BIG SKY, Mont. — People who are skeptical about climate change don’t particularly bother James Hurrell, director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research based in Boulder, Colorado. He’s been doing climate research for 25 years and he’s heard most of what researchers and the public have to say on the topic. “It doesn’t drive […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Farm creates forests to offset carbon output
The Carbon Farmer plants trees to sequester carbon and offset the environmental impact of ‘large smokestack type industries’
MANNING, Alta. — Products from the Carbon Farmer are less tangible than many farm commodities but they reach a burgeoning market. The expected commodities from the certified organic grain farm are there, but so are thousands of trees planted on behalf of corporations for carbon credits and for non-regulated commercial needs to offset environmental impacts. […] Read moreResearcher finds healthy bison can be carriers of M. bovis
BIG SKY, Mont. — Mycoplasma bovis has plagued cattle for years, causing respiratory disease, arthritis and mastitis, among other ailments. But only since 1999 has it been associated with bison. Karen Register, a research microbiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s national animal disease centre, wants to know why. She has undertaken a study of […] Read more
Dwindling protein levels in forage could prove costly
BIG SKY, Mont. — Climate change could lead to diminishing protein in feed for livestock, says an American ecologist who studies animal diets and grasslands. In fact, he said the protein content in grass and forage has already dropped and the slow decline has escaped major attention. Joseph Craine, co-founder of Jonah Ventures and former […] Read more
One million bison a lofty goal?
BIG SKY, Mont. — Two hundred years ago, the North American bison herd was 30 million animals strong. Today, the goal is to increase numbers to one million from the current 392,000 animals in the United States and Canada. It’s called Bison One Million, a plan officially announced during the International Bison Conference July 4-7. […] Read more
Disease a major headache for Montana bison ranch
BOZEMAN, Mont. — About 2,600 bison cows and bulls, with 1,800 calves at side, roam the 114,000 acres of the Flying D ranch, but even this vast area and relative isolation can’t protect them from illness. In fact, the wide-open spaces that make this ranch ideal for bison are also ideal for other wildlife, including […] Read more
Research targets Peace area farmers’ needs
Improvement to soil quality through use of cocktail cover crops and minimum tillage are among research thrusts
MANNING, Alta. — Soils in Alberta’s Peace River region “are particularly difficult to manage,” reads an Alberta Agriculture fact sheet. Nora Paulovich, manager of the North Peace Applied Research Association, knows all about that but various projects on the association’s site near Manning, Alta., are aimed at improving soil quality. Progress is being made, said […] Read more
Genetic selection coming to bee sector
BEAVERLODGE, Alta. — Variability of traits in honeybees is similar to the variability of traits in other livestock, and researchers are working to identify markers so beekeepers and honey producers can select for the traits they want most. Renata Borba, a post-doctoral researcher at the Agriculture Canada research farm in Beaverlodge, said work on the […] Read more
Couple works toward profitability of cattle sector
VALLEYVIEW, Alta. — The late 1970s and early 1980s were pivotal years for Roland and Fay Cailliau. They moved from Alberta’s south to north and from crops to cattle. It has worked out well. “I love what I’m doing,” says Roland, the current vice-chair of Alberta Beef Producers. “I enjoy cows. I enjoy cattle. Always […] Read more
Research farm expansion will benefit bees
BEAVERLODGE, Alta. — A $6 million injection to the National Bee Diagnostic Centre will expand the reach and abilities of the Agriculture Canada Beaverlodge Research Farm, now in its 100th year of operation. The project is an initiative of Grande Prairie Regional College, which established the centre in 2013 at the research farm. The centre […] Read more
