CNS Canada — Canary seed could be looking at a carryout 10 times the size at which Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada had pegged it, according to one processor. Ending stocks for the recently finished 2015-16 crop year are currently estimated at only 5,000 tonnes, according to the latest AAFC Outlook for Principal Field Crops report. […] Read more
Canary seed carryout most likely underestimated
Protect yourself from quad rollovers
An average of 15 Albertans die each year while on quads, and rollovers are the leading cause
Reading Time: 2 minutes Recent research has proven a crush-protection device on a quad can reduce deaths due to rollovers by 30 per cent. “Quads are great machines for use on the farm because of where they can go and the tasks they can do,” said Don Voaklander, director of the Injury Prevention Centre at the University of Alberta. […] Read more
Discover the power of social media – and use it
Reading Time: 3 minutes Aleri Swalwell of Strathmore was the junior winner in the first annual Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Calgary Stampede for her speech on how farmers can use social media. Tweet — post — blog — viral — hashtag — inbox — bookmark — surf — hack — thread. Fifteen years ago these […] Read more
After scorching heat, Earth likely to get respite in 2017
Oslo | Reuters — The Earth is likely to get relief in 2017 from record scorching temperatures that bolstered governments’ resolve last year in reaching a deal to combat climate change, scientists said Wednesday. July was the hottest single month since records began in the 19th century, driven by greenhouse gases and an El Nino […] Read more
We need to count our blessings — and take advantage of them
Our vast land base is a great advantage but often leaves us stuck in the commodity mindset
Reading Time: 3 minutes Summer is a great time for me because of the many international guests I am privileged to host. I was having a lovely lunch with a family from New Zealand when one of them asked, “What are the top two issues facing Canadian agriculture today?” It is not the first time I have been asked […] Read more
Program that rewards stewards of the land is taking off in Alberta
More than 100 Alberta farmers have signed up for ALUS, and that number is expected to grow rapidly
Reading Time: 3 minutes The movement to pay farmers for being good stewards of the land is gathering steam, with 10 counties in Alberta now having a local ALUS program. ALUS — short for Alternative Land Use Services and pronounced ‘Alice’ — is expanding across Canada and recently became a national, registered not-for-profit. “This kind of growth and recognition […] Read more
Want to keep pollinators and beneficial species on your land? Build an eco-buffer
Edmonton Corn Maze is showcasing an eco-buffer — a community of trees and plants that provide a host of benefits for farms
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you build an eco-buffer, beneficial species will come. An eco-buffer is a planned community of trees, plants, and herbaceous species that provide pollinator and wildlife habitat, shelter for livestock, nutrient cycling, and groundwater recharge. A newly created eco-buffer, designed as part of an ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services) project, will soon demonstrate its value […] Read more
Britain to plug EU funding gap for farms, colleges
London | Reuters — Britain will fill a gap of as much as 4.5 billion pounds (C$7.5 billion) in funding for agriculture, universities and its regions that will open up when Britain leaves the European Union, finance minister Philip Hammond said. Scientists, farmers and others who got EU funding were facing uncertainty after Britain voted […] Read more
Crop conditions improve, harvest operations underway
Alberta crop conditions as of August 9
Reading Time: 2 minutes Rains continued to fall across the province stretching from the Peace Region to the Southern Region. Provincially, crop conditions improved for all Regions from a week ago and are rated as 84 per cent in good or excellent condition, up one per cent from a week ago and up 13 per cent from the 5-year […] Read more
Explaining agriculture — one sign at a time
Reading Time: < 1 minute Consumer interest in how food is produced is at an all-time high — but most people don’t really know what they’re looking at when driving through farm country. But Agriculture for Life has come up with an innovative campaign called ‘What’s in the Field?’ to address that. The idea is simple: Producers register on the Ag […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
