Timing is everything when it comes to rainfall and crop development, but southern Alberta’s extensive irrigation system re-moves that wrinkle from the crop quilt for those who have access. Irrigated crops of all kinds are in good shape radiating outward from Lethbridge and across the south, according to crop specialists. Sprinklers were especially crucial earlier […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Co-op keeps Alberta surplus eggs at home
Processor accepts eggs that don’t make the grade, turning them into liquid eggs for bakeries, noodle and food makers
Eggs purchased from the grocery store look uniform, but not every egg makes the grade for table egg purchase and use. At the same time, large bakeries, food companies and pet food makers need vast quantities of liquid eggs for their products. Enter the Egg Processing Innovations Co-operative (EPIC) based in Lethbridge. Now in its […] Read more
Fort Mac horse owners surveyed on fire experience
Horse owners who were affected by the wildfires in and around Fort McMurray, Alta., earlier this year are being asked to provide information about their experience so they can help other horse owners in the future. The Alberta Equestrian Federation has an online survey designed to learn about owners’ reactions to the fire and the […] Read more
Calm, clear day dangerous time to spray
A temperature inversion keeps cold air down and fine droplets of chemical hang in the air until a breeze blows them to an unintended crop
The storm has passed and conditions are calm. Farmers are eager to get out to the fields and spray the crops after a weather-induced delay. But don’t do it, says Andrew Thostenson, a pesticide program specialist with North Dakota State University. He said that is one of the worst times to spray because conditions favour […] Read moreAlberta’s farm safety bill called part of predictable process
Safety trainer says Bill 6 isn’t about improving farm safety; it’s about who pays for accidents on the farm
Mention the words “Bill 6” in Alberta farm country and there is usually an immediate reaction. Officially known as the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, Alberta’s NDP government passed Bill 6 late last year amid farmer protest. One round of discussions has already taken place involving groups of people appointed by the […] Read more
Lab welcomes strange and unusual
An unusual insect? Suspected crop disease? Odd fungi? Alberta now has a diagnostics lab that can figure out what pest might be ailing crops. The plant health lab, located at the Crop Development Centre North in Edmonton, had a “soft” opening in May and is starting to receive samples. Krista Zuzak, senior research technologist with […] Read more
Prairie artist captures nature’s colours on canvas
She was an artist, an author and ahead of her time. Annora Brown (1899-1987) used the southern Alberta prairies as the inspiration for a body of work that illustrated First Nations culture, wildlife and especially native wildflowers. “This was my world,” wrote Brown. “The wailing of wind across an empty prairie, the barking of coyotes […] Read more
Watershed program loses gov’t funding
Watershed stewardship programs will not receive funds through an Alberta government grant program this year. The program has been running since 2006 and in that time had allocated $1.8 million for 127 community based watershed groups. However, the Land Stewardship Centre, which redistributes the provincial grant money to groups that apply, learned at the end […] Read more
The beat goes on at pulse cleaning facility
TEMPEST, Alta. — One of the last wooden crib elevators built in Alberta has new life as a pulse cleaning facility for Viterra. The facility, which has been refurbished and expanded to handle pulse crops, began its new role in November 2015, but the official launch occurred June 27 at the Tempest rail siding about […] Read more
Grizzly meets rancher: who wins?
Grizzly bear encounters with humans are becoming more common; workshops teach how to handle threatening situations
BEAVER MINES, Alta. — The photographic evidence of grizzly bear presence and proximity was sobering. Shown at a June 18 bear safety workshop in southern Alberta, the first photo showed a bear in a hay shed at 6:35 a.m., where it had ripped open the back of a grain truck to eat seed and triggered […] Read more
