The boards of two of the heaviest hitters in Canada’s fertilizer sector have formally agreed to a $47 billion “merger of equals” deal under a new, yet-to-be-named parent company. PotashCorp, the world’s biggest fertilizer company by capacity, and rival Agrium, which is also the world’s biggest crop input retail chain, announced an agreement Monday in […] Read more
PotashCorp, Agrium make engagement official
Canada to press U.S. on ‘ludicrous’ marijuana border policy
Ottawa | Reuters –– Canada will push the United States to change a border policy that has banned Canadians who admit to having used marijuana from travel to the U.S., given Canada’s plans to legalize pot, a government spokesman said Friday. The case of a Canadian man barred from U.S. travel because he admitted to […] Read more
Top Canadian mushroom grower buys westward expansion
Canada’s biggest producer of mushrooms has expanded its reach into Western Canada with the purchase of one of the region’s biggest producers. Highline Produce announced Thursday it has bought Langley, B.C.-based organic mushroom producer All Seasons Mushrooms. According to Irish tropical fruit marketing giant Fyffes, which has owned Highline since April, it will pay $59.1 […] Read more
Agri-tourism tour on offer
Bus tour takes place Sept. 14
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Agri-Tourism and Farm Direct Marketing bus tour takes place Sept. 14 in the Strathmore region. The tour will visit three operations involved in agri-tourism and farm direct marketing. It will include a farm-to-table demonstration dinner, advice from an agri-tourism coach, and opportunities for peer networking. Stops are Seeds to Greens; Country Lane Farms; and […] Read more
Albertan one of six scholarship winners
Reading Time: < 1 minute David MacTaggart of Lacombe is one of six winners of scholarships from the Canadian Agri-Business Education Foundation. The scholarships, worth $2,500, are given to Canadian students entering their first year at an accredited agriculture college or university. The foundation encourages students to pursue their passion for agriculture and to bring their new ideas and talent […] Read more
Antique tractors at auction offer a trip back through time
Reading Time: < 1 minute Norman and Judy Erickson’s farm near Viking was the place to be on Aug. 13, when 74 antique tractors (all but three completely restored) went on the auction block. More than 1,000 people came from across the Prairies and Ontario, with online bidders joining from the U.S. and the United Kingdom for the sale handled […] Read more
It may not be a record but this year’s hail damage will be close
The great white combine has been decimating crops across most of the province and adjusters are struggling to keep up with claims
Reading Time: 3 minutes Increased hailstorms across Alberta have crushed many crops, and hail claims are soaring this year. “We’re trending to be similar to 2012, which was the record claim year,” said Nikki Booth, communications manager with the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. “At this point in time, it’s looking like we will not be as high as 2012, […] Read more
Updated weed guide available
Reading Time: < 1 minute An updated Weed Seedling Guide is now on sale. “The second edition of this convenient, pocket-size booklet helps producers and others correctly identify weed seedlings,” said provincial weed specialist Nicole Kimmel. “Proper identification allows you to take the appropriate measures to deal with weeds.” The $10 coil-bound publication features information on 62 broad-leaved weeds and […] Read more
Biofuels are one of our greatest environmental blunders
Proponents of biofuels are simply refusing to count their true environmental cost
Reading Time: 3 minutes Are biofuels really greener than the fossil fuels they displace? In a recent column I pointed out that electric cars are only as green as the fuel used to generate the electricity they consume. For internal-combustion-powered vehicles, much of the focus has been on trying to reduce carbon emissions by adding ethanol to gasoline and […] Read more
Ox-eye daisy not just a pretty wildflower
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ox-eye daisy is a noxious weed that has been spotted throughout Alberta, especially in central and southwest areas of the province. It commonly grows along roadsides, waterbodies, fields and pastures, forest openings, disturbed areas, and urban areas. This weed looks similar to scentless chamomile and is often not perceived as an invasive plant because it […] Read more
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