Person Career Archives | Alberta Farmer Express

Grow them fast and get them out is the motto of livestock nutrition expert Paul Luimes.

Efficiency in sheep production measured in pennies

By Jennifer Blair December 28, 2017

Some livestock producers think about saving a buck when feeding their animals. But for sheep producers, it comes down to cents. “With sheep, you’ve always got to think about costs,” said Paul Luimes, a livestock nutrition researcher at the University of Guelph. “You’ve got to look for pennies to save because there’s not a lot […] Read more

Wade Bendfeld and wife Lisa at the inaugural meeting of the newly formed association for hops growers.

Crops, Heartland, News

It’s tiny now, but fledgling hops sector is taking flight

By Alexis Kienlen December 15, 2017

There’s no doubt that the craft brewing industry in Alberta is hot — and that’s sparking a mini-boom in growing hops. “We know of 12 producers in Alberta, but that does not account for farmers who haven’t engaged with us,” said Wade Bendfeld, president of the Alberta Hop Producers Association, which was formed in March […] Read more

Using your smartphone is now an option for reporting poaching or suspicious incidents.

News

You can now report poachers online

The 1-800 Report A Poacher hotline is the best option when immediate action is needed

By Alberta Government Release November 28, 2017

You can now report suspicious hunting or fishing activity online. Until now, the only way to report poaching activity, dangerous wildlife or public land abuse was to phone the Report A Poacher hotline. There is now a Report A Poacher website to fill out a form and submit it online. The report goes to fish […] Read more

You can make a user-pay argument that feedlots should contribute to road maintenance costs but Lethbridge County’s head tax on cattle could prompt some feeders to move elsewhere, or even close down.

Beef Cattle, Livestock

A taxing situation — study says there’s no easy fix to county’s cattle tax

The levy on feedlot cattle has some justification, a lot of drawbacks, and no trouble-free alternatives, says new study 

By Jennifer Blair November 22, 2017

Lethbridge County’s head tax is unfair for cattle feeders — but there’s no easy alternative. Those are the key takeaways from a new study that looked at both the impact of a per-cow tax, and how the county could raise badly needed funds for maintaining and repairing its roads. Read more: Lethbridge County ‘head tax’ ruled […] Read more

“We’ve been striving for a long time to have a directed checkoff and this does allow people to have some choice,” says Ryan Kasko.

Beef Cattle, News

Long-running cattle checkoff battle may be coming to an end

An agreement on an industry development fund is key to a tentative deal between Alberta Beef Producers and cattle feeders

By Alexis Kienlen November 22, 2017

It’s not finalized yet, but the organizations representing cattle producers and feeders say they’re close to creating a fund to advance the province’s beef sector — and ending a nearly decade-long checkoff. “The Alberta Beef Industry Development Fund is a concept that would be able to be implemented with a non-refundable service charge,” said Rich […] Read more

Machinery & Shop, News

Renamed Seed Hawk now flies the flag of parent company

By Staff November 16, 2017

Saskatchewan equipment maker Seed Hawk has been rechristened as Vaderstad Industries Inc. The company was started in the tiny community of Langbank by farmer Pat Beaujot, his brother, and two friends in 1986. They were frustrated by the lack of suitable seeding equipment for no till at that time and decided to build their own […] Read more

India’s decision to impose a 50-per-cent tax on peas surprised the Canadian pulse sector.

Crops, Pulses

Out of the blue — India’s tax on peas hits growers here

India is our top customer for pulses but the pea tax and ongoing fumigation issue make for ‘a challenging situation’

By Staff November 15, 2017

India’s sudden decision to impose an immediate 50 per cent duty on pea imports has Canadian pulse officials scrambling to find answers — and figure out what comes next. “This sort of moves us beyond even where India has been before in pulse import duties… more than a decade ago we were at 10 per […] Read more

Genomics testing is now practical for crossbred herds, says Delta Genomics.

Beef Cattle, Livestock

Genomics testing now available for commercial herds

Knowing more about your cattle’s DNA can help you make better decisions, says non-profit developer of test

By Alexis Kienlen November 9, 2017

Delta Genomics has released a new genomics tool that will help commercial cattle producers determine breed composition and fertility of their cattle. EnVigour HX, which was released in February, allows producers of crossbred cattle to tap into the power of genomics, said Michelle Miller, chief executive officer of the not-for-profit genomics service division of Livestock Gentec. […] Read more

Baljit Singh, dean of University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine, gave Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt (l) a tour of his school last month after Schmidt surprised the province’s vet community with his decision to pull funding from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

News

Veterinarian school funding decision creates controversy

School’s dean says it makes sense to consolidate in Calgary but association says it’s capping training in the midst of a  vet shortage

By Glenn Cheater November 8, 2017

The dean of the province’s vet school is defending the NDP government’s decision to consolidate veterinarian education in Alberta — but the association representing the profession says it’s short sighted. The province announced last month it will be pulling its $8 million in funding from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon to expand […] Read more

If you had low yields, you may be able to cut back a bit on fertilizer for 2018, but only a soil test will tell you for sure.

Crops

Balance your soil nutrient budget this fall through soil testing

Nitrogen prices have reached lows not seen in over a decade

By Jennifer Blair November 8, 2017

Your soil keeps a budget for nutrients, and how much you will need next year depends on how much you took out this year. “Most of the time when it comes to assessing what soil nutrient levels might be like, typically what you can do is look at your yields,” said provincial crop specialist Mark […] Read more

Major grain traders’ e-transaction platform gets name

Feed weekly outlook: Purchases delayed as prices steady, supplies ample

U.S. grains: Soy futures follow rally in soymeal

GFM Network News