Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta., attained its Verified Beef Production Plus certification last week, making it the first Alberta post-secondary institution to do so. VBP+ is a national on-farm food safety program that requires certificate holders to comply with specific practices and standards for food safety, animal care, environmental stewardship and biosecurity. The certification applies […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Dugouts should be checked before freeze-up
Early October’s flirtation with winter could be a good reminder to check farm and ranch dugouts before freeze-up. Dan Benson, agricultural water specialist with Alberta Agriculture, said dugout maintenance depends on whether people depend upon them as a year-round water source or only seasonally. Either way, it’s a good idea to do a fall inspection. […] Read more
How about some tasty apricot-chili cheese?
Alberta goat dairy makes chevre and feta for consumers and foodies as the family embraces automation to expand the business
NOBLEFORD, Alta. — Noble Meadows Farm faces a challenge common to small farm businesses. The owners want to grow but can’t afford or find the additional labour that would make that possible. Increased automation appears to be the answer for Harvey and Carolyn Van Driesten and their children, Ken, Rebecca and Caitlyn. They run a […] Read more
Dairy farmers say trade deal threatens future
Alberta producers say the recently signed agreement will ‘negatively shape the future of the Canadian dairy industry’
Four days before the new international trade deal was agreed, Klaas and Eric VanderVeen welcomed a Lethbridge County tour group to their dairy farm in southern Alberta. The father and son talked about their recent investment in four robotic milkers, valued at $200,000 to $250,000 each, that made their operation more efficient and capable of […] Read more
Alta. dairy family calls robotic milkers a boon for farm
PICTURE BUTTE, Alta. — Four robotic milkers were a big investment for Favour Holsteins, a dairy farm operated by Klaas VanderVeen and his son, Eric. It’s been almost a year since their installation and results have been positive. “Last November we fired these things up and we’ve been milking with them ever since,” Eric told […] Read more
Rough and tumble saves the day
A neuroscientist determines that play fighting teaches children how to read situations and respond appropriately
Kids will be kids, as they say. And kids, left to their own devices, will wrestle and fight with each other in rough and tumble play. It is common in all cultures. Sure, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye — but a University of Lethbridge neuroscience professor has found that children […] Read more
How to control gophers with a little effort
Nesting platforms can attract hawks to native prairie grasslands, benefitting both the birds and landowners
There may be fewer ground squirrels next spring at the Johnson property on southern Alberta’s Milk River Ridge. That’s because there’s a new nesting site designed for ferruginous hawks, which love to eat pesky ground squirrels that proliferate in the area’s arid fescue grassland. The Nature Conservancy of Canada and Fortis Alberta collaborated Sept. 26 […] Read more
U.S. dairy says Canada not big USMCA loser
American farmers argue that the Canadian supply management sector didn’t give up as much as it should have
An American farmer who has operated dairies on both sides of the 49th parallel says the new version of the North American Free Trade Agreement is good and could have been better. “It was better than what we thought we would actually get,” Allan Huttema said about elements of the deal affecting U.S. dairy trade. […] Read more
Sugar beet growers gain in new trade deal
Alberta sugar beet growers made gains for their product in the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement signed Sept. 30. Under its terms, refined beet sugar gained access for another 9,600 tonnes, which is an increase to the 10,300 tonnes of access already in place. “Canadian sugar did gain additional access to the U.S. market, which is good […] Read more
Alberta producers participate in animal welfare survey
More than 500 responses have been received so far for an animal welfare survey undertaken by Alberta Farm Animal Care, and responses are being solicited until Oct. 31. AFAC is doing the survey on behalf of the Alberta government and plans to submit an initial report by Dec. 31. A complete report is expected to […] Read more
