Proponents of urban agriculture in Winnipeg and Edmonton teach others about the culture of growing and giving
A cold wind blows down the snow-strewn street one winter morning in Winnipeg. A solitary woman walks down the sidewalk, pitchfork riding her shoulder. Some pedestrians see her across the road and ask each other, “what is she doing?” Too curious to walk on, they follow the woman as she starts to remove snow and […] Read moreStories by Adeline Panamaroff
Researcher takes deeper look into how avian flu spreads
Coughing, sneezing, runny beaks and diarrhea are signs a flock is sick, and avian influenza is likely the cause. When signs are present, producers can have samples from the flock sent to the provincial laboratory for testing to confirm that bird flu is responsible and to determine whether it is a high-pathogenic or low-pathogenic variety. […] Read more
Post-secondary school hopes to train farm workers
Farmers and industry members saw a gap in the needs of employers and the skills of current and prospective employees
Neil Bareman needed to take a look at one of the pivot mechanisms on the irrigation line that was not doing a full rotation. He was busy with other urgent farm issues, and he thought about delegating this to one of the farm hands, but then thought better of it. None of them were familiar […] Read more
Steps can be taken to save monarch butterflies
Conducting population counts and planting natural habitat such as milkweed can help keep that numbers at viable levels
The monarch butterfly migration is a rare phenomenon, taking several generations to make one round trip. All along their migration route, from Canada to Mexico, efforts are being made to protect existing overwintering areas, or to re-establish historic ones. This species, through its drastic decline in population since 2018 at only one percent of their […] Read more
Venture has a western theme
One farmer-artist has learned to combine purposely distressed wood, leather, studs, pieces of barbed-wire and feathers to make works of art. Angela Look of Rose Point Farms, east of Didsbury, Alta., has been working with her husband for 10 years on a line of goods that she has dubbed Classy Western Frames and Home Decor. […] Read more
Freeze-dried venture extends life of fresh produce
Access to a freeze-drying machine was a game changer for this business, which started as an orchard selling fresh fruit
Sharing the wealth of a bountiful harvest is second nature to those who garden, but doubly so for those who live in rural communities. Wild Country Gardens in Wildwood, Alta., has gone steps beyond this sharing idea. With its line of freeze-dried products and preserves, most grown on their farm or sourced from neighbours, Paulette […] Read more
Wild varieties may hold disease resistance key
Wild cousins of domesticated crops may hold the key to new genetic traits that could help crops thrive in various conditions or stave off diseases and insect pests.Sabine Banniza is a professor at the University of Saskatchewan where she holds the Ministry of Agriculture Strategic Research Program (SRP) Chair in Pulse Crop Pathology. She has […] Read more
Displaced Ukrainians find jobs in agriculture
New Canadians from the Ukraine are often educated and eager to work but find it difficult to navigate language barriers
Many Ukrainian newcomers have arrived at Regina International Airport over the last year and half clutching onto bags packed with the only belongings they have left from their former homes. The Russian invasion carries on in Ukraine, while these select few, after having passed multiple health exams and other legal hurdles, have made it to […] Read more
Company makes new canning lids available for gem jars
UPDATED – September 15, 2023 1030 CST to include company contact info – https://forjars.ca/ With the discontinuation of lids for gem jars last year by Bernardin, many home canners have been left with perfectly good jars but no lids. A new company has taken up the task of filling this gap in the home canning […] Read more
Hairy canola research embarks on long and winding road
Scientist takes research in a different direction as efforts continue to breed canola with plant hairs to fend off flea beetles
Plant hairs may provide better natural pest control than insecticides. The knowledge that plants with plant hairs, called trichomes, are unpleasant to insects and animals is not new but using it to make canola undesirable to flea beetles remains an ongoing challenge. Varieties of hairy canola have been in development for more than 20 years. […] Read more
