Reading Time: 6 minutes Alberta’s new premier has declared the province “open for business” — and investing in food processing might just be the right place to start. “There are a ton of opportunities for us to capitalize on our ‘Alberta Advantage’ to make high-quality food products at a reasonable cost,” said Sanford Gleddie, vice-president of agriculture and business […] Read more
The time is right for small-scale local food processing
Food processing could be the real ‘Alberta Advantage’
Spray variability may be costing you big bucks
Several factors can cause uneven spraying — and they almost always come down to speed
Reading Time: 4 minutes In some parts of the field, as much as half of the herbicide you spray may not hit the target, says a spraying expert. And while there are a host of factors involved — including turns, boom height variability, and turbulence — more often than not, the culprit is speed, said Tom Wolf. The result […] Read more
Alberta’s new agriculture minister praised as smart, grounded, and ‘a stand-up guy’
Although just 31, Devin Dreeshen has extensive experience in politics and on the farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes Premier Jason Kenney has chosen one of his youngest MLAs to be the province’s new agriculture minister. But although he’s just 31 and has only been an MLA for 10 months, Devin Dreeshen comes to the job with a robust resumé. The Innisfail-Sylvan Lake rep is the son of veteran Tory Red Deer-Mountain View MP […] Read more
More wildfires and changes in run-off a challenge for irrigation district
A lack of tree cover can boost run-off volumes but they come sooner and with much more sediment
Reading Time: 4 minutes As wildfire experts peer into the future, they see more — and more severe — forest fires because of a changing climate. But some are also looking to the past and measuring the impact that forest fires have on the quantity and quality of run-off — two factors that could have major implications for Alberta’s […] Read more
It’s as Canadian as peanut butter? Fascinating food facts
Whether born out of curiosity or necessity, this country has a rich history in creating new foods
Reading Time: 3 minutes When we think of a Canadian meal, we think of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, milk, and all the fixings. Spring is here and the BBQ has likely been dusted off to welcome these old flames to our weary winter palate. As Canadians, we set the table with favourites such as lasagna, burgers of every description, […] Read more
4-H scholarships open until May 31
Reading Time: < 1 minute There are a number of 4-H Canada scholarships available and applications are being accepted until May 31. The Leadership Excellence Awards of Distinction is open to senior youth members who have “outstanding accomplishments” in leadership. The scholarships, sponsored by CN Rail, are worth $20,000 over four years. There are 15 John Deere Canada scholarships, for […] Read more
Nominations open for Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame
Reading Time: < 1 minute Do you know a deserving individual who has made an important impact on Canadian agriculture? Every year, the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame Association honours and celebrates Canadians who have made notable, lifelong contributions to the agriculture and food industry. Nominees are evaluated on vocational endeavours, leadership, and vision. May 1 is the deadline for […] Read more
Viewing the importance of farming through a different lens
Studying global leadership gave me a new appreciation of how agriculture underpins everything
Reading Time: 3 minutes I am writing to you in this column sporting my new credentials: master of arts in global leadership. And through it all, I never left agriculture. In fact, it was agriculture that gave me the depth and breadth of experience for interesting dialogue and the completion of many papers based on food production and food […] Read more
Grain handler G3 to further expand Alberta footprint
The Winnipeg-headquartered company expects to have five Alberta elevators up by end of 2020
Reading Time: 2 minutes Having started 2018 with zero grain elevators in the Alberta market, G3 expects to soon have five in progress. The Winnipeg-based grain handler plans to start construction by this summer on a pair of 42,000-tonne-capacity elevators near Stettler and Irricana, for completion the following year. The Stettler County elevator is to be built near the […] Read more
Animal welfare advocates honoured
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Farmer columnist Brenda Schoepp and beef producer Stacey Simpson are the recipients of the Alberta Farm Animal Care’s awards of distinction for 2019. The awards recognize individuals or groups who have made exceptional contributions in the field of livestock welfare, and who champion best practices and innovative ideas. Schoepp received the award for communication […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
