Reading Time: 3 minutes Does the thought of working cattle bring to mind shouting, pushing unwilling cattle in directions they don’t want to go, and excessive prodding? It doesn’t have to be that way. The late Bud Williams started training producers and feedlot workers in low-stress handling methods three decades ago and today that work is carried on by […] Read more
Building a little trust with bovines can produce big dividends
Low-stress handling isn’t new but it’s gaining new attention thanks to a (gentle) push from a major animal health company
Alberta producers create a buzz on their farms with pollinator program
Program encourages farmers to seed an acre or two with plants that attract pollinators and build biodiversity
Reading Time: 3 minutes Vance Graham’s land is now more attractive to bees, and all he had to do was plant a few seed packets. Graham is one of 38 Alberta farmers who signed up for Operation Pollinator, a project run by Syngenta and the Soil Conservation Council of Canada. “They wanted it on an area of ground that […] Read more
The going rate isn’t necessarily what you should pay in rent
Don’t pay a rent based on rumoured rates in your area and factor in the productivity of specific fields
Reading Time: 2 minutes Many landlords set their land rent based on what other local landowners are charging, but that’s not always an equitable rate, says a provincial farm business management specialist. “Following this approach has pitfalls because the rate may not be reflective of the soil productivity on the farm, or there may be a difference between what […] Read more
The new food guide can be an opportunity for the ag sector
Instead of being on the defensive, why not take a more constructive and educational approach?
Reading Time: 3 minutes I read with dismay that British grocer giant Tesco was cutting more jobs in its grocery stores from the fresh counter and replacing those employees with vending machines. I thought about how that put another league of distance between people and their food. Is it any wonder farmers feel there is such disconnect with the […] Read more
Grain entrapment danger hits home in Clearwater County
Recent open house offered a chance for the public to learn more about the risks of grain entrapment
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s often said that to encourage change, you need to lead by example. And for the fire department in Clearwater County, it’s a premise that’s not only valued but also practised. “Whenever we get an opportunity to educate and engage with the public as a fire department, we always take it because it is our […] Read more
Co-op goes big — and fast — with new fertilizer terminal
The new $42-million facility at Grassy Lake will have a loop track and lightning-quick loading
Reading Time: 2 minutes The tiny hamlet of Grassy Lake will soon be home to a very large fertilizer terminal. The $41.8-million Federated Co-operatives facility will not only be big — with a storage capacity of more than 34,000 tonnes — but also fast. It will have a loop track that will be able to continuously unload a 110-car […] Read more
High-quality seed may be tough to find heading into spring
Like everyone else, seed growers were hit hard last year
Reading Time: 4 minutes Seeding this spring is going to be a little like the Indianapolis 500. No matter which seed you plant, you’ll probably cross the finish line — but you’re going to get there a whole lot faster in a Lamborghini than a LeBaron. Seed with both high germination and high vigour will help you win the […] Read more
Big equipment and rural roads aren’t a great match
You can’t shrink your equipment but you can reduce the risk of a collision
Reading Time: 4 minutes When it comes to transporting agricultural equipment, bigger almost never means better. After all, equipment is getting larger but roads are staying the same size. There are also fewer drivers on the road who know how to respect and respond to these large, slow-moving vehicles. It’s a potentially fatal cocktail and farmers are getting worried. […] Read more
Safety is getting its turn in the spotlight
With new workplace regs in effect, there’s a lineup of producers wanting to make their farms safer
Reading Time: 4 minutes After a bit of a slow start, farmers are increasingly turning to AgSafe Alberta for help in reducing the risk of an accident on their operation. “It’s actually really busy — it’s gone from being very quiet to a wave,” said Jody Wacowich, the executive director of the non-profit society created by farm groups in […] Read more
Canadian farms are getting safer — but not fast enough
Safer machinery is saving lives, but farms remain dangerous places to work, says expert
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farms across Canada are becoming safer, but danger still abounds. “We are seeing fewer entanglement injuries and fewer deaths from rollovers — that’s where the big gains are on the technology and engineering side,” said Don Voaklander, director of the University of Alberta’s Injury Prevention Centre. “The other stuff is kind of the same. Falls […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
