the shared values that you have with a consumer than to start spouting facts. “We are not going to advertise our way to public trust,” Crystal Mackay of Guelph-based Farm and Food Care told an audience of ranchers, food executives and beef industry officials at the Global Conference on Sustainable […] Read more
Canaryseed prices to whipsaw on weather
CNSC – Saskatchewan’s canaryseed spot prices have seen short-term gains, as wet conditions stalled harvest progress, but one industry participant expects the market may drift back down in the long run. “It’s a pretty good crop, it just isn’t in the bin,” said David Nobbs, managing partner of Canpulse Foods, and current chair of the […] Read more
World continues to digest Trump win
As the world continues to digest Donald Trump’s surprise win in the U.S. presidential election, in many ways it seems to be business as usual. After see-sawing at the open, North American equity markets logged surprisingly strong gains after most market participants were said to have priced in a Hillary Clinton victory. The U.S. dollar […] Read more
Farm shows can boost your bottom line, says Agri-Trade attendee
John Kowalchuk can point to a host of innovations on his farm that began with something he saw or heard about at the Red Deer event
Reading Time: 3 minutes Twitter is the new coffee shop for farmers, but there’s nothing like talking face to face. Which is why John Kowalchuk is a faithful Agri-Trade attendee. “The fact you can network and talk to other people about their experiences, I think that’s a big part that makes Agri-Trade what it is,” said the Rumsey-area farmer. […] Read more
New super agency aims to help diversify economy
Alberta Innovates merges four agencies, including two that had been involved in agricultural projects
Reading Time: 2 minutes Four Albertan agencies are merging into one large entity in order to become more cost efficient and competitive. On Nov. 1, Alberta Innovates became a legal entity, absorbing Alberta Innovates Tech Futures; Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions; Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions; and Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. “There’s a lot of stake in this because […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
