CAMROSE, Alta — As heat and drought burn up crops across the Prairies, many farmers wonder if they will have enough crop to fill what they thought were modest production contracts. “I worry about my barley because my barley is 70 percent priced and my canola is at 50 percent priced. A lot of farmers […] Read more
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Extreme heat wave takes toll on Peace country crops
What started as a promising spring with good crop emergence is now looking like it may be one of the worst crops ever in Alberta’s Peace River country. “It is the hottest, driest, without-rain year we have ever seen,” said Rycroft farmer Bryan Woronuk. “Without rain at this point we will suffer large yield losses.” […] Read more
Hatview Dairy makes it work in southern Alta.
On the Farm: Three generations of Weisses have operated their successful dairy just outside Medicine Hat for 70 years
The Prairies are best known for growing breadbasket crops and hosting the largest cattle herds in the nation. However, when it comes to dairy, Alberta doesn’t come top of mind. It may even be surprising to some that the province has the country’s third highest number of dairy farms — at slightly more than 500 […] Read more
Despair turns into kids’ book about mental health
After hitting rock bottom, including a suicide attempt, Sask. man writes book to help children with mentally ill parents
INDIAN HEAD, Sask. — It was a very dark night that eventually led Todd Rennebohm out into the light. In the middle of a drinking and smoking binge in his garage, Rennebohm began thinking about how his kids, then aged 10 and 12, viewed his emotional struggles. Rock bottom had come after many challenges with […] Read more
Soybean cyst nematode spreading rapidly
The nematode was found in 24 new counties and rural municipalities in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec from 2017-20
Researchers at Iowa State University have found soybean cyst nematode is rapidly spreading. SCN is the most damaging pathogen to soybean crops in the United States and Canada. First found in the U.S. in 1954, latest estimates show that it results in about $1.5 billion in annual yield losses They can also make plants more […] Read more
Study suggests ways to reduce beef emissions
A recent study by researchers at Colorado State University looked at different strategies for reducing greenhouse gasses emitted during beef production. Researchers found the industry could achieve a 50 percent reduction in certain regions by enhancing some ranch management practices. However, in regions where GHG emission reduction practices are already in place, the gains are […] Read more
Poultry litter’s efficiency as fertilizer studied
Researchers discovered a significant positive impact on soil, which was less compacted and could hold much more water
Every year, poultry farmers raise millions of broiler chickens, turkeys and laying hens, and in 2019 Canadian chicken production generated $2.8 billion. Along with all the meat and eggs comes millions of tonnes of poultry litter. Much of it is spread on crops as fertilizer. While this practice is convenient, scientists at Mississippi State University […] Read more
Couple’s IVF story has happy ending
In vitro fertilization treatments are an expensive and emotionally exhausting option for those struggling with infertility
Many couples cope with the heartbreak and stress of infertility. For those living in rural areas, where access to specialists is limited, treatment options can often be less accessible and more costly than they are for urban residents. On top of the actual treatments, some of which are not covered by provincial health-care plans, rural […] Read more
Old farmhouse gave shelter from life’s harsh realities
It takes a lot of living to make a house a home, and our house saw a lot of living. As a child I tried to imagine our sprawling farmhouse as the local showpiece it had apparently once been, painted in white with pale green gingerbread moldings above the triple bay windows. By the time […] Read more
Don’t have an ingredient? Use something else
Getting out a cookbook, finding a recipe and discovering you’re out of something doesn’t have to be the end of the world
The following recipe originally came from an Australian friend, but as my aunt often said, when I got finished with it the list of ingredients had changed somewhat. She called it beef cottage pie and I normally refer to it as shepherd’s pie, even though true shepherd’s pie is made with lamb or mutton. I […] Read more
