But it’s exactly what women who attend Agri-Trade said they wanted to see at the popular Red Deer event.

“Attendee surveys brought a strong message that there were a lot of women in agriculture who would appreciate more content specific to them,” said David Fiddler, manager of the equipment expo.

Agri-Trade, which for several years has sponsored two students to attend the annual Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference, was approached by conference founder Iris Meck about working more closely together.

The result is a presentation entitled ‘Focus on the 90%,’ by Saskatchewan entrepreneur and motivational speaker Darci Lang from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Nov. 10. It’s an interactive, participatory-style event where women can learn and network, said Fiddler.

“(It) is about effecting change, finding solutions, and innovations in leadership,” he said. “She challenges people to take a look in the mirror and say what’s good; what do we have that we can change; and how we can use our focus to change what is around us in our work and our personal lives.

“She’s got a lot of humour and really connects to her audience. She’s got quite a style.”

The event, which is included with admission, isn’t just for women but “will give farm families a reason to come to the show,” said Fiddler, adding seating is limited.

While checking out equipment is the big draw for many, Agri-Trade has always been more about networking for two women who farm in central Alberta.

“I’m not nearly as focused on the (machinery) as my husband might be — it’s just not my forte,” said Allison Ammeter, who farms near Sylvan Lake and is past chair of Alberta Pulse Growers.

Connecting with farmers and “Twitter friends” from across the province is invaluable, said Ammeter, adding much of that happens at the pulse commission booth.

“Most of the commissions ask for farmer directors and advisers to put in booth time,” she said. “A lot of farmers want to talk to other farmers. I love having people stop and ask random questions.

“Sometimes it’s somebody asking you how to cook with pulses; sometimes it’s somebody asking about a new variety; sometimes they want to tell you about some weird disease. I absolutely love the variety in talking to farmers at a commission booth.”

Sarah Hoffmann agrees.

She manages Alect Seeds, a pedigreed seed farm near Three Hills, with her parents and spends a lot of time at the booths of seed companies that have lines that she retails.

“I’m there to talk with my reps, but I’m also there because potential customers might wander by,” she said. “If they’re looking for feed barley, I can tell them about the feed barley seed I have. It’s like an informal marketing opportunity for me as well.”

More and more conversations are taking place on social media or by texting, but chatting in person builds deeper relationships, she said.

“If you make that face-to-face connection, later on they have an idea of what you are looking for and you have an idea of what they can offer,” said Hoffmann. “That just seems a little more real than only talking on the phone or only emailing.”

She often lets her spouse and father go off on their own (“the equipment side of things is more their interest”), but likes to have “a hands-on look” at equipment she might be purchasing in the future.

A few years ago, the family was looking to upgrade their seed treatment system. They saw the prototype at Agri-Trade of the one they wanted and subsequently purchased.

“When you actually see it, that actually helps you ask better questions about (the product).”

And as a woman, she is usually well received at booths, she added.

“I can’t remember a time that stands out, maybe subtly, but nothing that stands out.”

Ammeter, who likes to check out “new inventions,” has had a similar experience, as well.

“This is always a matter of who the exhibitor is,” she said. “Some are great, some not so much. I do find if I ask intelligent questions, they answer me seriously. If I hang back, they hang back.”

Ammeter said her Agri-Trade experience has evolved over the years.

“One thing I have noticed, is that my role has changed at farm shows as my children have grown,” she said. “When they were in the young to middle years… I did my best to corral my children through, letting them ask questions, collect pens and notebooks, and climb on equipment.

“Now that I can go sans kiddos, I can actually focus on my own interests. I used to go to Agri-Trade to see what was different — things I’ve never seen before. I find, now the kids are grown, I divide my time between the products I know and I want to know more about, and the ones that are like, ‘What is this? I’ve never seen it! What’s it for?’”

But it’s the casual conversations with other farmers that makes Agri-Trade so valuable, said Ammeter.

