Decade in the making | European plant builder saves the day
A biogas co-generation plant is functioning after more than 10 years of running the bureaucratic gauntlet. Lethbridge Biogas, located in the county just outside Lethbridge city limits, is using manure and other organic waste to produce gas used to generate electricity. The plant began accepting material this spring and is expected to be fully operating […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Slippery weed eaters better than chemicals
At $20 to $25 per fish, grass carp quickly pay for themselves in cleaning weeds from Alberta ponds and dugouts. Clay Boyes, facility manager at the Lethbridge College-based Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (ACE), said farmers often blanch at the price tag but after 15 years of availability and use, the fish have proven their worth. […] Read more
Fish-greenhouse system proving efficient, effective
Research from a working symbiotic system between fish and plants at Lethbridge College is rippling outward in southern Alberta’s greenhouse industry. Aquaponics, the practice of raising fish and using their wastewater as plant fertilizer, is used in at least one commercial greenhouse operation in the Medicine Hat region and another may soon be established. Aquaponics […] Read more
Ergot infestations high in cereals
Fungal disease | Farmers are reporting lots of the disease in crops coming off the field
Ergot has raised its ugly black head this year in Alberta and Saskatchewan crops. The fungal disease can affect almost all cereals, reducing grade and adding toxicity to feed that can be fatal to animals. “We are hearing that a lot of Sask-atchewan and basically at least the southern half of Alberta is having troubles […] Read more
Bison may roam once again in Banff National Park
Native species missing | Visitors will see and learn about Plains bison
Canadian bison producers are among those who support a proposal to see a wild, free-roaming herd of bison introduced in Banff National Park. Parks Canada released a draft plan earlier this month that proposes to introduce 30 to 50 Plains bison in less-travelled regions of the park. Public input into the plan is invited until […] Read moreCoalition of livestock groups launch COOL court appeal
U.S. trade policy draws ire and discussion from North American officials at events across continent
American and Canadian livestock groups launched an appeal Sept. 24 against a Sept. 11 U.S. District Court decision that failed to block implementation of country-of-origin labelling. Nine groups, which include the Canadian Pork Council, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and their powerful counterpart organizations in the U.S., argue that the court incorrectly accepted various arguments it heard […] Read moreAbundance of flies spreads pigeon fever
Ten horses affected | Producers should use spray to control numbers and fly sheets to prevent bites
More than 10 horses in southern Alberta have been diagnosed with pigeon fever this fall, an illness so-named for the common symptom of swellings in the chest. Dr. Kelsey Brandon of Claresholm Veterinary Service said the clinic has treated several animals and it has also been diagnosed in horses from the Fort Macleod and Lethbridge […] Read more
Rollover simulator shows sad story
The white, much-decaled pick-up truck rolled three times. Then a body flew out the driver’s side window and was squashed beneath the vehicle. It was another casualty incurred by failure to buckle up. Fortunately, the incident was a simulation involving a dummy, but it was nevertheless a graphic example of what can happen when drivers […] Read more
B.C. juice makers are playing with major leaguers
Tabletree Industries | Gary and Susan Snow’s black cherry juice is winning industry acclaim
Executives from the world’s major juice companies conferred last year in a quiet corner of a sophisticated convention spot in Barcelona, Spain. Welch’s, Palm, Tropicana, Chiquita, Dole and PepsiCo were represented at the World Juice Conference, along with others from Europe and Africa that make and distribute fruit juice worldwide. Also represented was Tabletree Industries […] Read more
Farmers left in the dark on flood aid, eligibility
Erosion, cleanup | Programs are available to move corrals and livestock buildings under the Growing Forward 2 program
LONGVIEW, Alta. — Shirley Pickering has been hauling water for home use on her rural acreage ever since late June floods inundated her water well along the Little Bow River. So have many other farm and acreage dwellers southeast of High River, Alta., a region that sustained major damage in late June and is still […] Read more
