Reading Time: 2 minutes Children “often perceive the farm as a big playground filled with endless opportunities to explore” and parents need to plan accordingly, says a provincial farm safety youth co-ordinator. “Unfortunately, they don’t always recognize the serious dangers that are often lurking around the farmyard,” said Janice Donkers. “Most rural parents want their kids to enjoy life […] Read more
Plan for your children’s safety on the farm
Here are some guidelines for creating a ‘hazard-free’ play area
New tapeworm species infecting people in Alberta
There have only been five cases so far but experts are urging dog owners to take precautions
Reading Time: 2 minutes There’s a new parasite in Alberta being spread by coyotes, but there is no reason to be overly alarmed, says an infectious diseases expert. “We’re definitely not trying to encourage wholesale panic,” said Stan Houston, a professor at the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health. The parasite, introduced from Europe, is a potentially lethal […] Read more
The world has an eating problem — and farming is the solution
Whether it’s obesity or malnutrition, Canadian farmers have an amazing opportunity to be agents of change
Reading Time: 3 minutes “As a farming community we should be the epitome of health.” That was the closing remark of one of the speakers at the Nuffield Triennial Farming Conference in southern England earlier this summer. The speaker had been talking about obesity and food-related health issues, and how farmers could be a solution to this serious problem. […] Read more
The physics of lightning and why ‘if it roars, go indoors’ is good advice
Tornadoes, wind, and hail grab the headlines but it’s lightning that typically poses the biggest danger
Reading Time: 3 minutes To wrap up our look at severe thunderstorms, we’re going to revisit how lightning is thought to form and then take a look at some lightning facts and safety tips. Tornadoes, wind, and hail often make the headlines when it comes to thunderstorms, but it is lightning that is often the biggest threat. For this […] Read more
Eating with our eyes — our perception of food isn’t a simple thing
What consumers perceive as tasty and nutritious is proving to be a lot more complicated than we ever thought
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are many food and consumer trends that keep farmers grappling with providing the right product. Buying food is based on many things: health consciousness, price, flavour and taste, smell, and presentation. From packaging to ‘gastrophysics,’ there are some basics to understand about our ever-challenging task of producing and selling food. I listened to a […] Read more
Farm management scholarship available
Application deadline is Sept. 15
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are now being accepted for the Robert L. Ross Memorial Scholarship, which gives a Canadian farmer a chance to attend the Canadian Total Excellence in Agricultural Management (CTEAM) program. The program provides farmers the opportunity to learn detailed financial, marketing and human relations management skills, using their own operation as a case study. One […] Read more
Last chance to enter brand contest
Entries must be received by Aug. 2
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Bow Valley Ranche, along with the Southern Alberta Pioneers and Their Descendants, present Canada’s 15th Cattle and Horse Brand Contest. Enter now for a chance to win prizes, including a song about your brand to be performed this fall by Rob Lennard, Alberta’s ‘history wrangler.’ “I have always been interested and intrigued as to the story […] Read more
It’s time for Canadians to dig up their undies
It’s time for Canadians to grab their shovels, head into their gardens, flowerbeds or fields and reveal their underwear. Part 2 of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada’s (SCCC) experiment to help gauge the health of soils has come to an end, and if you buried a pair of cotton briefs, now is the time to retrieve them. “The Council was […] Read more
Heat wave may have left a toxic legacy
Reading Time: 2 minutes The heat wave from earlier this month could pose a lingering and deadly danger to your children, livestock, or pets — blue-green algae. The algae contains several types of toxins, which can cause organ damage; affect the nervous and respiratory systems; cause paralysis; and, in extreme cases, can kill. While people are not likely to […] Read more
Put a skip in your step — it will make life better in many ways
You may think you’re too old or feel silly skipping about the farm, but it will fill you with energy — and joy
Reading Time: 3 minutes Gripping the skipping rope in my hands for the first time in five decades, I quietly wondered if it was possible. Under the gaze of four sapphire-eyed girls I knew I had to try. Two hundred and sixteen skips later I rested to the chorus of, “How did you do that?” How indeed? What makes […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
