New technology is being used to create genetically modified livestock for medical research, but a University of Minnesota researcher wielding the genetic “scissors” is also eyeing food animal production. Scott Fahrenkrug is the lead author of a recently published paper that describes how a technique using licensed technology called TALENs allows for cheaper and faster […] Read more
Stories by Dan Yates
Students revive U of S rodeo club
Big turnout | Hosting a successful event puts student group on solid ground
After a successful debut, the organizers of a revived rodeo club at the University of Saskatchewan say they’ll ride again. Last month’s event, hosted at Martensville’s OK Corral, was the first rodeo competition hosted under the U of S banner in 20 years, said Shelby Clemens, president of the on-campus group. Or so she’s been […] Read moreExperts seek to improve plants’ ability to capitalize on beneficial organisms
Research is shedding new light on a relationship that exists between most plants and some beneficial organisms in the soil. Biologists are interested in the nature of that partnership and how it affects plants growing in the wild, while other researchers are looking to exploit it, allowing producers to grow crops with fewer inputs. McMaster […] Read more
Farm building code update gets thumbs up
Farm building code update gets thumbs up
An initiative to update Canada’s farm building construction code has been met with approval from a national organization of builders. A representative of the Canadian Farm Builders’ Association (CFBA) was included in a group that made recommendations for updates to the National Farm Building Code of Canada, which was last published in 1995. The group, […] Read moreCombination of methods keep predators at bay
Fencing, baiting, shooting | Producer says managing herd will minimize threat
HUMBOLDT, Sask. — Predation control is paramount for producers of small ruminants, but controlling threats from aggressive animals is more complicated than just killing coyotes, said Gord Schroeder of the Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board. And while these challenges aren’t going to go away, they shouldn’t prevent goat and sheep producers from prospering, he told a […] Read moreScales company targets farms
A load cell manufacturer from Saskatoon has customers from a variety of sectors, but is particularly interested in courting farmers. Since its inception in the early 1980s, Massload has been primarily focused on using the technology in truck scales and linking it to software and display systems. However, president Larry van den Berghe said agriculture […] Read more
Alarming report on climate change greeted cautiously
Report makes death forecast | Canadian researchers question findings, but insist climate change is a real concern that will have an impact around the world
Data from a recently released report linking five million annual deaths to climate change and a carbon economy might raise unnecessary red flags, said a University of Regina professor. But that’s not to say the effects of climate change aren’t real and won’t be felt across the globe and on the Canadian Prairies, said Dave […] Read moreConsumers want to buy local
People are appreciating the producer and they’re actually saying so, says market gardener
A recent survey that found growing support for Canadian-grown products is in line with what Ron Erdmann sees in the marketplace. The Alberta market gardener said he has increased production of potatoes, carrots and cabbages in the past few years, while fielding more customer questions about his farm. “There is a growing demand and growing […] Read moreUniversity ag program caters to First Nations
University of Saskatchewan | Program requested by major farming companies looking to recruit from First Nations
A small group of students convocating from the University of Saskatchewan’s agriculture college this fall are the first to complete a program geared toward First Nation students and agribusiness. Five students comprise the first class from the university’s aboriginal agriculture and land management program, receiving a post-graduate diploma. Another four students are just starting the […] Read more
‘Goat stuff’ hard to find; ingenuity essential
Modify and improvise | Rancher explains how to raise goats without spending a lot of money by using what’s on hand
JANSEN, Sask. — Producers who plan to raise goats have to be flexible, says producer Brian Payne. That means making the best use of the equipment that is available and improvising, said Payne, owner of Caprina Farm & Ranch. “It’s hard to find goat stuff,” he told a recent tour of his operation near Jansen, […] Read more
