Reading Time: 2 minutes Declaring ‘soil is bigger than oil,’ two Alberta farmer-led research organizations are teaming up to increase the focus on soil health. “Soil health is the foundation of successful farming — if we can maintain and improve the health of our soils, we will be successful farmers,” said Ian Murray, an Acme rancher and chair of […] Read more
Farmer-led research groups shine spotlight on soil health
Improving soil is the key to successful farming, say groups behind the Soil Health Applied Research Alliance
Soil carbon challenge coming to Alberta
The Soil Carbon Coalition Challenge is a North American-wide initiative founded on the premise that carbon is key to soil health
Reading Time: 3 minutes Measuring your soil carbon is the ticket to improving soil health and can usher in dramatic productivity gains. That’s the message that Peter Donovan is bringing to Alberta this month — part of the American expert’s efforts to promote the Soil Carbon Coalition Challenge, a North American-wide initiative to show how you can improve your […] Read more
Soil fertility is about more than nutrients
Expert says farmers need to learn more about the physical and biological structures of the soil
Reading Time: 2 minutes Many farmers tend to focus on the chemical composition of the soil, and ignore its other two key components — and that’s a mistake, says a crop and soil nutrient management specialist. “Farmers need to understand more about the physical and biological structures of the soil to manage their cropping systems,” said Yamily Zavala of […] Read more
Soil Carbon Challenge tour coming soon
Competition aims to see how fast land managers can turn atmospheric carbon into soil
Reading Time: < 1 minute Peter Donovan’s Soil Carbon Challenge tour is coming to Alberta. The former rancher from Oregon will be touring in his school bus and visiting six locations to conduct soil carbon workshops. Donovan establishes baseline measurements for soil carbon in dedicated plots in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for the challenge described as “a competition to […] Read more
Cover crops come with a long list of benefits
Restoring tired soils isn’t a quick process, but cover crop proponents say it’s well worth the effort
Reading Time: 4 minutes Are you looking to improve soil nitrogen? Prevent soil erosion? Reduce soil compaction, improve water infiltration, and even suppress weeds? Cover crops have got you covered. And as understanding of their benefits spreads, interest is growing. “I think producers are realizing the cost of inputs is getting very, very high and the soil has become […] Read more
American soil health guru plants seeds in Alberta
In-demand speaker barnstorms province to talk about building better soil with ‘cocktail’ cover crops and integrated crops/livestock system
Reading Time: 3 minutes Gabe Brown found some fertile Alberta soil for his message that diversity builds soil health and boosts profitability. The North Dakota farmer and soil health guru did a barnstorm tour of the province in the last week of October, starting in the Peace Country community of Grimshaw, swinging through Legal and Vermilion, and then zigging […] Read more
Cover crops and soil health guru winning converts in Alberta
Gabe Brown’s methods of using a ‘cocktail’ of cover crops to rebuild soil, lower input costs and boost yields are attracting serious attention
Reading Time: 4 minutes Like many farmers, Gabe Brown hates the term “sustainable agriculture.” But his beef is that it doesn’t go far enough. “For us to have the resources that will be truly sustainable for future generations, we have to regenerate our degraded soil,” said the North Dakota rancher and farmer, an internationally renowned speaker who has toured […] Read more
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