Reading Time: < 1 minute A new school dedicated to agricultural tech is now open for business and accepting applications from students wanting to specialize in precision ag and other leading-edge technologies. “This is a historic day for Olds College,” said college president Stuart Cullum. “The launch of the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology is a profound statement of our […] Read more
“Smart” ag school now accepting applications
Cool weather, price drop hits Alberta honey producers
A poor honey crop and low prices spell bad times for the province’s beekeepers
Reading Time: 4 minutes This summer’s cool weather didn’t just have a negative impact on grain crops — it meant honeybees weren’t flying. And that has some commercial beekeepers in the province facing a dire economic situation. Most producers have substantially lower honey yields this year, said Connie Phillips, executive director of the Alberta Beekeepers Commission. That was borne […] Read more
Dispose of old pesticides and livestock meds
Twenty-six locations named across the province
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cleanfarms is collecting old, unwanted agricultural pesticides and livestock/equine medications in six locations in the Peace region from Oct. 16-18 and at 20 locations in northern Alberta from Oct. 7-11. Materials accepted in the Cleanfarms program include old or unwanted agricultural pesticides (identified with a Pest Control Product number on the label) and livestock/equine medications […] Read more
Crown pension fund bids for Australian ag firm Webster
Reuters — Australian agribusiness company Webster Ltd. said on Thursday it has signed a deal for a A$854 million (C$763.65 million) takeover by shareholder PSP Investments, one of Canada’s biggest pension funds. The walnut, cotton and livestock producer said the A$2 per share offer — a 57.5 per cent premium to Wednesday’s ordinary shares closing […] Read more
Federal minister for rural affairs among Tory pledges
The federal Conservatives’ pre-election pledges for Canada’s rural communities include a plan to appoint a federal minister for rural affairs. Tory leader Andrew Scheer included that promise Sept. 7 in announcing a list of “specific measures he will take as prime minister to help rural communities across the country,” in the lead-up to a federal […] Read more
Farm safety program for youth receives funding
Reading Time: < 1 minute A $10,000 grant from Corteva Agriscience will support the development and delivery of Ag for Life’s Safety on the Farm for Youth module. The interactive online course can be used in the classroom to teach students how to build a personalized farm safety plan while learning safety tactics. The plan will be available in both […] Read more
Don’t try to tough it out if you’re stressed
Reading Time: < 1 minute Harvest is a particularly stressful time and it’s important that farm owners and family members know the signs and symptoms of fatigue, anxiety and depression. “When you begin to feel overwhelmed or burnt out, one of the best things you can do is call a timeout, step back and take a moment for yourself,” said […] Read more
With a federal election looming, spare a thought for trade
Trade is a complex issue but needs to be a priority for our export-dependent farm sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes A Canadian election is around the corner and trade is an important issue to consider, particularly for agriculture. Agri-food accounts for 12 per cent of all of Canada’s exports. One-half of all Canadian agricultural production is exported. One in two jobs in grains and oilseeds is export dependent and one in four jobs in food […] Read more
Alberta ag minister says he got the message on workplace safety laws
Devin Dreeshen says new workplace safety law will have ‘have some common sense attached to it’
Reading Time: 4 minutes He made 25 stops across the province, met with more than 1,000 farmers, put over 8,000 kilometres on the truck and drank countless cups of coffee. Devin Dreeshen has been a busy man during his first summer as provincial agriculture minister and he’s promising a replacement workplace safety law is introduced this fall. “What we’ve […] Read more
Willing to share a little dirt? Samples wanted
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farming Smarter needs 10 more farms in southern Alberta willing to share a little dirt for the Alberta Soil Health Benchmark Monitoring Project. The project will document soil health indicators at 200 locations in Alberta. Twenty fields were sampled in early summer and another 20 will be sampled this fall. The fields will be re-sampled […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
