The Tabelon family said they were impressed by what they saw while visiting the Brant Hutterite Colony in Alberta
BRANT, Alta. — Nole Tabelon was impressed by the 15,500 chickens he saw Aug. 23. That’s how many are housed in a free-run system at the Brant Hutterite Colony, which he and his family visited after winning a contest organized by Egg Farmers of Alberta. “It was pretty interesting. I didn’t expect there to be […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
VIDEO: New hay dryer saves leaves and bales
The British Columbia-built machine can dry 18-24 bales an hour, allowing producers to harvst hay when quality is best
NOBLEFORD, Alta. — In the Vanderhoof, B.C., region, 2016 was a bad year for hay. There was lots of rain and not enough time between showers for the swaths to adequately dry for baling. Emil Gulbranson and his son, Chandler, were frustrated by the weather, so they sought hay-drying solutions. They looked around Canada and […] Read more
African swine fever poses threat
China’s current battle against an outbreak of African swine fever is taking place half a world away from Canada, but distance is no guarantee against the deadly virus’s ability to come here. “Certainly there’s a possibility it could spread here. It’s spreading around the world,” said Canadian Pork Council executive director John Ross. “The usual […] Read more
Wild pigs a reservoir of disease
African swine fever virus is hard to kill. It can survive in feces and urine for days, travel on various surfaces and survive in pork even if the meat is cured or cooked to temperatures below 70 C. It has been reported in at least seven European Union countries at various times, and wild pigs […] Read more
Disease can be tricky to diagnose, but vets say up to the task
Dr. Egan Brockhoff is likely one of the few swine veterinarians in Canada who has seen African swine fever first-hand in pigs. The veterinarian consultant with the Canadian Pork Council travels extensively in his work as an expert in swine illnesses and has seen the ravages imposed by the virus on pigs in other countries. […] Read more
Canadian cattle herd continues to shrink
It’s now at its lowest point since 1988, dropping 26.3 percent to 12.4 million head on farms from a peak number recorded in 2005
The Canadian cattle herd continues to shrink and is at the lowest July 1 number since 1988, Statistics Canada reported in its July 1, 2018, inventory report. Breeding stock numbers are also down and many in the industry say it is unlikely to improve, at least in Western Canada, because drought and resulting feed shortages […] Read more
B.C. ranchers suffer as fires persist
British Columbia remains in a state of emergency, first declared on Aug. 15, as 542 fires continue to burn. About 58 fires are either highly visible or pose a potential threat public safety. This year has officially become the second largest fire season on record for the province. The number and extent of fires is […] Read more
Urban meets rural at Open Farm Days
Attendance for the annual event in Alberta is expected to exceed last year’s 20,000 visitors; 117 farms participated
Alberta Open Farm Days participants in the Chin and Coaldale areas are dealing with a lot of potatoes this week. They were able to pick their own free spuds from a field owned by Perry Produce, one of 117 farms across the province that opened their doors in some fashion Aug. 18, Aug. 19 or […] Read more
VIDEO: Overgrazing starts with a ‘fear of wasting grass’
Grazing consultant says management can ensure the best possible use of grass, whether it is being grazed, hayed or rested
FORT MACLEOD, Alta. — It wasn’t exactly a meeting of Overgrazers Anonymous, though grazing consultant Jim Gerrish called it that, tongue in cheek. In fact, those enrolled in a three-day grazing school are probably least likely to overgraze grassland and pasture by virtue of their attendance and what they learned. Gerrish had participants take what […] Read moreRanchers request permanent tax deferral
The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association says it has obtained national support among cattle groups to work toward a permanent tax deferral system in times of disaster. SCA chair Rick Toney said the option to defer income taxes on sale of breeding stock to another year would give cattle producers another risk management tool. The federal government […] Read more
