Businesses identify essentials and find creative solutions to rebuilding or renewing their yards and facilities
An aging seed cleaning plant forced the Watson family to choose between getting out of the seed business or looking at building a facility. The family have been seed growers since the 1960s but investing in a new seed plant was a big decision, said Mark Watson of Watson Seeds. “It was getting to the […] Read moreStories by Freelance writer
Canadian bison meat blocked from U.S. markets
Live animals still allowed but meat has been banned since U.S. started enforcing Amenable Species Act during the COVID-19 pandemic
CAMROSE, Alta. — A long forgotten American wildlife act that was dusted off during the COVID pandemic has blocked Canadian bison meat from entering the United States, costing Canadian producers millions of dollars. “Without access to the U.S. market, especially with bison trimmings, the Alberta industry will continue to have struggles and continue to have […] Read more
Research finds drone benefits for bison farms
New study determines that the ability to check on these big and volatile animals from afar increases efficiency and safety
CAMROSE, Alta. — There is plenty the two self-confessed cowboys don’t know about bison, but they do know technology used in other industries could be valuable bison management tools. “There are a lot of things the cattle industry has that could be beneficial to the bison industry. How can we gather that valuable data for […] Read more
Association membership reflects state of bison sector
High grain prices, drought and a closed U.S. border push prices lower and prompt many producers to sell their herds
CAMROSE, Alta. — A look at bison memberships across Canada may give a hint of the state of the bison industry. Across Canada, memberships in bison associations are down almost 16 percent, to 436 in 2023 from 518 in 2022. Doreen Neilley said the issue figures large at the Canadian Bison Association board meetings she […] Read more
Alberta producer thinks small with microgreen operation
Urban farmer grows a variety of plants and markets them primarily to restaurants because of the stable business model
Hundreds of newly sprouted microgreens can be nurtured together when crowded into close confines. The conditions for growing them are not usually overly complicated and they are easy to maintain. Harvest can be as quick as 11 days to seven weeks, depending on the variety. Microgreen farmer Riccardo Baldini of Strathcona Microgreens has built a […] Read more
Round barns boast a long history in Canada
Structural stability, easier construction and more efficient feeding were reasons given for constructing circular buildings
My memories of growing up on the farm include moments in the barn, sitting on the extra milking stool with a cat on my knee, talking to Dad while he milked Lucky or Star or whichever cow it was. Other moments include a warm summer afternoon, entering the dim quiet of the barn, laying on […] Read more
Bison make their return to Alberta First Nation
Twenty Plains bison join the First Nation’s existing 24-head herd, recognizing the species’ importance to Indigenous people and culture
BITTERN LAKE, Alta. — After a pipe ceremony and to the beat of drums, 20 Plains bison were unloaded from a trailer to their new home on Samson Cree Nation. “Thank you for bringing our buffalo home. Let’s get them out of there. They’re home,” said chief Vern Saddleback Jr., just before 20 bison from […] Read more
Mead venture starts as calming hobby
A beekeeping hobby develops into a commercial operation supported by a greenhouse and the surrounding community
NEW SAREPTA, Alta. — What began as a calming hobby for Will Munsey has led to community connections, a new business and delicious mead. Munsey began with two beehives and slowly expanded to 12. To deal with the sweet success of his hobby, he needed a use for the excess honey and made his first […] Read more
Plants can make chemicals for bee-friendly insecticides
Limonoids give citrus fruits their bitter taste and are also the active components in crop protection that doesn’t hurt bees
Plants have evolved ways to protect themselves using complex chemicals that can challenge even the most astute chemists. Collaborating researchers at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, United Kingdom, and Stanford University in California recently revealed the enzymes that certain plants, such as mahogany and citrus, use to make limonoids. These molecules are the compounds […] Read more
Eastern Ontario farmers still struggle after violent storm
Producers continue to work with insurance companies and make repairs to their farms following last May’s wind storm
RUSSELL, Ont. — Farm damage inflicted by a violent storm last May in eastern Ontario lingers nine months later. In less than three minutes on May 21, violent winds with tornado-level gusts, known as a derecho, tore through the communities of Carlsbad Springs, Navan, Vars and Sarsfield just east of Ottawa. It levelled trees, blew […] Read more
