SASKATOON — Equine reproduction specialist Dr. Claire Card has advice for horse owners caring for pregnant mares this winter. Card, a professor with the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine, said horses in Western Canada tend to be on the heavy side. “Keeping horses in […] Read more
Stories by Freelance writer
Community support key to surviving wildfires
Alta. and B.C. ranchers say communication also important as they talk about lessons learned this dry, dangerous summer
Planning, community support and being able to move quickly have been integral for ranchers managing grazing cattle as wildfires advance. The Hoffman-Turner family is keeping an eye on the Ross Moore Lake Fire, near Kamloops, B.C., after it forced them to evacuate their home more than five weeks ago. Diane and Grant Hoffman, their daughter […] Read more
Ag industry warned of possible recession in ’24
A market analyst advises the sector, including fertilizer, to watch for key indicators and then keep it all in perspective
A leading Canadian business analyst says several key market indicators point to a recession in 2024. Catherine Murray’s main message to the Fertilizer Canada delegates at their annual meeting held in Vancouver on Aug. 16 is that “a recession is coming in 2024.” Murray hosts The News Forum and is best known for her work […] Read more
Young dairy producers share their tips and tricks
Last week’s Western Canadian Classic youth dairy show in Saskatoon gave participants to a chance to shine in the ring
Young dairy farmers got moo-ving in Saskatoon last week at the 37th annual Western Canadian Classic youth dairy show. Participants showed off their skills with herding, clipping and judging competitions for junior, intermediate and senior levels. Participants ranged in age from 10 to 21 years old, so there was plenty of knowledge sharing between the […] Read more
Last year’s Team BC tragedy remembered at Dairy Classic
Three people and 23 cattle were killed last year while heading home from the Western Canadian Dairy Classic in Brandon
The Western Canadian Dairy Classic took a moment to acknowledge a deadly crash that took place last year following the 2022 youth dairy show. Following the event in Brandon, the semi carrying 24 cattle from Team British Columbia and Team Alberta was involved in a head-on collision with a logging truck. The Aug. 28 crash […] Read more
Western Canadian Classic participants shine in the ring
More than 83 young dairy producers competed in more than 30 individual and team competitions and cattle classes
Saskatoon’s Prairieland Park Ag Centre was transformed into a big top for the 37th annual Western Canadian Classic youth dairy show, affectionately called the Cirque Moo Soleil for the circus-themed event. More than 83 young dairy farmers competed in about 30 individual and team competitions and cattle classes, showing their presentation skills and knowledge of […] Read more
Cover crop blend helps keep forage in rotation
A grain and cattle producer from Saskatchewan calls a mixture of 15 different crop varieties ‘Mother Nature’s blueprint’
GALAHAD, Alta. — Cattle producers across the Prairies are beginning to use a mix of several different seed varieties in a single cover crop for high-quality feed, said an agrologist during a field day. “Farmers are looking at it for better yields and high quality feed,” said Adam Smith, sales manager for Covers and Co. […] Read more
Hairy canola research embarks on long and winding road
Scientist takes research in a different direction as efforts continue to breed canola with plant hairs to fend off flea beetles
Plant hairs may provide better natural pest control than insecticides. The knowledge that plants with plant hairs, called trichomes, are unpleasant to insects and animals is not new but using it to make canola undesirable to flea beetles remains an ongoing challenge. Varieties of hairy canola have been in development for more than 20 years. […] Read more
Daikon radish cover crop acts as natural tillage
Farmer who produces the crop for seed says walking in a field in which it has grown feels like walking on a marshmallow
NEW NORWAY, Alta. — Fields of yellow-flowered canola are common across the Prairies, but a 50-acre field of white-flowered radish is a car stopper. Last year Ryan Mowat grew an eight-acre plot to see if the daikon radish, or forage or tillage radish, would grow and set seed at his central Alberta farm. It was […] Read more
Conservation easement a family affair
Ranching couple waited to make a decision on a conservation easement until their children were old enough to participate
A decision to apply a conservation easement to about 2,000 acres of native grassland and protect it forever was put on hold until Terri and Brad Mappin’s teenage children could be part of the discussion. “It was something important for the kids to understand the implications of it,” said Terri. The family doesn’t know if […] Read more
