BLACKIE, Alta. – When it comes to farm diversification, Grant and Sharon Cooke figure it’s best to stay with what they know. When farm commodity prices were in the basement, and after 10 years of drought, this couple looked for something that could save the farm but be pleasant to work with. The experienced Arabian […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Health-care cutbacks hitting Alberta’s heartland
CALGARY – The shivers felt with the announced cuts to health budgets last year are turning into shock waves as Alberta towns lose hospital beds or see them converted to nursing homes. The government plan calls for a reduction in health spending from $4 billion a year to $3.7 billion by 1997. Every Albertan will […] Read more
Proper attention required to grow lawns-to-go
VIMY, Alta. – When Bill Lefebvre goes out to cut the grass, he’s likely to be gone for quite a while. On this six-year-old sod farm at Vimy, about 50 kilometres north of Edmonton, Bill and Delvin Lefebvre are part of the competitive sod business supplying instant lawns to homeowners and businesses in central Alberta. […] Read more
Ranching heritage marked
LONGVIEW, Alta. – One of this country’s oldest ranches opened its gates to the public July 30 to share a day of Canadian heritage. Declared a national historic site in 1993, the Bar U has been restored and is operated by Parks Canada and a volunteer committee. It will continue as a working ranch and […] Read more
Regular disease testing for elk keeps negative status in herds
DRAYTON VALLEY, Alta. – Canadian elk herds are tuberculosis free but vigilance among game farmers to keep their animals healthy is as strong as ever. Ken Orchard, an Agriculture Canada veterinarian, regularly tests Alberta game farm animals so herds can maintain clean records for tuberculosis and brucellosis. “Alberta herds are virtually all clean,” said Orchard […] Read more
Semen, embryo collection in elk trickier process than for cattle
DRAYTON VALLEY, Alta. – Genetic transfers are commonplace in the cattle industry but collecting semen and embryos from elk is somewhat trickier. Breeding elk artificially is called a SHID operation – a shot in the dark, say some elk experts. More than 500 elk breeders and potential elk farmers were given the latest news about […] Read more
Producers decide route for Fletcher’s shares
CALGARY – The controversial distribution of $5 million worth of shares in Fletcher’s Fine Foods has been settled by a producer vote. In a mail-in plebiscite, pork producers voted to allocate 2.9 million shares in the Red Deer-based processing plant to a group of hog farmers known as the extra levy producers. The additional shares […] Read more
Hemp touted as next special crop
CALGARY – For many grain farmers, straw is a waste product scattered on the ground to prevent soil erosion. But some researchers believe straw could be spun into gold, or at the very least a cloth, paper or a wood substitute that’s as durable as any particle board on the market. Some obstacles stand in […] Read more
Farmers abandon crops in dry areas
COUNTY OF ST. PAUL, Alta. – This was the first year Colin McCallum tried growing canola. On July 20, the Ashmont, Alta., farmer received the go ahead from Alberta Hail and Crop Insurance to plow his experiment with oilseeds into the dust. He is just one of many to abandon crops damaged by a prolonged […] Read more
Food processors squeezing more out of special crops
CALGARY – Ordinary crops can often have extraordinary uses. Laundry detergent made from oilseeds, processed meat additives from mustard seeds or peas spun into pasta were just some of the ideas shared at a two-day special crops conference held here last week. “Food processors, pharmaceutical companies, chemical, paper and plastics industries are desperately looking for […] Read more
