Reading Time: 4 minutes Are provincial subsidies for on-farm grid-tied solar projects dead? And if they are dead, does that mean solar and other renewable energy projects have gone the way of the dodo as well? It would be hard to fault anyone for answering ‘Yes’ to both questions. While on the campaign trail in February, now-premier, Jason Kenney […] Read more
Interest in solar remains strong, but subsidies in doubt
It’s not clear whether the new government will axe subsidies, but producers still drawn to solar workshops
Innisfail-area teen gives new meaning to ‘horsepower’
4-H Science Fair project generates renewable energy
Reading Time: 2 minutes One Innisfail-area teen has turned horse manure into horsepower, thanks to an innovative 4-H Science Fair project of his own design. “I wanted to see if the average daily manure produced by one horse would be enough to power electric horse fencing using a biodigester,” said 13-year-old Liam Christian. “I found out that, yes, actually, […] Read more
Alberta producers see incomes drop by $1 billion last year
Flat revenue, higher expenses squeeze farmers
Reading Time: 4 minutes No matter how you measure it, Canadian and Alberta farm income took a big, double-digit, hit in 2018. The two biggest culprits were flat revenues, in part because of trade restrictions, and higher expenses, including for commercial feed, interest and machinery fuel. For 2018, Canadian farm net cash income fell 20.7 per cent to $11.6 […] Read more
Weather forecast calls for normal rainfall
But as with anything, there is an opposite outlook
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Weather Network is predicting Alberta will see slightly above-normal temperatures this summer but possibly above-normal rainfall in the south. “A changeable summer is expected across Alberta with back-and-forth temperature swings that come close to offsetting each other,” it said in its forecast for June to August. “Rainfall totals are expected to be near normal […] Read more
Simple steps for avoiding the nightmare of a barn fire
Annual electrical inspections, hard-wiring equipment, and good housekeeping are proven risk reducers
Reading Time: 4 minutes A barn fire can be one of the most distressing disasters on a farm — no amount of insurance can rectify the loss when livestock are killed this way. Although there are fewer barn fires today, the pure destruction factor has never been higher. Ontario had 89 barn fires from 2014 to 2018, but the […] Read more
Spice maker seeks path to make vanilla milkshakes cheaper
Chicago/Antananarivo, Madagascar | Reuters — A kilo of vanilla beans costs more than a kilo of silver. Cultivated painstakingly over years from an orchid plant, vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world, after saffron. In less than five years, the wholesale price has risen nearly 500 per cent, partly because of growing […] Read more
Ten 4-H’ers share $80,000 in scholarships
Reading Time: 2 minutes The 4-H Foundation of Alberta has awarded the largest monetary scholarship in 4-H Alberta’s history. Through the 2018 Elmer and Ona Hansen Memorial Fund Scholarship, the foundation has awarded $80,000 in scholarships to 10 Alberta rural farm youth for their studies that began in the fall of 2018. The scholarship was originally established in 2008, […] Read more
College adds ‘data lab’ to Smart Farm
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada is donating $200,000 over the next four years for a “data lab” at Olds College’s Smart Farm. The lab is a technologically advanced workspace, available for students, instructors, and industry partners “to meet, collaborate and learn,” the college said in a news release. “The AgExpert Data Lab brings together data from our […] Read more
Mistakes with livestock pharmaceuticals are costly in more ways than one
There are several things you should do regularly to ensure you’re using products properly
Reading Time: 3 minutes Now that I’m in the pharmaceutical industry, I get lots of calls in regard to which products can and can not be used. Or what happens if they are given by the wrong method in the wrong location. I am hoping this article will shed some light on the situation and ensure that our livestock […] Read more
Mental health awareness group gets grant
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Do More Agriculture Foundation has received a $30,000 grant from Syngenta Canada. The two-year-old non-profit organization promotes awareness of mental health issues in the agricultural community. A 2015 University of Guelph study found 58 per cent of Canadian producers met the criteria for anxiety; 45 per cent were classified as having high stress; and […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
