Reading Time: 3 minutes The provincial government and irrigation districts are ramping up their efforts to keep invasive quagga and zebra mussels out of Alberta. Along with more watercraft inspections, the province is also stepping up enforcement — and boaters who fail to stop at an inspection station face a fine of up to $100,000 or 12 months in […] Read more
Authorities up efforts in the battle to keep out invasive mussels
More inspections, tougher enforcement, and lots of education key to keeping Alberta waterways clear of quagga and zebra mussels
Egypt stocks up on strategic commodities ahead of devaluation
Cairo/Abu Dhabi | Reuters –– Egypt said it plans to build a six-month reserve of essential food items, adding to other recent purchases of commodities such as oil and wheat, in what traders said was a move to build up stocks ahead of a currency devaluation. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said late on Tuesday the […] Read more
New Brunswick college to launch marijuana cultivation course
Reuters — A college in New Brunswick plans to institute a program on marijuana cultivation so that students can be trained to work at local companies that produce the drug, a school official said on Tuesday. College Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick will launch the course sometime next year, said Michel Doucet, executive director of continuing education […] Read more
Learn how to think lean, improve productivity
Workshop scheduled for Airdrie on Nov. 2
Reading Time: < 1 minute The province is hosting a ‘Productivity Improvement 101’ workshop in Airdrie on Nov. 2 on “lean thinking concepts for growers and small-scale processors marketing food direct to consumers.” The workshop will help businesses to apply lean thinking to add value, reduce waste, and improve profits. It will include information on change processes to increase efficiency; […] Read more
The enticing — and sometimes scary — world of alternative crops
Crops like fababeans and hemp don’t command huge acres, but have been successful alternatives for Alberta producers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers are nothing if not optimistic — optimistic that Mother Nature will be kind; that prices will be good; and that today’s work will pay off a month, six months, or a year down the road. But for all their hopefulness, only some are willing to stray far from tried-and-true crops. “There is always some […] Read more
Spirits firm Corby closes deal for Ungava gin maker
Toronto spirits manufacturer Corby Spirit and Wine has closed on its deal for the spirits assets of cider maker Domaines Pinnacle, including the Quebec company’s flagship Ungava gin brand. Corby, whose brands include J.P. Wiser’s whisky, Lamb’s rum and Polar Ice vodka, announced in late August it would pay $12 million cash for the Pinnacle […] Read more
Provincial tips for fall yardwork
Reading Time: < 1 minute Topping or cutting back herbaceous perennials this fall can help prevent the overwintering of diseases and insects, although leaving some material can help to hold a snow cover during the winter. Mulching in the fall will help to prevent plants from being forced from the ground, but it should be done after the ground is […] Read more
OPEC announcement could boost ag markets, maybe
CNS Canada — The bearish malaise that has gripped the North American agricultural market shows no sign of breaking soon, and it could take a major disruption, say such as a hike in oil prices, to lead the way higher, according to some industry watchers. “Let’s say we go to US$55 (per barrel). That would […] Read more
Food bank donation drive underway
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada and its partners across the country launched the 13th annual FCC Drive Away Hunger campaign with a goal of providing four million meals for Canada’s food banks. FCC Drive Away Hunger tractor tours will take place next month in B.C., Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan. FCC is also collecting food […] Read more
Ottawa to back new tractor plant in Quebec
A federal fund to help communities diversify from the asbestos business will help finance a major tractor manufacturer’s first facilities in Canada. Navdeep Bains, the minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), on Tuesday announced a “repayable contribution” of $350,000 for Mahindra Canada-Est to put up a 22,000-square foot industrial building at Adstock, […] Read more
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