Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s a long way off to gardening season, but Alberta Agriculture and Forestry has several publications that might be a perfect fit for the gardener on your Christmas list. Alberta Yards and Gardens ($15): unbiased information on selecting ornamental trees and shrubs, lawns, small fruits and berries, flowers, vegetables, herbs and even water plants. The […] Read more
Hoe, hoe, hoe — guess what gardeners want from Santa?
Here are some gift ideas for folks with green thumbs
An act of kindness fills the human spirit and ripples outward
They often come out of nowhere and when they are most needed — and their power to uplift is deep and strong
Reading Time: 3 minutes It was the usual day. Get up early, study the markets, check on the cattle, fix fence, make a sandwich, and then go out and do it all again. Going to town or taking time to do things in the home were privileges, stretched out on the horizon and always seemingly days or months away. […] Read more
Climate change equals more grass fires, says expert
Farmers should be aware of this danger and take steps to reduce the risk
Reading Time: 3 minutes This year’s spate of wildfires across the western Prairies were not an anomaly, but rather a “glimpse into the future” for Alberta farmers. “In Canada, our area burned has doubled since the 1970s, and I — and a number of others — attribute this to climate change,” said Mike Flannigan, a professor with the department […] Read more
Workshops ask, are you really making money?
Reading Time: < 1 minute Selling at a farmers’ market or direct to customers is one thing, doing it profitably is another. To help producers with that challenge, Alberta Agriculture is hosting a pair of “Pricing Principles: Moving to Retail” workshops. The workshops will be held on Jan. 18 at the Agriculture Centre in Airdrie and on Jan. 30 at […] Read more
The ‘eyes’ have it — the key to better sales, that is
High-tech eye tracking technology literally gives insights into the buying decisions of consumers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Want to get more customers in the door? Get rid of potholes in the parking lot and put an inverted V-shaped canopy over the entrance. Want to boost sales? Put fewer items on the shelf and lower the height of display benches. That was some of the advice offered to Alberta garden centre owners by […] Read more
Christmas Bird Count set to begin
Annual citizen science project runs from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5
Reading Time: < 1 minute It is not uncommon for rough-legged hawks to stay north during the winter months, while most hawks migrate south. This fellow in the photo above may just end up being part of the annual Christmas Bird Count. Started in 1900, the count is North America’s longest-running citizen science project with volunteers collecting data in more […] Read more
Eighteen good causes championed by farmers receive grants
Reading Time: 2 minutes Thanks to the support of Canadian farmers, 66 rural-based charities and non-profits — including 18 in Alberta — have received a $2,500 grant from the Canada’s Farmers Grow Communities program. The six-year-old program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, gives grants to schools, libraries, historical societies, health and recreational facilities, rural daycares, senior clubs, 4-H groups, […] Read more
Alberta speakers wow them with their words
Reading Time: < 1 minute Lois Schultz of Wetaskiwin took top honours in the senior division of the 2017 Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture nationals earlier this month while Quentin Albrecht of Holden was first runner-up in the junior category. Schultz was 4-H Alberta’s representative at the event, which takes place at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. The […] Read more
Crop Management Network sells stake
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agrico Canada is acquiring a 50 per cent stake in the Crop Management Network, which was established in 2007 and consists of locally owned retailers operating an integrated logistics company. Read more: Agrico buys stake in Alberta input retail chain Located in central Alberta, CMN is the largest independent retail network in the province, with locations […] Read more
Alberta Federation of Agriculture questions government move
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Federation of Agriculture wants to know why the province is dissolving the Agriculture Operation Practices Act Practice Review Committee. The move would eliminate “the pool of farmers and ranchers who can be designated to hold an inquiry should there be a nuisance complaint lodged against a farming operation,” said federation president Lynn Jacobson. […] Read more
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