Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures on Thursday leapt to their highest prices in more than two months as the latest crop estimates in major exporting countries like Argentina, France and Russia raised questions about global supply. Corn and soybean futures also strengthened, as weather forecasts predicted more heat and dryness […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat futures top two-month high on global harvest worries
Corn, soybeans firm as U.S. weather looks hotter, drier
Alberta producers create a buzz on their farms with pollinator program
Program encourages farmers to seed an acre or two with plants that attract pollinators and build biodiversity
Reading Time: 3 minutes Vance Graham’s land is now more attractive to bees, and all he had to do was plant a few seed packets. Graham is one of 38 Alberta farmers who signed up for Operation Pollinator, a project run by Syngenta and the Soil Conservation Council of Canada. “They wanted it on an area of ground that […] Read more
Ontario, Manitoba corn crops need rain
CNS Canada — Corn development in key growing areas of Ontario and Manitoba remains highly variable as the crop nears its yield-determining phase. “The pollination stage is the critical part of the corn-growing period and I would say probably within the next three weeks we will know what yield is going to look like,” said […] Read more
In a bug-eat-bug world, farmers should help out their insect friends
Beneficial insects are tiny killing machines that can significantly reduce crop pests, says entomologist
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beneficial insects can be an unpaid workforce on your farm by killing pest species. And if you don’t help out the good ones, then you’re favouring those you don’t want, says an entomologist with Manitoba’s Agriculture Department. “Nature does not like a void,” said John Gavloski. “If you had no insects in a field or […] Read more
You want pollinators to make their home on your range
There are scores of native pollinators in Alberta — and the more you have on your rangeland, the better
Reading Time: 3 minutes There is a buzz on range- and pasture lands. And we really need to pay attention to native pollinators and the benefits that they provide, says a rangeland ecologist. “Pollinators are critical to rangelands themselves, and the plants that are there,” said Cameron Carlyle, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta, who is not […] Read more
Producers encouraged to create pollinator habitat
Reading Time: < 1 minute A program that helps producers create pollinator habitat and refuges is coming to Alberta. To enrol in the Operation Pollinator program, producers agree to convert one to two acres of lower-productivity land to establish a pollinator habitat. In exchange for dedicating the land, producers receive a provision of high-quality, pollinator-friendly wildflower seed, agronomic advice, and […] Read more
Province updating survey on beekeeping costs and returns
The four-decade-old survey is periodically updated to give producers benchmark data
Reading Time: < 1 minute The province is conducting its latest survey on the cost of production for beekeeping in Alberta. “The main purpose of the 2016 Beekeeping Cost of Production Survey is to monitor the current costs and returns of beekeeping in Alberta,” said Emmanuel Laate, senior crop economist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “We have periodically monitored the […] Read more
Want to keep pollinators and beneficial species on your land? Build an eco-buffer
Edmonton Corn Maze is showcasing an eco-buffer — a community of trees and plants that provide a host of benefits for farms
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you build an eco-buffer, beneficial species will come. An eco-buffer is a planned community of trees, plants, and herbaceous species that provide pollinator and wildlife habitat, shelter for livestock, nutrient cycling, and groundwater recharge. A newly created eco-buffer, designed as part of an ALUS (Alternative Land Use Services) project, will soon demonstrate its value […] Read more
Award recognizes producers who help pollinators
Nominations open until August 12
Reading Time: < 1 minute Nominations are being sought for the 2016 Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award. Individuals or families in Canada currently implementing pollinator protection measures on their farm or ranch are encouraged to apply. The award recognizes farmers and ranchers who have made significant efforts in conserving natural ecosystems, fostering additional pollinator habitat, and protecting pollinators. It is […] Read more
‘Eco-buffer’ boosts pasture productivity for Alberta producer
Letting nature do its job got Don Ruzicka off a treadmill of clearing trees, draining wetlands, and poor returns
Reading Time: 4 minutes Some people look for signs — other people just find them. For producer Don Ruzicka of Killam, the motivation behind the past three decades of land management on his farm was quite literally a sign. Before he purchased his grandparents’ farm in 1983, Ruzicka worked in the logging industry. “The first day I flew into […] Read more
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