DAUPHIN, Man. — A farm driveway northeast of Dauphin is one that could use a few trees. By noon, on a day in mid-July, the temperature had reached 30 C and the sun was cooking the grass in a waterless ditch while roasting the humans standing next to the gravel driveway. The only available shade […] Read more
AG Notes – August 5, 2021
College offersanimal health program Starting in October, Lakeland’s School of Agricultural Sciences is expanding its animal health technology program to include a blended delivery model that enables students to complete their lectures online and their labs on campus. Students will practise their practical skills in Lakeland’s Animal Health Clinic at the Vermilion campus, completing five […] Read more
Drought 2021
These are trying times for many Prairie producers, with withered crops and parched pastures across wide swaths of the growing region. To help keep you informed about the issue this page will be continually updated with the latest drought-related news and solutions you can use, produced by The Western Producer’s team of professional reporters and […] Read more
Crop residue may be turned into decomposable straws
Researcher receives $150,000 grant for work on pulping flax straw and turning it into drinking straws that can decompose
When Denise Stilling grew up on a farm, she saw what it meant to reuse materials in a way that isn’t done anywhere else. “I remember as a kid, we reused that plastic twine and that hemp twine and we’d make hammocks for us to play on,” Stilling said. “So I kind of grew up […] Read more
Hemp alliance aims to increase acres in Alta.
Group says recent grant will help it become a one-stop shop for information about the crop and develop export markets
Plans to create a billion-dollar hemp industry in Alberta have taken a step closer to reality thanks to a grant of more than $300,000, says an advocate. Many farmers prefer to grow crops such as canola because they are paid more money for them. Manny Deol, executive director of the Alberta Hemp Alliance, which received […] Read more
Kochia becomes major problem across Western Canada
A couple of years ago I wrote a number of articles under “The Weed of The Week” heading. This column might be headed “The Weed of the Year.” From what I have seen in the fields, and from phone calls and texts I have received, kochia, which I have previously referred to as the scourge […] Read more
Hemp sector prepares for a year of gains
Production is expected to increase 15 to 20 percent, and both conventional and organic prices have risen 20 percent
WINNIPEG — The hemp industry in Canada is set for a good year in 2021, according to Canadian Hemp Trade Association president Ted Haney. “It looks like we are looking at another 15 to 20 percent increase in seeded acres nationally, which should take us over the 100,000-acre level for sure,” Haney stated. He explained […] Read more
Special recipes help make Mother’s Day complete
As a child, I loved giving my mom handmade gifts I had made at school and carefully brought home to present on Sunday morning for Mother’s Day. I was lucky enough to grow up with two grandmothers and a great grandmother nearby and I have some precious memories. I once collected what we call “stink […] Read more
Economics of unproductive land reconsidered
Software developed by Agriculture Canada calculates the value of carbon management under various production systems
Shathi Akhter wants to add hard numbers to an issue that has often relied on altruism. “We all know wetlands are good, shelterbelts are good, but how good are they, where’s the dollar value?” Akhter is an agroecosystems scientist with Agriculture Canada at its Indian Head Research Farm near Indian Head, Sask. She specializes in […] Read more
Alta. protein group closes its doors
An Alberta group dedicated to finding new products derived from plant proteins has failed to secure funding, prompting one advocate to respond that the province’s value-added capabilities will be damaged. The provincial government isn’t renewing $250,000 in funding for the Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta. The moved will force it to shut down, said board […] Read more
