Reading Time: 3 minutes I often question our roles as persons in igniting, fuelling, or participating in conflict. Which is why I thought of my granddaughter who insisted one rainy day on wearing one sandal and one shoe. At some point, most children go through this valuable stage of expression, where they make choices that don’t fit what we […] Read more
A simple dilemma and what it tells us about choices
Our lives have plenty of stress and conflict. Do we really want to invite in more when we don’t have to?
Furor gives way to compromise on farm safety rules
Farmers were outraged when Bill 6 was introduced in 2015, but years of talks have changed the situation
Reading Time: 3 minutes It began with a firestorm but nearly three years on, the province’s move to impose Occupational Health and Safety regulations on farms is headed for a far different ending. It would be a mistake to roll back workplace safety legislation, said Albert Kamps, a dairy farmer and chair of AgCoalition, an unprecedented alliance of provincial […] Read more
Students will find tomorrow’s technology today at ‘smart farm’
Operation will use tech ranging from drones and data analytics to multispectral imaging and AI
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s not often you find yourself in the middle of a field with full Wi-Fi bars on your phone. But what else would you expect from a ‘smart farm?’ “This is the classroom coming alive,” said Jason Bradley, director of smart ag for Olds College. “The smart farm is a place where students can get […] Read more
Comment: Increasingly, food must not only taste good, but ‘feel good’
Flavour and price still count, but more people want food that appeals to their social conscience
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sometimes deciding what to feed the family after a long, arduous day juggling daycare, jobs, and traffic seems overwhelmingly complicated. If a recent press release from the U.S.-based Tyson Innovation Lab is any indication, deciding what we’re going to put into our mouths next is about to get more cluttered with new products, new language, […] Read more
Where did GM wheat found in Alberta come from?
So far, there seems to be no logical explanation on how the GM wheat came to exist
Reading Time: 3 minutes The mystery over how seven plants of genetically modified wheat wound up growing next to an Alberta field access road will take some time to unravel. This high-tech whodunit has regulators scratching their heads to figure out how a known glyphosate-resistance gene from Monsanto got into an unknown variety of wheat hundreds of kilometres from […] Read more
Environmental threats put bumblebee queens under pressure
Insecticide exposure and declining floral diversity are jeopardizing key pollinator group
Reading Time: < 1 minute Spring is a busy time for bumblebee queens. After emerging from hibernation, their to-do list includes making nests, laying eggs, and keeping their larvae warm and fed. It’s physiologically demanding, and the stakes are high: the success of the colony depends on a queen. In a recent study, researchers at the University of California Riverside […] Read more
Deadly pest marching towards Alberta’s borders
The emerald ash borer has travelled halfway across the continent and has now reached Manitoba
Reading Time: 3 minutes Another highly destructive invasive pest has breached the boundary of the eastern Prairies and Albertans are being asked to keep watch — and not unwittingly aid its spread. The emerald ash borer, which attacks and kills all species of ash, was found in Winnipeg this winter. The beetle is on a steady invasive march across […] Read more
Weather app has different features
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture’s new mobile-friendly weather app differs from many others because it has recent past data, says Ralph Wright, head of agro-meteorology. The app lets producers look at all of the hourly data for winds for the past few days. “If we’re in a stable weather pattern… you can start getting some pretty good ideas […] Read more
Deadline for 2019 Safety Day events coming up
Application deadline is July 15
Reading Time: < 1 minute The deadline for hosting an event that helps children learn how to be safe on the farm is fast approaching. Since 2002, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association has partnered with the Progressive Agriculture Foundation on Safety Day events, the largest rural safety and health education program for children in North America. The Progressive Agriculture Safety […] Read more
Does deep banding work? New research aims to find out
The practice could make immobile nutrients more available for three major crops
Reading Time: 3 minutes The jury is still out on whether deep banding fertilizer is worth the time and money — but researchers across Alberta are hoping to settle the debate once and for all. “I don’t think there’s any proof yet that deep banding works,” said Ken Coles, general manager of Farming Smarter. “We want to have some […] Read more
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