Reading Time: < 1 minute Reno and Corine Welsch have ensured their 3,034-acre ranch in the Porcupine Hills won’t be turned into a subdivision or see its native cropland put to the plow. The couple recently finalized a conservation agreement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. “This conservation agreement gives me the freedom to run the ranch the way I […] Read more
Couple protects picturesque Porcupine Hills ranch
It’s not your imagination — there are more gophers this year
Sadly, there aren’t many control methods that can reduce the large gopher population
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you think you’ve got more gophers than usual, you’re probably right. The gopher problem is particularly bad this year, particularly in central and east-central Alberta. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Ian Murray, a cattle rancher who lives near Acme. “It’s absolutely astounding.” Last year, the gophers flourished near Murray’s canola fields and […] Read more
Environmental farm plans to cover species at risk
A new online tool will include technical tips and best management practices for protecting species at risk and habitat
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) is adding a species-at-risk component. A $200,000 federal grant will be used to create an online tool to help producers learn about opportunities to conserve species at risk on their farms and find out whether they meet sustainable sourcing standards. Last summer, the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of […] Read more
Listening to the sounds of nature 24-7
Reading Time: 2 minutes A University of Alberta researcher is using bioacoustics technology to record the soundscapes of Alberta wildlife. “Technology has changed the way we survey for wildlife,” said Erin Bayne, associate professor of biological sciences. “If it makes a sound, we can count it. This is giving us a whole new insight to animal behaviour.” Bayne and […] Read more
What to do when the bats come home to roost
Reading Time: 2 minutes Bats in your belfry? Or rather, your barn or attic? “If you know that you have bats in your house, chances are it’s because there is not a good habitat for them somewhere else,” says conservation technician Lisa Card. “Most species would rather not be there, but their habitat has been altered and for whatever […] Read more
Preventing conflicts with bears before they start
Reading Time: 2 minutes It doesn’t matter where you are in the province — Alberta is bear country. Bears prefer to be left alone, but tragedies do happen. It was the death of a woman attacked by a grizzly bear in Canmore in 2005 that led to the creation of the Bearsmart program. The voluntary program is a partnership […] Read more
Could a cement mixer have a place on your operation?
Composting deadstock is no different than garden waste — except you need a really big composter
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re in a wildlife corridor, the last thing you want to do is attract predators to your place. But that’s not easy if, like Marty Winchell, you’re raising sheep, pigs, laying hens and bees, as well as custom grazing cattle. Which is why there’s an old cement mixer sitting in his yard. His mixer […] Read more
We need a better approach to dealing with wildlife
Beef 911: Farming has created a great environment for wildlife but farmers are paying a steep price for the damage it causes
Reading Time: 4 minutes There have been many articles on the escalating conflict between wildlife and agriculture (both livestock and grain production) in certain areas of Canada. Our governments are struggling as to what to do and the most recent survey on wildlife damage by Alberta Beef Producers and the Miistakis Institute shows a high percentage of farmers impacted […] Read more
Rancher’s generous donation is a gift for all Albertans
Reading Time: 2 minutes Gottlob Schmidt had a dream of preserving the land that he has spent so much time on. And the realization of that dream will benefit all Albertans with the creation of the province’s 76th provincial park. “It has always been my wish that someday I could leave this land to someone else,” said the 90-year-old […] Read more
Wildlife damage is a problem — but not reporting a bigger one
Program changes aren’t going to happen if producers don’t start reporting wildlife losses
Reading Time: 2 minutes Wildlife damage is a big problem across Alberta — but you wouldn’t know it from the number of beef producers reporting losses to the Alberta government. About 60 per cent of producers recently surveyed about wildlife damage said that they never reported losses from predators, while 80 per cent never reported forage competition from ungulates. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
