Gene Kessler, chief executive officer for a company that recently launched a line of prairie-raised organic processed meat products, said the project was years in the making. Clear Creek Organics officially launched its first eight products, certified by Ecocert Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba last month. The company also opened its own retail location. It […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Sask. legislature reviews beef check-off change
Legislation that will change the way the beef checkoff is collected in Saskatchewan is expected to go to committee next week, one of the last steps before it becomes law. The Agri-Food Amendment Act, 2009, will move authority for the collection and distribution of the $1 refundable provincial beef levy to the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association […] Read more
Infrastructure projects in doubt
Some municipal road and bridge projects in Saskatchewan could be on hold after last week’s budget showed about half as much money available this year compared to last. Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities president David Marit said RMs were hoping the Strategic Municipal Infrastructure funding would remain stable after last year’s major injection of an […] Read more
Energy project sets sail after temporary delay
A wind farm project six years in the making is going ahead in southeastern Saskatchewan. The $60 million Red Lily Wind Energy Project, a joint effort of Algonquin Power and Gaia Power, will erect 16 turbines in the Moosomin area. Two of the turbines will be located in the Rural Municipality of Moosomin and the […] Read more
Farmers urged to try food strategy
A national food strategy could fix the broken link between farmers and consumers, said the president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Laurent Pellerin, attending the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan annual meeting in Regina in March, said few people have a direct link to the farm anymore but everyone still eats. “We want to […] Read more
Quarantine new horses, says expert
Saskatchewan’s chief veterinarian recommends that people quarantine new additions to a horse herd. “Diseases are spreading and re-emerging,” Dr. Greg Douglas told the recent Saskatchewan Horse Federation conference. Separating new arrivals for a period of time in which they can be monitored will help prevent infection of other horses on the farm, he said. Animals […] Read more
Gophers make Sask. official pest list
Gophers are now officially pests in Saskatchewan. Agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud announced last week the rodents have been declared pests under provincial legislation. That means rural municipalities can now take action to control gophers through bylaws. He said RMs needed more authority in the fight against Richardson’s ground squirrels. “If 10 producers are trying to […] Read more
Bill proposes name change
Saskatchewan justice minister Don Morgan today introduced a private member’s bill to change agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud’s name. Bill 1,000 notes that the pronunciation of the minister’s surname is actually Benrod. “It would be much easier for all involved to have his last name spelled as it sounds,” states the bill. The bill requires all […] Read more
Western prairies dry
April has just arrived and alarm bells already are sounding throughout the western prairie grainbelt. It’s dry out there. Alberta has issued wildfire warnings and the Canadian Wheat Board says germination could be a problem. Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist at Agriculture Canada’s agri-environment services branch, said areas that were dry last fall didn’t improve much […] Read more
Budget trims BRM funds
Agricultural leaders say the Saskatchewan budget announced March 24 was what they expected. The numbers show a significant cut of nearly $100 million, but most of that is a drop of $93 million in the money allocated for business risk management (BRM) programs. The province plans to spend $383.5 million on agriculture this fiscal year, […] Read more
