High levels of E. coli have been found in flooded Saskatchewan lakes. The health ministry said Tuesday the public should avoid swimming in the affected waters. Testing was done July 3 in Last Mountain, Echo, Pasqua and Katepwa lakes. All had elevated levels of the harmful bacteria. Testing is still underway in Crooked and Round […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
E. coli in flooded Sask. lakes
By Karen Briere Regina bureau High levels of E. coli have been found in flooded Saskatchewan lakes. The Saskatchewan health ministry said Tuesday the public should avoid swimming in the affected waters. Testing was done July 3 in Last Mountain, Echo, Pasqua and Katepwa lakes. All had elevated levels of the harmful bacteria. Testing is […] Read more
Sask. floodwaters receding
By Karen Briere Floodwaters are receding, but 74 Saskatchewan communities remained under local states of emergency on Tuesday morning as officials warned people to stay off of Crooked and Round Lake. Aerial inspection has shown a lot of debris in those lakes, which reached record flood levels several days ago, and there is a significant […] Read more
Tornado tears through Outlook farm
By Karen Briere Regina bureau An ordinary day in the farm shop turned ugly in a hurry for Ray Derdall and his son Carson Saturday. Suddenly the air turned cool. When they looked up, clouds were colliding about two kilometres from their farmyard north of Outlook, Sask. “I thought, ‘That’s more than a dust bunny,’ […] Read more
Local food list links Sask. consumers, producers
SaskFoodFind.com aims to connect consumers with producers of locally grown food. The website, launched at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in June, is a creation of Simply Agriculture Solutions Inc. Executive director Tamara Weir-Shields said the idea is to act as a hub where producers can register as suppliers. The only requirement is that the food […] Read more
Couple likes low overhead, low risk approach
Grassroots approach | Management decisions are made with pastures in mind, allowing bale grazing for most of the year
LAKE ALMA, Sask. — Ross Macdonald grew up the son of two lawyers at Radville, Sask. But he didn’t get the legal genes because blue jeans are more his style. “Their friends, their clients were generally agricultural producers,” Macdonald said. “And my dad instilled in me an appreciation for grass and native grass specifically.” He […] Read moreSask. producers urged to register in beef program
MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Saskatchewan participation in the Verified Beef Production program could be better, says provincial co-ordinator Coy Schellenberg. As of last fall, 4,079 producers in the province had been trained in the on-farm food safety program, but only 71 operations had been audited. Audits are necessary for producers to be considered registered. Nationally, […] Read more
Federal government puts transportation review into high gear
Federal transport minister Lisa Raitt has announced the statutory review of Canadian transportation legislation will take place a year ahead of schedule. The government had promised to accelerate the review after serious problems with grain transportation last fall and through the winter. Raitt launched the review at a Winnipeg announcement. Former cabinet minister David Emerson […] Read more
Officials warn about hantavirus in wake of death
The death of a Saskatchewan resident from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome last month has prompted health officials to remind people to take precautions. Citing privacy concerns, officials would say only that the death occurred in an adult in southern Saskatchewan in June. However, the Western Producer has learned the fatality occurred in a female from southeastern […] Read more
Flooding hits eastern Sask., and Manitoba hard
Saskatchewan agriculture officials say it’s too soon to tell how crops will come through last weekend’s flooding. Crop insurance corporation CEO Shawn Jaques said calls from farmers began coming in June 30, mostly from southeast Saskatchewan where as much as 240 millimetres of rain fell. However, flooding has occurred as far north as the Red […] Read more