“That’s the beauty of networking. Of course, women offer different perspectives to the same issues sometimes.”

“It’s as much of a networking opportunity for me as it is seeing specific products,” added Hoffmann. “I don’t think it’s any different for me to connect with other women than it is with men at these events.”

Agri-Trade runs from Nov. 8-11 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Nov. 11 when the event wraps up at 3 p.m.). For more information visit www.agri-trade.com or follow it on Twitter @agritradetoday (use the hashtag #agritrade17).

The post All the iron is still there, but Agri-Trade has a new dimension appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Those are among the issues Kevin Bender wants to tackle in his latest off-farm role.

The grain grower from the Sylvan Lake/Bentley area — already vice-chair of the Alberta Wheat Commission and its representative on Cereals Canada — joined the board of the Canadian International Grains Institute last month.

Better known as Cigi, the non-profit facility plays a key role in the marketing of Canadian grain by offering to technical services to millers, bakers, and other buyers as well as organizing and leading ‘Team Canada’ missions abroad.

It also front and centre when grain buyers have a concern, such about as the presence of genetically modified organisms.

“It could be something like soybean dust that is present in the wheat shipment,” said Bender. “If there’s zero tolerance (in the other country), it might be minute, it might be parts per trillion. But that’s still not zero and that’s an issue.”

Cigi is trying to work with other countries to establish a benchmark or acceptable levels on GMOs and pesticide residues in wheat shipments. It is also dealing with complaints about falling gluten strength in the past few years — a problem blamed on three varieties that became popular with Prairie producers.

“The reclassification (of milling wheat classes) has helped address that, but at the same time, wheat acres in those three varieties have been declining,” said Bender. “The problem was correcting itself, but the Canadian Grain Commission took steps to reclassify those varieties as well as several others that didn’t fit.”

Those varieties will be moved into a new class, so growers and seed growers will have time to adopt new varieties into the new Canada Western Red Spring Wheat class as other varieties move into the Canada Northern Harvest Red Spring Wheat class.

But beyond these issues is a larger one.

“The most relevant and current issues are governance and funding,” said Bender. “We’re looking at the new funding model.”

The board will be determining what to do with the Western Canadian Deduction, the 15 cents the Canadian Wheat Board used to deduct from final payment for *each tonne of grain it sold and gave to Cigi. (The agency also receives funding from Ottawa and industry partners.) When the wheat board monopoly ended in 2012, the Alberta Barley Commission took over the program. But that agreement is ending soon.

“It’s up to the industry as to how we want to continue funding,” said Bender. “Do we see value in Cigi and is there enough value to keep funding it or is there some other model? Those are some of the things that we are working through.”

Many producers have told him that there is value in Cigi and want farmers to continue to help fund its work, he added.

*CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that the Western Canadian Deduction (checkoff) was 15 cents per bushel rather than 15 cents per tonne. Alberta Farmer regrets the error and any confusion this may have caused.

The post Sylvan Lake farmer joins Cigi board at a critical time appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“As a cattle farmer, I believe it’s important to work with nature, not against it,” said Ziola, who runs 200 head of cattle on 10 quarters near Sylvan Lake with wife Roxanne.

“But we don’t make lots of money, so it’s hard to put away a little extra cash for (conservation). It wouldn’t be that high on the list because machinery, cattle, and feed take priority.”

But thanks to a national program called ALUS (pronounced ‘Alice’ and short for Alternative Land Use Services), farmers like the Ziolas can now get paid to retain or reconstruct natural areas such as wetlands, grasslands, and riparian areas.

Conceived a decade ago by Keystone Agricultural Producers, Manitoba’s main farm group, the program spread east to Ontario and P.E.I. and arrived in the County of Vermilion River in 2010. Funding comes from a variety of sources — governments, foundations, angler and hunter associations, and environmental groups.

