WATERTON, Alta. — What will we do with the ranch when Dad dies? More than one family has asked that question over the years, but few likely discuss it regularly with the dad and mom in question and make plans for that eventuality. The Garners are not a typical family. They combine their love of […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Honeybees play role in boosting canola yields
BROOKS, Alta. — Bees can increase canola yields by five to 20 percent, which can be significant considering its market price and associated input costs. Shelley Hoover, apiculture research scientist with Alberta Agriculture, explained bee benefits July 31 during a field day at the Crop Diversification Centre in Brooks. “Whether or not putting honeybees on […] Read more
New dewormer easier to administer, afford
The liquid ivermectin can be poured onto feed
The cost to deworm horses in Canada is expected to drop with the release of an Alberta-made generic ivermectin. Alberta Veterinary Labs, the Calgary-based developer of the new product, predicts costs of about $5 per dose for an average 500 kilogram horse, compared to about $20 per dose that many horse owners now pay. Price […] Read more
Select canola for blackleg resistance
BROOKS, Alta. — Australia can do it, so Canada can do it too. As blackleg slowly makes a comeback in prairie canola crops by overcoming varietal resistance, researchers are screening the varieties for their durability. Ralph Lange, a researcher with Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, said Australian researchers have identified canola varieties with similar resistance genetics. […] Read more
Destroy clubroot before it destroys you: expert
Severe losses | The disease, diagnosed 10 years ago in Alberta, is almost impossible to eradicate, says researcher
BROOKS, Alta. — Victor Manolii takes his footwear seriously when doing research in clubroot-infected fields. The University of Alberta researcher insists on plastic shoe covers for himself and his team and recommends them to anyone stepping foot in more than one field, whether or not clubroot is known to be present. Potential canola crop losses […] Read moreAlberta youth helps teach farm safety
It took about 20 hours of work for 12-year-old Gert Roelofsen to win the Rural Safety Sense DVD Contest organized by the Alberta Farm Safety Centre. The Orton, Alta., resident watched a series of nine DVDs on various farm safety topics, wrote nine knowledge assessment tests and ended up winning a quad ATV for his […] Read more
Corn distillers grain shows slight advantage over wheat
Protein supplements, including distillers grain, will increase feed intake and nutrient use in backgrounded feeder cattle, a study confirms. In research funded by the Beef Cattle Research Council, Agriculture Canada researchers Wenzhu Yang and Karen Beauchemin compared canola meal and wheat and corn distillers grain from a fractionation process. They found that feeder cattle increased […] Read more
Website tackles dairy’s most pressing questions
Why is milk so expensive? Why are dairy cows so skinny? Ask and you shall be answered, says Alberta Milk. The industry group launched a website feature Aug. 13 called Ask a Dairy Farmer. Conrad Van Hierden, a dairy farmer from Fort Macleod, Alta., likes the idea of using social media more extensively to answer […] Read more
Environmental Stewardship Award winner
A Hanley, Sask., area ranching couple has won the 2013 Environmental Stewardship Award from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Allen and Lillian Patkau of Sandy Arrow Ranch were announced as recipients earlier today at the CCA semi-annual meeting in London, Ont. The award is accompanied by a $1,000 cheque and an engraved belt buckle. Attention to […] Read more
Back-to-school online toolkit designed
With approximately three weeks of summer vacation left, Alberta Education has developed a back-to-school online toolkit designed to help parents and children prepare for the coming school year. The site, at www.education.alberta.ca/backtoschool, has information on curriculum, study tips and bullying prevention. Curriculum information is divided by grade and subject so both parents and students can […] Read more
