Alberta Agriculture

The slow market for alfalfa seed has been frustrating for producers. However, there is some encouraging news about increasing demand from China and reduced North American production. “China has opened its borders to international trade and is attempting to become more self-sufficient in agriculture,” said David Wong, Alberta Agriculture’s forage seed market analyst in Grande […] Read more

Due to the large infestation of grasshoppers this past summer, many farmers are finding high numbers of this insect in their harvested grain. “The problem that most producers are concerned with is how the grasshoppers will affect the moisture levels in the grain,” says Lisa Adam, a crop intern at Alberta Agriculture’s Ag-Info Centre in […] Read more

Soil and water scientists with Alberta Agriculture have completed a three-year study that measured phosphorous release rates from composted cattle manure. Soil samples were collected from three fields involved in a potato rotation. One of the fields had received a variety of rates of compost in 1999, one in 2000 and one in 2001. Results […] Read more

Most producers are aware there is a critical period when alfalfa should not be cut. Cutting alfalfa four to six weeks before the first killing frost, when temperatures drop to around -5 C, can increase the risk of winter injury in alfalfa stands. If alfalfa is cut during this time, it requires at least 25 […] Read more

Significantly increased energy costs over the past several months mean producers are paying more for electricity, natural gas, diesel and gasoline. As a result, farmers and ranchers are reviewing how they use energy and are looking for ways to reduce costs, improve energy efficiency and reduce impacts on the environment. Implementing even small changes, such […] Read more

Some cattle producers might be considering new ways to market meat as the bovine spongiform encephalopathy crisis keeps borders closed to live cattle and depresses prices. When it comes to marketing product from the farm, it is important to choose the best marketing channel to suit the producer’s needs. Whether the product is available to […] Read more

Is the heavy harrow a useful implement or an expensive piece of equipment that doesn’t pay for itself? In these days of continual cost cutting, the heavy harrow is the subject of discussion with strong feelings, both for and against. “In the Peace region and, I suspect, in many other parts of Alberta, farmers continue […] Read more

There are important issues to consider when deciding on a chemical program, especially the year after a drought, says Alberta Agriculture crop specialist Karla Bergstrom. Herbicide residue: Producers should focus on fields where group two, three and four herbicides were applied, because drought will lengthen their degradation in the soil. Abundant spring moisture can activate […] Read more

Increasing numbers of North American farms are offering tours to school-aged children as part of their marketing mix. “When we say school tours, we mean experiential, for-profit, customized education programs,” says Kerry Engel of Alberta Agriculture’s farm direct marketing initiative in Westlock. “Today’s school tours offer a variety of components that create value for the […] Read more

One way for producers to get farm-specific information about a new product or management practice is to test it in their own fields. But while on-farm trials can provide good information, they can also be dangerously misleading. “There is no shortage of new ideas out there,” said Ross McKenzie, an Alberta Agriculture agronomy program leader […] Read more