Chicago | Reuters –– Bayer AG’s crop science division apologized on Monday for a tweet that suggested reduced meat demand could benefit the environment, in a bid to appease outraged farmers who buy the company’s seeds and chemicals. The tweet, published on the official Bayer CropScience (@Bayer4crops) account on Sunday, linked to a Vox.com article […] Read more
Bayer crop unit apologizes to farmers after Twitter gaffe
Farm managers seek a few good aggies for awards
Agriculture students may be eligible for financial encouragement to improve their communication, critical thinking and leadership skills through Farm Management Canada’s national awards program. FMC and the Canadian Association of Diploma in Agriculture Programs (CADAP) recently opened the 2015-16 edition of their Excellence Award for Agricultural Students, with a top prize of $1,500. The awards […] Read more
Forging deep bonds — one customer at a time
It’s a whole different world, but these Alberta farm entrepreneurs say direct marketing gets in your blood
Reading Time: 7 minutes Grazed Right Grass Fed Beef / Black Diamond As one of four children of one of seven brothers who jointly own the family ranch, Ben Campbell knew a farming career was simply out of reach. Even if he had the land base, the cost of starting a commercial-size herd is huge. “Cattle are so expensive […] Read more
Twitter campaign to raise donations for Ag in the Classroom
Syngenta has launched a Twitter campaign to promote modern farming practices
Reading Time: < 1 minute Syngenta will donate $1 to Ag in the Classroom groups across the Prairies for every Twitter follower picked up by its #FollowtheSeed campaign. The tweets will be coming from Cam Canola (@CamCanola) or Sam Soybean (@SamSoybean) as they progress through the growing season to Oct. 31. The donations to Ag in the Classroom are capped […] Read more
A warm welcome from a very hospitable community
The number of producers is declining, but the spirit of the farming community grows stronger and stronger
Reading Time: 3 minutes I was running seriously late and my pal Rick’s email directions for the community supper were “four miles north of Vauxhall — lots of signs.” Judging when you’re four miles from a place you’ve never been before is a little tough, but surely I couldn’t miss all those signs. I did. I spotted one marking […] Read more
Don’t wing it — or refuse comment — if your farm makes the six o’clock news
Consultant and media trainer Grant Ainsley has some basic advice for dealing with the media
Reading Time: 2 minutes If the media ever shows up at your farm, treat them like you would a “big hungry dog,” says PR consultant and media trainer Grant Ainsley. “You have to feed it, or it will howl, bark and eventually bite,” he said. “You can’t always control what happens, but you can control your reaction.” The worst […] Read more
Only in the digital age — Alberta and Ukrainian cattle vets a YouTube sensation
A shared passion for veterinary medicine and YouTube has Albertan Cody Creelman helping a Ukrainian colleague in his bid to win a bovine ultrasound
Reading Time: 4 minutes It started with an online friendship between two cattle veterinarians, and blossomed into a worldwide, viral campaign. Even though he doesn’t speak a word of Ukrainian, Airdrie vet Cody Creelman, was drawn to the online videos of Vadim Pryadko, who lives in a town called Khmelnitsky near the Polish border. “We developed a relationship,” said […] Read more
Pests starting to emerge after cool spring
Reading Time: < 1 minute Spring’s late arrival has caused all kinds of grief for farmers, but their insect foes take it all in stride. Pests such as the pea leaf weevil benefit from something called “facultative diapause,” provincial insect specialist Scott Meers tweeted during the May 7 edition of #ABbugchat. “Which is a fancy word for if it’s cold […] Read more
Twitter forum highlights pest issues for Alberta producers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Wheat midge and Bertha armyworm top the list of insects to be on the watch for this spring, says insect management specialists Scott Meers and Shelley Barkley. Dry conditions in the U.S. High Plains could also see a northward migration of pests, the duo said in their first #ABbugchat of the growing season. The two […] Read more
Twitter the newest weapon in the war against crop pests
An innovative farm tool uses Twitter to give producers breaking bug news and tips, as well as allowing them to ask questions and provide insect updates from their areas
Reading Time: 3 minutes Watch out for cabbage seed pod weevil if you farm south of the Trans-Canada, and producers in the western and southern-central parts of the province should be on the lookout because bertha army worms may be marching in your direction. Those were two of the take-aways from the first 2014 #ABbugchat — the Twitter hashtag […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
