Small-town club raises money to fund its operation by selling donated seed to farmers, who then conduct crop trials
Members of the curling club in Indian Head, Sask., are using canola field trials to raise funds to repair their 95-year-old rink. For the last three years, Andrea De Roo and Curtis Russell have partnered with Ben and Joel Cavers of Be-Ver Farms to host one of the largest field-scale canola trials in Canada. Under […] Read moreStories by Braedyn Wozniak
Sask. food processor puts out the welcome mat
Avena Foods recently invited buyers and others to tour its oat cleaning and processing plants located south of Regina
International buyers of gluten-free food produced at a Saskatchewan processing plant were given an opportunity earlier this month to see where the products originate. Heidi Scheiblehner, supply chain manager with Bob’s Red Mill in Portland, Oregon, was one of the buyers to make the trip. “The facilities are amazing. I was here six months ago […] Read more
Another storm shakes small Sask. town
The town of Kelvington and surrounding area were hit with a devastating storm Aug. 13 that caused extensive damage. Crops were flattened, bins were flipped, trees were broken and buildings were destroyed. “Boom, just very little warning,” said James Perron, Co-op Food Store manager, firefighter and town council member in Kelvington. “At about eight O’clock […] Read more
Research tackles flax market threat
EU has set limits on cadmium levels, prompting efforts in Saskatchewan to lower presence of naturally occurring metal
The Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission and Agriculture-Applied Research Management are searching for ways to lower cadmium levels in flax after the European Union set a cadmium limit of 0.5 mg/kg in flaxseed imports. Four research farm sites have been testing agronomic methods to find a solution. South East Research Farm in Redvers, Sask., is one […] Read more
It’s closing time for WP intern
Wow, this summer flew by. It seems like yesterday I was writing this column as an introduction to The Western Producer. Now I am writing this exit column. Four months ago, I began my time here, the same time seeding started, so I was helping on the farm while also trying to learn the ins-and-outs […] Read more
Suicidal thoughts high among farmers
A recent study from Ontario’s University of Guelph has found nearly one-third of farmers have had thoughts of suicide in the last 12 months. The startling numbers are more than two times higher than the general Canadian population. Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton, along with postdoctorate research associate Dr. Briana Hagen and master’s candidate student Rochelle Thompson, […] Read more
Still no ‘feasible means of eliminating’ root rot
South East Research Farm has researched aphanomyces in pea and lentil crops for five years, but solutions remain elusive
The South East Research Farm near Redvers, Sask., is struggling to find answers to aphanomyces, commonly known as root rot, in pea and lentil crops. The disease is a large issue for pulse growers who don’t want to wait eight years in their crop rotations after seeding peas or lentils to seed them again. The […] Read more
Stock dogs put through their paces
Jared Epp of the Saskatchewan Stock Dog Association brought his two Border Collies to the recent Ag in Motion show near Langham, Sask., to demonstrate how effective they can be in herding livestock and how simple they can be to manage. Epp had the dogs listen to his every command as they moved the sheep […] Read more
AIM back on track after COVID-19 interruption
Almost 30,000 people had the opportunity to watch demonstrations from more than 500 exhibitors at the Saskatchewan show
The first Ag In Motion outdoor farm show to feature live crowds since the COVID-19 pandemic attracted 29,954 people for the event held July 19-21. Visitors to the Discovery Farm near Langham, Sask., saw product demonstrations from 543 different exhibitors, covering more than 100 acres. “I really think it was a good show,” said show […] Read more
Hunger crisis hits new level: coalition
The war in Ukraine and severe climate impacts on farmers worldwide have raised hunger levels to a breaking point. The Canadian Humanitarian Coalition, comprising 12 charity organizations from across the country, has set out to fight the problem. “This is an exceptional circumstance,” said Richard Morgan, executive director of the coalition. “We’ve just come out […] Read more
