Reuters — The White House wants to tap a pool of funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corp. (CCC) to support on-farm efforts to fight climate change, Tom Vilsack, President Joe Biden’s nominee to run the USDA, said Tuesday. The Depression-era program of up to $30 billion in annual funding was tapped […] Read more
USDA can steer farm aid money to fight climate change, Vilsack says
Local, diverse veggie varieties part of food security, says seed group
SeedChange promoting wider use of local vegetable varieties, including in home gardens
Reading Time: 2 minutes SeedChange, a non-profit that works with farmers in Canada and around the world to save seeds and grow food sustainably, is launching a campaign for a more resilient post-pandemic food supply. “It’s no secret that the coronavirus is impacting Canada’s food supply,” said Jane Rabinowicz, executive director of SeedChange. “COVID-19 has revealed the importance of […] Read more
The complicated calculus of climate change
While Canadian farmers may see a longer growing season, there may be more pests and less rain
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farming and food production will be changed as a result of climate change — but the how is a complicated question. “Agriculture is a unique sector,” University of B.C. Professor Navin Ramankutty said earlier this month during this year’s edition of the Bentley Lecture in Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Alberta. “Agriculture is a […] Read more
Consumers want proof that crop farming is sustainable
Code of practice expected to be released for feedback this summer, says industry veteran Ted Menzies
Reading Time: 2 minutes Crop producers are practising sustainable farming, but consumers want proof — and that’s why a code of practice is needed, says a veteran industry leader. Consumers don’t understand that crop practices in Canada are sustainable, Ted Menzies said at the recent AGM of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture. “Maybe they don’t need to understand that,” […] Read more
Rance: Sustainability isn’t a burden, but an opportunity
Reading Time: 3 minutes It didn’t take long for a young cattle rancher from Saskatchewan to capture the audience’s attention at the recent Canada 2020 National Forum on Agri-Food in Ottawa. “For me, the word ‘sustainability’ is synonymous with McDonald’s,” said Adrienne Ivey, who is part of a family corporation managing 3,000 beef cattle on a 10,000-acre spread near […] Read more
Lots on offer at agronomy update in New Year
Reading Time: < 1 minute Registration is now open for Agronomy Update 2020, which runs from Jan. 7-8 in Red Deer. True to its name, the conference features a host of presentations — most 20 to 30 minutes long — on a wide range of agronomy issues. While the speaker lineup is still being confirmed, presentations will cover diseases in […] Read more
Soil degradation the forgotten issue
Reducing tillage and summerfallow hasn’t fixed a problem that is costing farmers billions every year
Reading Time: 3 minutes Soil degradation in Canada is causing a huge economic loss — but few people are paying attention. That includes farmers, even though degraded soil is significantly reducing their yields, according to University of Manitoba soil scientist David Lobb. “Soil erosion accounts for a loss of about 10 per cent,” he said. “Farmers are only getting […] Read more
Crop expert offers tips for a successful hunt for new varieties
Yield gets all the attention but bigger may not be better when it comes to your farm
Reading Time: 2 minutes New crop varieties and variety tables are now available, so how do you pick ones best suited to your land? The first step is to analyze all the information in the variety tables, said provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “The tables are structured with yield potential as the main criteria,” said Brook. “It takes into […] Read more
Make a difference with good crop rotation
Benefits include lower disease control and fertilizer costs
Reading Time: 2 minutes One of the best tools to improve the bottom line, reduce future grief, and lower the risks of pests, disease and weeds is by using a diverse crop rotation. “A good crop rotation is one where there is an adequate variety of crops grown so that any one type of crop is grown only once […] Read more
Stop fighting Mother Nature — because you’re going to lose
Most farmers in Alberta still love tractors more than biology and are heading for big trouble, says Dwayne Beck
Reading Time: 3 minutes Like a voice crying in the wilderness, Dwayne Beck has been beating the drum of soil defence as the foundation for a healthier farming system for decades. To some, the longtime research manager of the Dakota Lakes Research Farm is a wise prophet and caretaker. For others, his message is radical and uncomfortable — something […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
