Noelene McDougald had to hang up her telephone and run to save her lambs for the second time in days.She and her husband, Ray, ranch in the Cypress Hills about 10 kilometres south of Maple Creek, Sask.Typically, they face drought and heat, but not this year.“It’s like Niagara Falls,” Noelene said June 21 during a […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Farm Progress wraps up
Manager Rob O’Connor thought the Western Canada Farm Progress Show would be a winner even before it officially began.More companies were exhibiting, more international guests had registered and the show had the use of six new indoor arenas at Regina’s Evraz Place.Some thought otherwise, guessing that this spring’s rainy weather, delayed seeding and the general […] Read more
Unseeded acres require trip to lender
Farmers unable to seed but relying on this year’s crop to make payments should plan to sit down soon with their lenders.The full effect of this spring’s excessive moisture in parts of the Prairies is not yet known, but some farmers have run out of time to plant and beat the fall frost.Lenders say they […] Read more
Sask. ag minister hints of farm support
Saskatchewan agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud is not ruling out additional help for farmers who are unable to seed this spring.However, he said he can’t say what form that help might take or how much it would be.NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter called on the provincial and federal governments last week to provide $100 per acre for […] Read more
NDP to develop strategy on doctor shortages
Saskatchewan NDP MLAs will tour rural areas this summer to talk to people about the doctor shortage.Health critic Judy Junor said the plan is to gather information, hold a symposium this fall and develop recommendations to take to the NDP’s policy review next spring. That will form the basis of the party’s health-care platform for […] Read more
Drought relief boundaries leave some ranchers high and dry
Ranchers in southwestern Saskatchewan are wondering why they weren’t included in a recently announced drought relief program.Much of the region suffered through four years of drought, yet none of the rural municipalities were named in the $114 million pasture recovery initiative for central and northern Alberta and west-central and northwest Saskatchewan.Producers in 64 Saskatchewan RMs […] Read more
Time to remove gopher bait
The rain and mud might be a deterrent but farmers should be getting into fields now to remove gopher bait stations.“There is no definitive date to remove them, but all bait stations should be removed by the end of June,” said Sean Miller, an integrated pest management agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.Richardson’s ground squirrels will find […] Read more
Extended insurance date won’t help some
As seeding progress stalled last week, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. extended the deadlines for farmers to get their crops in the ground and still have insurance.For some, however, the extension won’t help. They need up to 10 days of good drying weather to get on their fields and by then the new deadline of June […] Read more
Students shine at science fair with grain bin lid
MIDALE, Sask. – A science fair project by two Grade 12 students from Midale, Sask., has turned into an award winning invention that farmers could really use.Erick Vandenhurk and Jarika Penny were down to the deadline to choose a project when they settled on designing and building a better grain bin lid.Existing lids blow open […] Read more
Sask. ag minister gets new to-do list
Eighteen months before the next provincial election, Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall has given his cabinet ministers new task lists.However, most of the items on agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud’s list are already in the works and will be ongoing.For example, improvements have been made to crop insurance and will continue, Bjornerud said.AgriStability is moving to Saskatchewan […] Read more
