Reading Time: 3 minutes There is a lot of pressure on farmers to adopt sustainable practices, digitize, understand carbon, conserve water, and add value. What are the top five areas in which all farmers should be asking questions? And what might those questions be? Carbon credits Although Canada’s goals are towards net-zero carbon emission, there is just as great […] Read more
Schoepp: In a changing world, a host of new questions need answering
Data ownership and who pays for sustainability measures are just two of many issues farmers must grapple with
Haitians grow impatient for quake aid as hungry crowd gathers
Victims say they still lack food, shelter, clean water; some major hospitals damaged
Les Cayes, Haiti | Reuters — A hungry crowd gathered outside an airport in southern Haiti on Wednesday as people left homeless by an earthquake that killed some 2,000 people voiced anger that government aid was slow to arrive five days after the disaster, leaving many without food and water. Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who […] Read more
Help for those short on water
Reading Time: < 1 minute The provincial Water Pumping Program helps livestock producers needing to secure adequate water supplies. For a nominal fee, a producer (or group) can rent pipe and pumping equipment to fill dugouts or other catch basins from nearby water sources. Any producer experiencing water shortages for livestock use has priority for equipment use, which will be […] Read more
Water monitoring project funded
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta’s new research funding agency is putting $750,000 over three years into a “novel water monitoring project.” The project aims to develop best practices “to protect water habitats from crop protection product use,” Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) said in a release. The research will be done by the Crop Sector Working Group, composed of […] Read more
Put your stock water to the test — and avoid herd health issues
Water quality can change quickly and regular testing can head off problems before they become serious
Reading Time: 3 minutes When stock water appears abundant and water quality has been consistent in previous years, it’s easy to focus on other things — but don’t overlook water testing. Poor-quality stock water can lead to reproductive inefficiency, poor gains, disease and in extreme circumstances, death. Even when water supplies appear abundant, stock water may contain high levels of […] Read more
Schoepp: Weighing up the world in terms of the water being used
The jeans you wear, gas for your car and food on the table all require a lot of water
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers have their eyes to the skies as they watch, and often wait, for water. Critical for all living things, water is more than just a raindrop and a good wash; it is a social determinate of health and the very foundation of our being and of food production. Less than two per cent of […] Read more
Award-winning ranch builds conservation into its business plan
Soderglen Ranches South recognized for its environmental efforts with top stewardship award
Reading Time: 3 minutes Good stewardship is good business, say the winners of the 2021 Alberta Beef Producers Environmental Stewardship Award. “Environmental stewardship is simply a way of protecting the environment and our investment at the same time,” Elan Lees, business manager of Soderglen Ranches South, said in an email interview. “If we do it right, we may be […] Read more
Prairies hit hard by drought
Parts of south-central, southwestern Manitoba among driest
MarketsFarm — A new nationwide drought map released by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Drought Monitor (CDM) shows just how dry conditions are in the Prairies, especially in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Areas in southern Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan have experienced at least six months of drought conditions, according to CDM’s drought assessment as of March […] Read more
Tips for your dugout inspection this fall
Reading Time: < 1 minute When checking your dugouts this fall, start with the area that feeds into the dugout, says a water specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. ‘Make sure this area is free of debris that might flow into your dugout,” said Dan Benson. “This area should be mowed and kept clear of trees and weeds.” Leaves add […] Read more
Innovative farmers ‘harvest’ water to boost production
Coen Farm created shallow ditches called swales to capture millions of gallons of snowmelt each spring
Reading Time: 3 minutes This winter, you might want to harvest something a little different on your farm — water. “Our farm harvests 40 years of water in two weeks just from snowmelt,” said Takota Coen, who farms near Ferintosh with his parents. “We live in one of the only places in the world where you can actually increase […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
