The mild prairie winter has been good for people but not so good for grain. A combination of warm temperatures and moisture is leading to insect infestation and mould. Grain piled on the ground last fall and left uncovered is at risk of contamination from deer droppings and rodent damage. The Canadian Grain Commission said […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Sask. offers help with heating bill
Saskatchewan residents who use fuel oil or propane to heat their homes can now apply for a one-time $200 grant to ease that cost. The government announced last November that it would help people deal with higher energy costs through a number of measures. Grant applications are available at rural development offices, municipal offices, bulk […] Read more
Goodale’s riding quiet
There are few visible signs of the federal election campaign during a drive through a rural section of the Wascana riding southeast of Regina. There are a handful of small Liberal red Ralph Goodale signs, and one large Conservative blue Brad Farquhar sign. At one stop, a woman isn’t sure who all her candidates are. […] Read more
Sask. willing to sell rail cars
Discussions could begin later this month between the Farmer Rail Car Coalition and the Saskatchewan government about future ownership of the province’s hopper cars. The coalition anticipated buying the 950 cars in its 2002 business plan, said president Sinclair Harrison, but had to put the idea aside. The federal government asked the coalition not to […] Read more
Pork plant awaits creditors’ approval
Creditors of Moose Jaw’s Worldwide Pork will vote later this month on a plan designed to reopen the processing plant, which has been closed since May. Rick Van Beselaere, lawyer for the company, filed the plan in court last week. It has changed from the original plan, he said, in that it would convert outstanding […] Read more
Bison return to prairie park
Seventy Plains bison are settling into their new prairie lifestyle after moving from Elk Island National Park near Edmonton to Grasslands National Park in southwestern Saskatchewan. Cheryl Penny, Parks Canada’s field unit superintendent for southern Saskatchewan, said the young animals arrived by truck safe and sound at 11 p.m. Dec. 15 after a 36-hour storm […] Read more
U.S. approves barley health claims
Word from the United States that manufacturers can now claim that foods containing barley reduce the risk of heart disease has significant implications in Canada, says the Canadian Wheat Board. Spokesperson Heather Frayne said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to authorize the use of a health claim for beta-glucan soluble fibre from barley […] Read more
APAS loses director
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan is looking for a new executive director. In a News release news issued Jan. 6, the organization said the departure of Don Saelhof was by mutual agreement between himself and the board. Saelhof was hired Feb. 1, 2005. “The organization is growing and he’s wanted to pursue other opportunities,” […] Read more
Bison industry on rebound, says CBA
The president of the Canadian Bison Association says the industry is rebounding after a downturn and the financial maelstrom created by BSE. “We’ve lost some producers. It’s been tough up here,” Mark Silzer told the CBA annual meeting last month. “But we’ve also got some new producers.” Entrepreneurial bison owners invested through the tough times, […] Read more
Alta. studies bison cut quality
The gender and cut of bison meat might mean significant differences in nutrient content, a small Alberta study has found. Jason Galbraith, a bison specialist with Alberta’s agriculture department, recently told Canadian bison producers that the department initiated the study with a view to establishing Canadian information that could potentially be used on product labels. […] Read more
