RED DEER – Bryan Corns farms with the help of the CBC. He uses cows, a baler and a combine to take crops off his 8,200 acre farm near Grassy Lake, Alta. A dedicated minimum-tillage farmer since 1978, he uses a chronological rotation that includes winter and spring wheat, grain corn, durum, oats, canola, sorghum, […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Corporate decisions confuse consumer
GUELPH, Ont. – Food and beverage companies that are refusing to buy genetically modified crops are unjustifiably complicating the debate about GM foods, a senior grocery sector official said last week. Meanwhile, there is evidence of growing resistance to GM crops, speakers told the annual meeting of Ontario’s AGCare group Feb. 15. Jeanne Cruickshank of […] Read more
Ag leaders seek solutions
Alberta farm leaders meeting in Red Deer Feb. 7 agreed the old way of doing things is not good enough if producers are to prosper in the new marketplace. “The status quo is not an option,” said Brian Heidecker, chair of the Alberta agriculture and food council, which acts as an advisory group to the […] Read more
Alberta examines crop insurance
RED DEER – In 24 municipalities across northern Alberta, there is serious financial hardship where crop insurance and government aid packages have not helped. Years of drought and plunging commodity prices have left farmers in dire straits. “The programs that we’ve got out there now in the long term do not address the problems we […] Read more
Cattle ID tags approved
The approval of 12 ear tags has moved individual cattle identification one step closer to becoming reality. The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency has tested a number of tags for ease of readability, retention and the ability to withstand tampering. Ten carry a universal bar code with an individual identification number and two are button tags […] Read more
Soil expert stresses benefits of good rotation
RED DEER – Farmers who direct seed can’t ignore crop rotations, says a soil conservation co-ordinator with Alberta Agriculture. John Zylstra told a recent FarmTech 2000 conservation conference that a well-balanced rotation of pulses, forages and cereals make substantial differences in soil tilth, fertility and subsequent yields. Zylstra is involved in a long-term study of […] Read more
Moisture exposes peas to disease
RED DEER – A few hours of moisture on a pea plant can have devastating results. Ascochyta and mycosphaerella are two costly fungal diseases that strike pea plants across the Prairies. “Every variety in Western Canada is susceptible to some degree to ascochyta,” said Grant Ozipko of Zeneca Agro. The diseases restrict photosynthesis by reducing […] Read more
Reform gathers ideas for agriculture
VULCAN, Alta. – The definition of a Canadian is someone who says “thank you” to a bank machine. That comment got a laugh at the Vulcan Legion Hall where 100 farmers gathered to talk with Reform party MPs about the farm crisis. Farmers agreed that their politeness might be contributing to the problems in western […] Read more
Buyer gets details, seller gets profits
PHOENIX, Arizona – Ken Jordan wondered if he was doing the right thing when he took over the family farm and auction business at San Saba, Texas in 1971. Almost 20 years later, computers and the internet have him convinced he made the right decision. “The train is moving folks, and every producer has a […] Read more
U.S. export growth predicted as Asian economy recovers
PHOENIX, Arizona – The American cattle industry would shrink by eight percent if it couldn’t export beef, but ranchers were told at their annual convention last month they don’t have anything to worry about. “We’re predicting very bullish growth,” said Phil Seng, of the United States Meat Export Federation, during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association […] Read more
