Reading Time: 2 minutes Newly formed AgSafe Alberta now has boots on the ground, says extension co-ordinator Donna Trottier. “There are a couple of things that we want farmers out there to know,” she said at the recent Canadian Agricultural Safety Association conference. “We have three advisers who are available to come out to your farm and help introduce […] Read more
AgSafe Alberta offering free safety programs for farmers
New producer-run organization has free advisers who can make visits to help you improve farm safety
Are there old explosives on your farm or ranch?
The RCMP says it regularly gets reports of degraded dynamite and detonators, and even grenades
Reading Time: < 1 minute Not so long ago, Alberta farmers and ranchers had easy access to dynamite and detonators. Because of these old rules, there is a large — but unquantified — amount of degraded dynamite in the province. Every year, many Albertans report finding dynamite or detonators stored, or in some cases forgotten, on their properties. Anyone who […] Read more
Governments to kick-start Ontario hazelnut sector
Development of hazelnut crop management practices and new and improved processing plants for a major user of hazelnuts are getting federal and provincial government funding in Ontario. The federal government on Wednesday pledged up to $492,052 to the Ontario Hazelnut Association (OHA) to help develop the hazelnut sector, working with the University of Guelph and […] Read more
Youth dies in farming accident
Reading Time: < 1 minute A 17-year-old male from the Hanna area died in a farming accident on Sept. 25. In a statement, RCMP said the young man had been harrowing a field when the tractor he was driving went over an embankment and rolled. The teen was ejected from the tractor when it rolled and was crushed beneath the […] Read more
Official says ‘One Seat, One Rider’ should be the rule on every farm
Machinery accidents cause the majority of fatalities among children on the farm
Reading Time: 2 minutes Daddy, can I have a ride?’ “Riding on the tractor with Dad has been a long-standing tradition for many farm families,” said Janice Donkers, youth farm safety co-ordinator with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “It’s not uncommon to hear the older generations boast about how young they were when they first began riding on or operating […] Read more
Big farms equal big headaches — but will you pay for an adviser?
Farmers like Spencer Hilton say hiring was the best-ever investment, but management advice can seem ‘namby-pamby’
Reading Time: 4 minutes Spencer Hilton has seen the business of farming change drastically during the decades he’s spent on his fifth-generation grain operation. “In the day and age that we’re farming in right now, we’re dealing with the ‘Walmart effect,’” said the Strathmore-area farmer. “There’s a real advantage to economies of scale and size. It’s not for everybody, […] Read more
The making of a true – and enduring – love story
Out of a first tempestuous meeting and many months of shenanigans, an extraordinary relationship was born
Reading Time: 3 minutes He came into my life in his 11th year — a strong, beautifully marked buckskin gelding with a temper to match the devil himself. He had never been trailered or worked for his keep, but his eye was gentle and something inside of me whispered to give him a go. A gift from very dear […] Read more
Rootstock blends rock music, local food, and conversations about farming
Reading Time: 3 minutes Rootstock rocked its third year out at the Flint Rock Ranch. About 400 people attended the fundraiser — which brings together city folk and local farmers to enjoy a farm-to-table dinner — late last month. “In the last few years, we’ve started raising grass-finished beef in an attempt to nurture and be good stewards of […] Read more
Symposium aims to educate educators about ag
Event scheduled for Nov. 24 aims to be annual affair
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ag for Life is hosting a teachers’ symposium in a bid to bridge “the gap between the agriculture sector and classroom curriculum.” “Most families are three to five generations removed from the farm today and that disconnect leads to a misunderstanding about how food is raised,” said Luree Williamson, CEO of the Alberta non-profit, which […] Read more
Get advice on renewable energy leases
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office has released an updated guide for landowners who have been approached by renewable energy developers to lease land for wind and solar developments. The first version of the guide, called Renewable Energy in Alberta, only came out in February but has been revised following a series of presentations to landowners across […] Read more
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