Reading Time: < 1 minute There’s still time to win a $2,500 grant for a charity or non-profit in your community. Canada’s Farmers Grow Communities will hand out 66 grants in November, two in each of the country’s 33 grain-growing regions — nine of which are in Alberta. Winners will be drawn randomly from all applications received by Sept. 30. […] Read more
Win a $2,500 grant for a group in your community
Funding offered for ‘mental health first aid’ courses in farm communities
Course teaches people how to help those suffering from depression and anxiety or contemplating suicide
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new foundation focused on promoting mental wellness for farmers is offering funding for communities willing to put on ‘mental health first aid’ workshops. The two-day course offers training on how to help “a person having a panic attack, support someone who lives with depression and anxiety, and intervene when signs of suicidal ideation are […] Read more
Canada’s short line equipment makers on the cutting edge
These smaller manufacturers exported $1.8 billion of equipment and implements last year
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re frustrated that the big names in equipment manufacturing aren’t rolling out autonomous systems quickly enough, you may want to look a little closer to home. “With the clock ticking on when we’ll see autonomous farming become a commercial reality, my hope is that we’ll see Canadian manufacturers lead the way there,” said Leah […] Read more
Those who serve make a difference — for you and other farmers
Serving on a farm group’s board won’t earn you a medal, but the work benefits the ag sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes For Allison and Mike Ammeter, being a farmer goes far beyond actual farm work. “Farming is a whole lot more than putting seed in the ground and harvesting it,” said Allison Ammeter, who farms alongside her husband near Sylvan Lake. “A lot of it is looking at the really big picture — provincially, nationally, and […] Read more
Province ‘assessing’ its hopper car fleet
Reading Time: < 1 minute The province is “currently assessing policy options” for its fleet of hopper cars, says an analyst with Alberta Agriculture. In the early ’80s, Alberta and Saskatchewan each purchased 1,000 hopper cars to supplement the fleet of 13,300 owned by the federal government, noted Chuanliang Su. Read more: Railways say they’re ready for large shipping season […] Read more
Researchers aim to get a handle on mysterious soap holes
U of Calgary wants to build a database of the odd little bogs of greasy — and often treacherous — mud
Reading Time: 2 minutes Do you have a soap hole on your property? Researchers from the University of Calgary are asking landowners who have one of these “mysterious occurrences of liquified clays” to contact them so they can record their location. Early settlers of Alberta and Saskatchewan found these odd formations of sand, silt, clay, and water and gave […] Read more
Grazing hayfields is an option this fall
However, there are some factors to keep in mind and you need to introduce cows properly
Reading Time: 2 minutes Grazing hayfields this fall is an option for keeping livestock out as long as possible, says a provincial forage and beef specialist. “Most hay stands will have a significant amount of alfalfa in them,” said Karen Lindquist. “Higher-quality hay typically needs to have a legume component to provide sufficient protein and energy to meet animals’ […] Read more
A look into an entirely different world
The rapid rise of China colours our view of the country, but its citizens see it very differently
Reading Time: 3 minutes “It is so easy to be angry in Beijing,” she lamented when I asked her about her home. “It is so busy. You cannot understand.” It was one of those long flights that sometimes do not feel purposeful — until I met a woman I will call Ju. She was a recent university graduate who […] Read more
Ag for Life seeks youth council members
Application deadline Sept. 17
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture for Life is seeking Alberta youth aged 16 to 21 to join its agriculture youth council. The council will pilot Ag for Life programs and resources, and provide insight and ideas on types of programs and ag-related topics for youth. The council will have eight to 12 members and is open to both urban […] Read more
There’s a reason why stem-mining weevils are the priciest livestock in Alberta
The insects are mowing down Canada thistle across the province, and attracting lots of eager buyers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Tens of thousands of weevils have been pouring into Alberta from Montana — and producers are clamouring for more. “It’s a biological control and it’s been going great,” said Rachael Nay, conservation agriculture extension co-ordinator with the West-Central Forage Association. The association began the project to import stem-mining weevils four years ago as a way […] Read more
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