Reading Time: 3 minutes Joy Agnew says her first few days at her new job were totally overwhelming — in a good way. After a nearly 10-year stint at the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute, Agnew began her new job as director of applied research at Olds College in early January and hit the ground running. “The shift to digital […] Read more
A new age of ag education is underway, says Olds College research director
Joy Agnew says ‘digital ag’ is revolutionizing how students are being trained in agriculture
Alberta Beef Producer’s view on Bighorn Country proposals
Cattle group supports conservation of sensitive lands, but the details raise concerns
Reading Time: 3 minutes Editor’s note: This is a condensed version of an ABP briefing note. The full PDF version can be found at the Alberta Beef Producers website. The Bighorn Country proposal by Alberta Environment and Parks consists of four provincial parks, four recreation areas, and two Public Land Use Zones (PLUZs). There are several beef producers who […] Read more
Southern Alberta suffering from lack of precipitation this winter
While much of the province has seen average snowfall, the south has been below or well-below average
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s a mixed bag when it comes to the soil moisture situation in the province. Most of the area north of Calgary has “experienced at least near-normal precipitation accumulations,” said Ralph Wright, manager of the agro-meteorological applications and modelling section with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “In contrast, throughout much of southern Alberta, accumulations have been […] Read more
Help wanted with Smart Parkland bid
Reading Time: < 1 minute The counties of Parkland, Brazeau, Lac Ste. Anne and Yellowhead are looking for people to fill out an online survey as part of their proposal to the Canadian Smart Cities Challenge, sponsored by Infrastructure Canada. This proposal has been selected as one of the 20 national finalists, and is the only one about agriculture. The […] Read more
Data is too important to be left in the hands of others
Canada relies on the U.S for critical agricultural data, and that leaves us extraordinarily vulnerable
Reading Time: 3 minutes Vulnerability is a word that I have taken to heart a lot in the past few years. We are vulnerable when we change, or seek change; vulnerable when we are left open to volatile weather or markets; and in agriculture, we are extraordinarily vulnerable when we are without data. The partial shutdown of the U.S. […] Read more
Political gamesmanship casts shadow over canola sector
China is still buying Canadian canola and the entire industry is hoping that doesn’t change
Reading Time: 3 minutes Concerns in the canola sector are mounting in lockstep with the growing tensions between China and Canada. “Everybody is very concerned about it,” a senior Canadian grain company official told Commodity News Service Canada. “If the conflict isn’t resolved, (canola) will be the obvious target, and that’s a deep concern to everybody.” The situation began […] Read more
What will your farm look like in 2029?
The odds of it being what you’d like it to be go up if you have a strategic plan, says business specialist
Reading Time: 2 minutes Producers often put off developing a long-term strategic plan, but they shouldn’t, says a provincial farm business management specialist. “Farmers are always busy with their daily and seasonal tasks,” said Dean Dyck. “When asked what their plan is for the next 10 years, they often say they haven’t had a chance to work on it […] Read more
Mapping projects to aid emergency planning
Province and Ottawa funding 18 more projects under the National Disaster Mitigation Program
Reading Time: 2 minutes More Alberta communities are getting new and replacement flood mapping to support emergency response and long-term planning. The federal government is providing $8.7 million through the National Disaster Mitigation Program for 18 projects. They include new or replacement flood mapping for Drumheller, Medicine Hat, Siksika Nation, Red Deer, and more than 100 kilometres of the […] Read more
Classroom Agriculture Program still looking for volunteers
Reading Time: < 1 minute There’s still time to sign up as a volunteer for the Classroom Agriculture Program. For more than 30 years, volunteers across Alberta have taught Grade 4 students about the importance of agriculture in their daily lives. The program offers a free, one-hour-long, hands-on presentation about agriculture. About five hours are required for volunteers (which includes training, […] Read more
What happens up north also affects southern Canada
Melting polar ice and a warming north will have an effect on agriculture elsewhere in the country
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada has the most extensive coastline in the world, and much of that is in the Arctic. That place we know near the North Pole is not however, governed by Canada alone. The Arctic is governed by eight nations: Canada, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, U.S. and Iceland. This group, known as the Arctic Council, […] Read more
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