“We recognize the value of that land that they’ve taking out of production, and we pay them an annual payment for the ecological goods and services they provide,” said Denika Piggott, regional delivery initiative co-ordinator for ALUS.

“We work with the farmer to cost share the actual establishment of the program, and then annually, the farmer gets a payment to support the ecosystem services that they’re providing.”

The payment structure varies from county to county, which is what makes the project “so adaptable across Canada,” said Piggott.

“A community can come in and say, ‘What makes the best sense for our farmers?’” she said.

In some cases, the payment is based on a fixed rate per acre, while other municipalities base the payment on current land values in the area. And some communities are being “innovative” and paying producers based on the “net benefit they can prove through an assessment.”

Through a cost-sharing agreement with ALUS, producers are able to complete projects such as riparian fencing, wetland restoration, shelterbelt creation, tree planting, erosion control, native prairie grass establishment — the list is “endless.”

“Farmers make the decisions of how their land is being managed in a sustainable way,” said Piggott.

“We also work with farmers, in that if they have a unique thing that they think would benefit the environment, we see if it’s a good fit for ALUS.”

Catching on

ALUS has expanded to four more Alberta counties — Parkland, Red Deer, Lac Ste. Anne, and Mountain View — with three more coming on board shortly.

“It’s a new program, but now there’s some actual evidence that it works,” said Piggott. “A lot of counties have been sitting by and watching carefully how other counties have run the program.”

Now, counties are “willing to take that risk” because they’ve seen the benefits.

“There’s been some great success in those counties and recognition nationally and provincially for the counties that run the program,” said Piggott.

A prime example is Red Deer County, which joined the program in 2013 with five projects. This year, the number jumped to 25.

“I’ve been doing this kind of stuff in Alberta now since 2001, and over that entire time, farmers and ranchers have been saying, ‘If we had a different market signal for these kinds of lands, we would be better able to manage them in a way that’s good for the environment and good for society,’” said Ken Lewis, conservation co-ordinator with Red Deer County.

“Finally, with the ALUS program, we have an on-the-ground program where farmers are getting paid for ecosystem services.”

ALUS gives producers another way to generate income from their marginal farmland, said Lewis.

“Your choice every year when you look at that wetland in the corner of your field is to farm around it or farm through it,” he said. “Now we can send them a different market signal for some of their land. They can grow ecosystem services and get paid for those, instead of more traditional crops or animals that they’re producing.”

And there’s really no downside for participating in the program, said Piggott.

“We recognize that being an agricultural producer is not an easy job,” she said. “In some cases, land changes and becomes a different function from year to year. The program is so adaptable that, in those cases, farmers can choose to opt out if they need to farm that land.

“There’s no drawbacks because you can just opt out when you need to.”

On-farm success

The Ziolas applied to the ALUS program last spring when they realized they needed to manage their cattle’s access to Tindastoll Creek, which runs through most of the couple’s pasture land.

“People I talked to told me I had to put a fence along the creek. I thought, ‘Holy smokes, that’s a major project,’” said Ziola.

After chatting with Lewis about the problem, Ziola found a solution that would work well for both his operation and the county.

“The county cleaned out the creek, and I put a hot wire on both sides of it so the cows can’t get into the creek,” said Ziola.

“It’s not that huge of a project when you just do one hot wire. That keeps the cattle out but still lets the wildlife in really easily. That worked out really well.”

In the spring, the creek fills Ziola’s dugout (another ALUS project), which supplies three off-site, year-round watering systems. That system has “changed our life a lot,” said Ziola.

“I used to have to make a hole in the ice every morning, but now it’s a whole lot easier for me to have an extra cup of coffee in the morning instead of digging a hole in the ice.”

But with a price tag of about $10,000 for each of the watering systems, the Ziolas were limited in what they could do on their own.

“It’s made my life way easier, but I couldn’t have afforded it,” said Ziola. “This work wouldn’t have happened without the help of ALUS and the county.”

For more information, visit the ALUS website.

