Seven municipalities in southern Alberta will use more than $17 million in government grants to protect against future flooding. The government announced the money and the specific projects Feb. 26 as the latest phase of re-sponse to devastating floods in 2014 and ongoing efforts to protect infrastructure against future incidents. At the other end of […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Research farm collects history
Tim Eyrich, a senior adviser with Agri-Trend, has a story about the Rothamsted Research centre in Hertfordshire, England. He visited the longest running agricultural research station in the world, which was established in 1843, and saw “the vault,” where samples are stored. “You can walk in there and every trial they did from 1850 to […] Read more
Sticky traps test for psyllid insects
Monitoring will continue in Alberta this year for the insect that can carry a damaging potato pathogen. Potato psyllid can carry zebra chip, an ailment that discolours tubers and makes them unattractive to processors and consumers. Though potato psyllid insects have been found in Alberta, none have tested positive for the bacteria that causes the […] Read more
Fusarium lurks in potatoes, warns crop pathologist
Mike Harding doesn’t usually favour sensational titles for the presentations he gives to farmers. On March 1, the Alberta Agriculture crop pathologist made an exception with his talk to potato growers on Fusarium: The Silent Storage Killer. Harding said fusarium in potatoes “flies under the radar” be-cause it can develop slowly in stored product and […] Read more
Trade deal change clarifies gov’t regulation abilities
A contentious portion of the proposed trade agreement between Canada and the European Union involving investment protection provisions has been modified. Federal international trade minister Chrystia Freelance and European commissioner for trade Cecilia Malmstrom issued a joint re-lease Feb. 29 to announce changes to the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and completion of a legal […] Read more
Sask. farm has quad calves
Quadruplet calves are doing well on the Lamport family farm near Alida, Sask. When Calvin Lamport, son Layne and daughter Kayla delivered three calves from a five-year-old Charolais-cross cow on March 4, they were happy with the result. The cow had twins in each of the previous two years, so triplets were considered a bonus. […] Read more
Farming isn’t rocket science, or is it?
Farming isn’t rocket science. It’s much more difficult than that. Understanding the complex workings of soil and plant requires time, effort and an understanding that conditions are constantly changing. Senior adviser Tim Eyrich of Agri-Trend put it this way at a March 2 regional meeting in Lethbridge. “What we do is harder than rocket science. […] Read more
English research farm has impressive collection
Tim Eyrich, a senior adviser with Agri-Trend, has a story about the Rothamsted Research centre in Hertfordshire, England. He visited the longest running agricultural research station in the world, which was established in 1843, and saw “the vault,” where samples are stored. “You can walk in there and every trial they did from 1850 to […] Read more
Charges laid in B.C. dairy barn abuse case
Twenty counts of animal cruelty have been laid under British Columbia law in connection with an undercover video released in June 2014 that showed dairy workers punching, kicking and beating dairy cows. The video, taken at Chilliwack Cattle Sales Ltd., which is the largest dairy operation in Canada with 3,500 cows, shocked the public and […] Read more
Recognize symptoms, take action against diseases: expert
Thin ewe syndrome affects most flocks at one time or another, says sheep specialist Dr. Lynn Tait of OC Flock Management. The affliction is defined as a production-limiting disease that affects performance and profitability but is not necessarily acute. “They’re not always obvious, and chronic in nature,” Tait said during a Feb. 8 Alberta Lamb […] Read more
