Reading Time: 6 minutes Olds-area greenhouse operator Wayne Lohr and business partner Ulf Geerds are dreaming big — they want to grow an acre of strawberries. That may not sound like a big deal until you consider that acre will take up just 360 square feet and produce strawberries year round. And even though they’re grown in racks on […] Read more
Vertical farming grows up and comes of age
Growing food without sunlight or soil is now a reality, but the economics leave little room for error
New technologies are creating new ways to grow fresh produce
Vertical farming operations are popping up everywhere and this new technology can complement traditional agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutes We were in Holland and our group stood in amazement at the growing capabilities of Koppert Cress. Owner Rob Baan, a policeman’s son turned world entrepreneur, was emphatic that neither soil nor light is needed to grow food — only heat. And all of those components could be provided by technology, he said. In a […] Read more
Top scientist challenges beef industry to do better
Yes, anti-meat activists distort the facts, says Tim McAllister — but ‘there is science that supports their position’
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s no secret the beef industry is under attack from environmentalists and activists — or that they frequently distort the truth. “They have an agenda that they are trying to gain information to support — they’re looking for things that have gone awry in the industry, and there have been problems,” renowned Alberta cattle researcher […] Read more
Field day for organic producers
Alberta Organic Producers Association field day on July 28
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Organic Producers Association is holding a field day on July 28 at the Daryl Cole Farm near Vegreville in conjunction with the Alberta Innovates Technology Futures research station. The research of interest to organic farmers includes hemp, flax, fababean, and artichoke. Cole is growing Red Fife and Einkorn heritage wheat. To attend, contact Kathy at […] Read more
Educate consumers through Open Farm Days
Reading Time: < 1 minute Registration for Open Farm Days 2016 is now open. Last year’s event had more than 70 participating farms; 18 farm-to-table culinary events; 10,000 visits to farms; and almost $100,000 in food and on-farm sales. The event, which runs from Aug. 20-21 this year, provides an opportunity to support local food producers, educate consumers about agriculture, and […] Read more
Green manure crops can put more green in your pockets
If organic producers can look past having a year out of crop production, green manure plow-down crops can pay off
Reading Time: 3 minutes For organic grain producers, your best investment is the crop you never harvest. “I can never stress green manure plow-down enough. It is your most valuable crop,” said Steven Snider, who runs an organic grain operation near Edberg. “Part of your farm should be soil building with a green manure plow-down. Don’t cheat yourself on […] Read more
Be bold and dream big, says legendary plant scientist
The father of farmers’ biggest money-maker says crop scientists are just getting started
Reading Time: 4 minutes Wilf Keller isn’t a household name, even in farm circles, but his work has helped pay a lot of mortgages across the Prairies. The Saskatchewan native was the key player in the development of the first genetically modified, herbicide-resistant canola — the most profitable crop Canadian farmers have ever grown. Since 2012, Keller has been […] Read more
Sowing gardens — and hope for a brighter future
A school garden may seem like a small thing but it can make a powerful difference
Reading Time: 3 minutes This is the story of Jimboy. He is my friend from the Philippines — one of the 100 million people who live on the nation’s 300,000 square kilometres of islands. And he is making a difference. Jimboy lives in the Tagoloan region which is 19 kilometres from the capital. It is largely an agricultural area […] Read more
Environmental Farm Plan being streamlined
Changes sparked by study comparing the plan to three international sustainable sourcing standards
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan is being streamlined as part of a process to better align the program with international sustainable sourcing standards for environmental practices. These improvements emerged from a recent comparative study conducted by Alberta EFP, Alberta Wheat Commission and Alberta Barley. The study compared the plan to three international sustainable sourcing standards — […] Read more
Farm family weathers Mother Nature’s worst through diversification
Bowden farm has branched out from grain, cattle, and seed potatoes into agri-tourism and community-supported agriculture
Reading Time: 3 minutes In a bad year, the Great White Combine does a good chunk of the harvesting in Hailstorm Alley — a little pocket of central Alberta that sees more than its fair share of hail. And there have been more bad years than good in John Mills’ farming career. “I’ve been back on the farm for […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
