It’s bedtime and the baby is crying. The toddler wants one more drink of water. The pre-schooler is worried about a monster under the bed. And the parents need sleep to prepare for another work day. Sleep issues? Sleep consultant Amanda Hudye says they are becoming more prevalent. The Saskatoon-based founder of SleepWell Baby works […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Off-highway vehicle users defend their activities
There are 118,000 off-highway vehicles registered in Alberta, making up a $2 billion industry in equipment, camping accessories and related spinoffs, said Gary Clark. It’s one reason why he doesn’t believe the provincial government will grant a request from Alberta conservation groups to ban the vehicles on Alberta’s eastern slopes. But Clark, president of the […] Read more
Forages improve soil nutrients, organic matter
Agronomist says alfalfa used in rotations can cut nitrogen fertilizer requirements by half the following year
Alfalfa and timothy are ideal forages to put into an irrigated crop rotation, even with their high nutrient and water demands. Ross McKenzie, former Alberta Agriculture crop researcher and current consultant, said both crops need 100 to 150 millimetres of water for every dry ton they produce. That’s a high water need, but their benefits […] Read more
Three new cases of PED confirmed in Ontario in January
Three new cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus were reported on Ontario hog farms in January. One new case was confirmed Jan. 15 in a farrow to partial finish operation in Bruce County, a second was confirmed Jan. 21 in a Huron County finishing barn and a third was confirmed Jan. 28 in another […] Read more
Plethora of weevils set to invade Alberta fields
This could be the year of the weevil for Alberta farmers. Pea leaf weevil, cabbage seedpod weevil and alfalfa weevil all show signs of creating problems in the coming crop year. Scott Meers, an insect expert with Alberta Agriculture, gave a summary of 2015 insect issues and an outlook for 2016 during the Irrigated Crop […] Read more
Environmentalists target off-highway vehicles
Alberta groups want these vehicles banned on public land along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Conservation groups in Alberta have called on the province to limit the use of off-highway and all-terrain vehicles on public land along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Such vehicle activity is affecting water quality and wildlife habitat and must be curtailed to avoid further damage, they said. In a Jan. 25 news release, […] Read more
Experts debate theories behind cow’s unusual behaviour
Sascha-Kate Marskell believes nitrate poisoning was the reason one of her cows went temporarily crazy and attacked her without provocation several years ago, inflicting injuries that still bother her. Soil tests from the pasture where that cow and some of the other late calvers were held showed nitrate levels of up to .09 percent, which […] Read more
Producer recalls day gentle cow attacked
“On this day I had no exit strategy because I didn’t think anything would happen,” says Sascha-Kate Marskell
It was the kind of day that cow-calf producers love: late spring and sunny, near the end of calving season. Newborn calves frolicked in the pasture, their dams keeping watch and chewing their cuds. The bright green of new spring grass was evident around the bale feeders and in many of the pasture’s sunny spots. […] Read moreIntensive livestock more sustainable: McCain
Maple Leaf Foods president says pigs, poultry are most climate-friendly livestock in terms of greenhouse gas emissions
BANFF, Alta. — It’s no surprise that Michael McCain supports intensive hog production. The president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Foods heads a company that produces and processes hogs and contracts other producers to supply pork as well. Besides the supply advantage, McCain told those at the Banff Pork Seminar that large scale production […] Read moreDon’t neglect scouting for disease: pathologist
Dry conditions during last year’s growing season in Alberta kept most cereal diseases at bay, providing a silver lining to a droughty year. Forecasts for 2016 are indicating another dry year, so low disease levels might again be expected. However, Alberta Agriculture crop pathologist Mike Harding said wheat streak mosaic and stripe rust are two […] Read more