The post Doing the right thing — and getting paid for it appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Local authorities should be contacted if knotweed is discovered, as it grows vigorously through extensive rhizomes and can regenerate from small root pieces.

It can be recognized by its bamboo-like stem, a sheath at its nodes, and is often mottled with red/purple marks. It is also fast growing and quickly forms large colonies.

If you think you have spotted this plant, contact Nicole Kimmel by phone at 780-422-0885 or by email at nicole.kimmel@gov.ab.ca, for assistance in obtaining help for proper disposal.

Contact your local fieldman by visiting the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen website. For more information on noxious weeds visit the Alberta Invasive Species Council website.

The post A highly destructive weed to be feared appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Has there ever been a husband and wife who were both chairs of farm organizations?

Allison: “I know of commissions where both the husband and wife are involved on the board, but I don’t know of a couple who is both chairs. My board told me they don’t know of another board that has a female chair, so I may be setting a record there, too.”

What sort of commitment does it take to be a chair?

Mike: “I’ve heard some say it can be up to 100 days a year. I don’t know if I can take that many days away from the farm. Allison drives the combine in the fall, but I do all the seeding, spraying and grain hauling, for the most part. So I don’t know if I can pull 100 days out, but I anticipate 40 or 50.”

Allison: “Michael and I both believe in making sure our entire boards are involved and get opportunities. Both of us have the goal that if there are things other members of our board can do equally well, we’d like to share that experience.”

Why are you doing it?

Allison: “I think it’s about serving the industry, serving what we are part of.”

Mike: “I think I attended the first AGM of the barley commission (more than 20 years ago). I’ve always gone to regional meetings, I was a delegate for years, and became a director four years ago. Part of it is that the kids are out of the house, so that’s no longer an issue — and a tip of the hat to anyone who serves on a board and still has a family at home. That’s a huge, huge commitment.”

Allison: “I didn’t even step up onto a board until our last child got a driver’s licence. When the kids were at home, I was chauffeuring all the time, I home-schooled some — there were just other priorities. Now is the time of our life we can give back to this. And we’ve met wonderful people and had cool opportunities. You always get back more than you give. Yes, we’re investing time, but neither of us feel it’s a huge hardship. It’s a huge opportunity.”

What’s your recommendation for someone trying to decide whether to grow more pulses or barley this year?

Allison: “We have a four-year rotation and aim for a quarter of each: barley-wheat-canola-pulses. Rotation is the key to healthy crops. And I don’t mean canola-snow-canola.”

Mike: “It can vary a little. Last year we grew 600 to 700 acres of barley and 400 acres of pulses. So that rotation isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, but it’s pretty close to that.”

True or false? The better you are on social media, the better a leader you are.

Mike: “There’s probably an element of truth to that. My wife is the social media representative of the family. I creep into it a little bit, but I don’t really engage.”

How many times have you tweeted and when was your last one?

Mike (@mikeammeter): “Maybe two. And I couldn’t tell you when.”

Could it have been one tweet — “Coffee in banff” — at the barley commission’s AGM three years ago?

Mike (laughing): “That’s probably it.”

Allison (@AAmmeter; more than 8,000 tweets): “Now that I’ve had time to think about it, can I answer that question? No — I do not believe social media makes you a better leader. Leadership is a combination of a lot of traits, some you’re born with and some you learn. But I think social media helps us get our message out so much better.”

Are you prepared, Mike, to make a commitment to double your number of tweets?

Mike: “I’ve been challenged on that already. Let’s see, I had one three years ago. I think I could do another in the next three years.”

Allison: “I just want to say, Michael, that I didn’t know he was going to ask that. I did not set you up.”

The post It’s a family affair: Two commission chairs in one household appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

And as the clock struck 8 on Oct. 29 — exactly one week after the tragic shooting of a soldier in our nation’s capital — these sentinels released hundreds of red and white balloons into the sky. It was a fitting tribute to the Canadian soldiers who have lost their lives in service of our country.

