Boyd Mori has been studying the DNA of what is found in the digestive tracts of the species Pterostichus melanarius, commonly known as the rain beetle, to better understand what they eat.
Stories by Adeline Panamaroff
Bird farm provides welcome sanctuary
Central Alta. facility has helped mountain bluebirds, purple martins, barn swallows and tree swallows make a comeback
Mountain bluebirds have had a sanctuary for decades at the Ellis Bird Farm near Lacombe, Alta., but keeping the sanctuary safe for the birds hasn’t always been easy. The bluebirds have had to fight off aggressive invasive species like the house sparrow to compete for nesting space. Charlie Ellis and his sister, Winnie Ellis, became […] Read more
Sugar beets have long history in southern Alta.
Producers began growing the crop in the early 20th century with the manual labour coming from a variety of sources
From a sweetener for your morning coffee, to baking muffins or going the extra mile and making your own jams and jellies, Rogers or Lantic brand of sugar, depending on the province it is marketed in, is a staple in western Canadian kitchen pantries. This sugar is grown and refined in southern Alberta, from the […] Read more
Ag students hone ‘soft skills’
The Work Experience in Agriculture course is designed to help budding agrarians take academic training into the broader world. Second- and third-year students, while on the job, build targets for soft skills in leadership, listening, communication and time management that their academic training has not exposed them to.
Alta. distillery makes use of local crops
Rig Hand Craft Distillery goes hard on local. The distilling house makes several types of brum, a rum-like drink made from Alberta beet sugar, vodka made with local grains, and saskatoon berry-flavoured mead. Rig Hand has been in the distilling business for eight years, producing those products and more out of a location in Nisku, […] Read more
Hardy, sour sorrel is easy to grow and good for the soul
Each spring, I now wait with varying degrees of patience till my tongue can savour the rich, savoury zing of that first crop of sorrel, the memories of which I recall through the cold winter months, and sustains me as I watch for the signs of thaw through frost covered windows.
Hops grower builds demand
Beyond yeast, it is hops that give beer its unique flavour. That’s where Northernhawk Hops Garden comes in. Rab Jordan, co-owner of Northernhawk Hops, near Beaumont, Alta., worked hops gardens in the United Kingdom in his youth. When he came to Canada, he teamed up with Franc Parker to establish their hops growing operation. “(We) […] Read more
Search for healing led to mushrooms
Research into natural healing remedies following an accident turned up lion’s mane, eventually growing into a business
Mushrooms are delicate. The conditions for growing any species of mushroom have to be just right to get a decent harvest. Recreating this environment in an indoor setting can have benefits and challenges but Jack Martin has achieved this and has made a thriving business out of growing several varieties of mushrooms in his indoor […] Read more
Market garden business built on urban backyards
Big-city market gardeners put together a network of homeowners willing to let them grow vegetables on their property
The idea of urban farming is not new, but Pleasantdale, Sask., resident Wally Satzewich has not only made a business out of it, but has been training others to do the same, with his SPIN Farming market garden business model. SPIN, which stands for Small Plot INtensive farming, is a model Satzewich formulated during the […] Read more
Alberta producer thinks small with microgreen operation
Urban farmer grows a variety of plants and markets them primarily to restaurants because of the stable business model
Hundreds of newly sprouted microgreens can be nurtured together when crowded into close confines. The conditions for growing them are not usually overly complicated and they are easy to maintain. Harvest can be as quick as 11 days to seven weeks, depending on the variety. Microgreen farmer Riccardo Baldini of Strathcona Microgreens has built a […] Read more
