Casey Vander Ploeg, a former senior policy analyst with the Canada West Foundation, has been appointed manager of policy and research with the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association and the National Cattle Feeders’ Association. Originally from Vauxhall, Alta., Vander Ploeg is also a former news reporter with a degree in political science. NCFA chair Jeff Warrack […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Horse trainers get new challenge
Colt starting | Contest gives young trainers 60 days to get colts ready for sale
WATERTON, Alta. — A typical horse trainers’ challenge gives participants three days to take a horse from untried to under saddle. Marc Garner wondered about that. As an instructor at Lethbridge College, the horse breeder knows that cramming for an exam might yield a passing grade, but the information is unlikely to be retained. After […] Read more
Accurate sweep tests require good technique
Lygus bugs | Officials recommend growers check 10 locations in fields that are larger than 100 acres
BROOKS, Alta. — Canola crops are approaching the stage where lygus bugs can do their damage, and accurate counts obtained by sweep tests allow producers to make spraying decisions. There’s no numerical threshold to determine whether to spray for lygus, said Scott Meers, an insect management specialist with Alberta Agriculture. “The threshold is where you […] Read more
Farmer fined for patent infringement
Monsanto filed suit | Company said Roundup Ready canola was improperly grown in field
A farmer from Strathmore, Alta., faces a fine of approximately $544,000 in a default judgment for patent infringement of Roundup Ready canola. In a July 24 hearing in Federal Court in Toronto, the court ruled that Doug Van Verdegem and Bar V Farms Ltd. violated the terms of a contract with Monsanto for use of […] Read moreHail damage worst in the west
Prairie hail damage so far this season runs west to east in terms of severity. The Canadian Crop Hail Association said the number of hail claims is much higher than normal in Alberta as of Aug. 6, while numbers are slightly below average in Saskatchewan and much below average in Manitoba. A July 20 storm […] Read more
Alberta Wheat Commission has a new general manager
Doug Cornell is the new general manager of the one-year-old Alberta Wheat Commission. He replaces former manager Rick Istead, who has retired. Cornell has a background in agricultural production and management, commodity marketing and customer relations. AWC chair Kent Erickson said in a news release that Cornell’s network of connections should serve the commission well. […] Read more
Homestead commemorates life in 1900s
Visitors travel back in time | The farm home provides insights into how the Michelsen family and the community lived
STIRLING, Alta. — Village residents had planned to gather to dedicate a rose garden at the Michelsen Farmstead, a provincially designated historic site. But just before the appointed day, a hailstorm reduced the rose garden to splintered stalks and wilted, mud-encased foliage. However, the storm neither cancelled the event nor daunted attendees July 18, who […] Read moreSheep producers’ input sought on code of practice revision
The draft code of practice for the care and handling of sheep will be open for public comment until Sept. 6. It is one of eight livestock codes now under revision in a multi-year project organized by the National Farm Animal Care Council. NFACC general manager Jackie Wepruk said few comments had been filed as […] Read more
Officials look for additional herbicide options
Alfalfa fields | Trial results show Authority, a Group 14 herbicide, might help control kochia
ENCHANT, Alta. — The Group 14 herbicide Authority may be effective against kochia in seed alfalfa fields, according to early data from a southern Alberta plot trial. Though not registered for use in alfalfa, the chemical killed kochia and outperformed Edge and Velpa. The latter two also showed good results. The findings may lead researchers […] Read moreHot, dry weather in Alberta minimizes disease pressure in alfalfa seed crops
ENCHANT, Alta. — Good news for farmers is bad news for researchers interested in studying the pathogens behind blossom blight and stem rot in alfalfa seed crops. Syama Chatterton, a plant pathology researcher with Agriculture Canada, told the July 23 Alberta Alfalfa Seed Commission tour group that no signs of either disease have been found […] Read more