“If we don’t remember, we forget,” said Al Cameron, executive director of Veterans Voices of Canada, the organization responsible for the Flags of Remembrance tribute.

“We have to remember what these people are sacrificing for us. We have to give them tribute, and we have to remember everything they’re doing.”

The 116 flags were raised along Highway 11 outside of Sylvan Lake on Oct. 24 in remembrance of 116,000 Canadian war dead from 1900 to 2014.

Cameron called it “sad timing” with the death of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Oct. 22.

“The recent deaths have really put focus on remembrance and giving tribute,” said Cameron, who had been planning the testimonial for several months.

“It’s doing exactly what we wanted it to do — bringing people together from right across Canada. It’s just amazing to see, and we’re really proud of what’s happening.”

Cameron planned the tribute as part of his work with Veterans Voices of Canada, a non-profit organization that travels across the country to interview veterans and document their stories for history and education.

“I call them our protectors. I’m meeting some guys and gals who have done some amazing things and who have sacrificed a lot for what we have today,” he said.

And the recent deaths of Cpl. Cirillo in Ottawa and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent in Quebec reinforce that those sacrifices continue today.

“These guys and these women sacrifice so much every day,” said Cameron. “They’ve got their lives on the line. They could be in the field fighting, or as we’ve seen now, they could be in our own country standing at a national monument.”

The flags will stay up until Nov. 15, when they will be presented to the organizations and individuals who sponsored the tribute. Until then, Cameron hopes that the flags will remind people across the country to remember the sacrifices of Canadian veterans.

“When people drive down the road, they can’t miss them,” he said. “These flags are waving away at everyone down the highway, and that’s our veterans waving to us and saying, ‘Here we are. Remember us.’”

The post Flags of Remembrance fly in central Alberta appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

With that, Jared Waldo wryly summed up the feelings of more than a thousand screaming Sylvan Lake supporters as they celebrated the town being named 2014’s Kraft Hockeyville.

When the roof of the town’s arena collapsed this winter, Waldo and friend Kevin Putnam nominated their hometown for the contest and the chance to win $100,000 in upgrades for the multiplex (the town’s remaining ice rink) and to host a NHL pre-season game.

Over the past two months, I’ve watched the people of central Alberta rally together, share their stories, garner millions of votes, and support the community. My father — a Sylvan Laker for the last decade — wore his fingers out voting in each round of the contest. (Mom did her part, too, voting a grand total of once.)

And I joined them April 5, walking in a parade that weaved through downtown Sylvan to the soon-to-be expanded multiplex, and chanting, “Go, Sylvan, go! Go, Sylvan, go!”

We feasted on cake and watched live entertainment as the anticipation built. Let me tell you, there is no feeling quite like that.

The win was nice, of course, but the real beauty of the moment — the real win — was the sense of community we all shared.

“It’s pretty hard for me to put into words what it means to see all of you here together today,” said Mayor Sean McIntyre.

“As somebody who grew up in Sylvan Lake, seeing us all work together for one purpose seriously touches me so deeply. I’m so proud to stand among you as Sylvan Lakers. No matter what happens, we did this together.”

That’s what people across central Alberta will remember. That’s the true legacy of Sylvan Lake’s Hockeyville win.

The post Community pride the true legacy of Hockeyville win appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

They weren’t disappointed.

“When the announcement (that Sylvan was in the final two) was made, it was pretty loud,” said Jared Waldo, one of the Sylvan Lakers who nominated the town in January.

“It’s validation for the work this community has done — not just Sylvan, but everywhere that’s been supporting us.”

And work is the right word for it — in the last round of voting, Sylvan Lake received more than 1.5 million votes in two days, putting it in the lead for the Kraft Hockeyville grand prize of $100,000 in upgrades to the town’s multiplex and the opportunity to host an NHL pre-season game. The roof of the town’s other ice rink — a 40-year-old arena — collapsed under heavy snow earlier this winter, and is a writeoff. That sparked the overwhelming show of support, said Waldo.

“You have a hockey-crazed market like Sylvan that depends on having those two sheets of ice,” he said. “When you get down to one, it’s slim pickings. There’s a lot of communities that can relate to that.”

Hockey fans from towns from across Canada are throwing their support behind Sylvan Lake to claim the Hockeyville title over their remaining rival Kingston, N.S.

“It’s so Canadian of everybody to lend their support,” said Waldo. “Good people do great things for other people, and we’re seeing some of that right now.”

The extra support will help, but now that the contest is down to the final two towns, Kraft Hockeyville organizers want to see “the spirit of the community.”

“You see that in the voting, but they want to see people coming out and physically supporting this bid and this community.”

Sylvan Lake’s Hockeyville organizing committee is planning events leading up to the April 5 grand prize announcement that Waldo hopes will showcase the town’s community spirit.

“It’s one thing to sit behind your keyboard and your tablets and your phones voting — it’s another to get out and physically support it,” he said.

A lifelong Sylvan Laker, Waldo has “no doubts” that the community and its supporters will rise to the challenge.

“There’s a reason I never want to leave (Sylvan Lake), and part of it is the town itself, but another part of it is the community and the people within it,” he said.

“When we have an opportunity like this to bring the community together, it just reinforces why this is home and why it will continue to be home for me and my kids.”

Voting for the final round has closed.

The post Sylvan Lake one step closer to Hockeyville title appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“It’s something that a lot of people in Sylvan have talked about for a few years,” said Waldo. “But if ever there was a time to do it, now would be the time.”

Their effort has sparked an outpouring of support for the town’s bid to win $100,000 for arena upgrades and the right to host an NHL pre-season game.

“The arena collapse has brought up a lot of nostalgia,” said Waldo. “I knew there would be support, but I’m pretty blown away by it.”

Since the old arena will be demolished and the money can only be used for upgrades, Waldo and Putnam nominated the town’s multiplex. To win the prize, supporters need to send in stories that demonstrate the town’s “passion for hockey” and the “heart and spirit” of the community.

Two of the criteria for a good story is that it’s heartwarming and “engaging.” Waldo has one that definitely fits that bill.

“I met my wife there,” he said. “We were working at the hockey school when we met. I proposed to her at centre ice.”

There’s been a flood of stories from current and former residents, along with those who have fond hockey memories from Sylvan Lake, he added.

“I always knew what a hockey community it was,” Waldo said. “We always joke that there’s no off-season in Sylvan. When the hockey season would wrap up, that’s when the hockey camp would kick in.”

It’s not just minor hockey or the arena, he said.

“When the lake freezes over, you’ve got people down there having the biggest hockey games that you’ll find on a Saturday.”

From the Manitoba Co-operator website: They built it and the kids came – it’s game on for shinny in Lowe Farm

Support for Sylvan Lake’s Hockeyville bid has taken on “a life of its own,” he said. The community’s Hockeyville page on Facebook has thousands of supporters, and Los Angeles Kings centre Colin Fraser — a B.C. boy whose wife is from Sylvan Lake and now calls it home — has also thrown his support behind the town by encouraging his Twitter followers, all 18,000 of them, to share their stories about the arena.

The community ranked No. 1 in the nation in the nomination round. The next step is to secure a spot in the top 16 (eight from the West and eight from the East), which will be announced on Hockey Night in Canada on March 8. People can submit stories, photos and videos to the Hockeyville website — krafthockeyville.cbc.ca — that show “how much passion you have for the game and how much passion you have for your community.”

Waldo is confident Sylvan Lake has what it takes to go all the way.

“It takes one or two people to spark the idea, but it’s the entire support of the community that’s going to make this happen.”

The post Sylvan Lake aiming for Hockeyville crown appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.