Provincial fire investigators and insurance officials were on scene today after a hog barn fire near Sturgis, Sask., killed about 10,000 pigs. The Olymel facility near the east-central Saskatchewan community was a finishing barn, said Richard Vigneault, a company spokesperson. It was known as the Kopje barn. “It’s very unfortunate,” he said of the Feb. […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Agriculture carbon markets likely to look inward
Food companies are replacing carbon offsets with insets, in which they make investments in their own supply chains
Canada’s farmers should be prepared for a shift in how the carbon market operates. Denis Tremorin, Pulse Canada director of sustainability, said food companies are moving to insets from offsets as they look at reaching their net zero promises. He told a Saskatchewan Pulse Growers seminar that companies initially purchased offsets to deal with emissions […] Read more
Pulses’ impact measured
Pulse Canada directors are in Ottawa this week discussing a new report that benchmarks how pulses impact sustainability. Chair Kevin Auch said they are meeting with government officials and others about the benefits of pulses and how governments can help farmers grow even more of them. Governments have a role in easing marketing and transportation […] Read more
Agribition economic impact grows
A new economic impact study of Canadian Western Agribition has found a total contribution of $96.5 million. The study, by Praxis Consulting Ltd., shows a 31 percent increase since the last assessment of the annual show in 2017. The show contributes $60.6 million to the provincial GDP. Key figures released by CWA on Jan. 31 […] Read more
Adore-a-bull mini Highland teaches ag to kids
Greenhouse operators think the bull calf they acquired last fall will be a nice fit with their focus on agricultural education
Five-month-old Theo is a bull, but he might just as well be a large puppy. The miniature Highland resembles a shaggy dog and romps around his pen with a ball like one, stopping for scratches and to suck on fingers. The bottle-fed baby, whose horns are just starting to grow, arrived at Cedar Creek Gardens […] Read more
Senator has high hopes for new study into soil health
Report will address food security, environment, conservation and the link between air, water, soil and carbon markets
SASKATOON — Senator Rob Black said he is looking forward to the completed study of Canadian soils. The Ontario senator and chair of the Senate’s agriculture committee advocated for the report. The last study was led by former Saskatchewan senator Herb Sparrow and completed in 1984. “To this day it is the most requested study […] Read more
SCA elects new chair
SASKATOON — Keith Day of Kyle, Sask., has been named the new chair of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association. Directors elected Day, the director from District 3B, after the annual general meeting Jan. 26. He takes over from Arnold Balicki of Shellbrook, whose term had ended. In a news release Day said he looked forward to […] Read more
Steam flaking barley shows benefits
Researchers in Saskatchewan have determined that cattle eat less but get more starch when barley is processed this way
SASKATOON — Steam flaking barley improves its digestibility and maximizes its value as cattle feed, said Greg Penner from the University of Saskatchewan. Feedlots typically steam flake corn, and the Centennial Enhancement Chair in Ruminant Nutritional Physiology said as more corn is grown in Western Canada, those operations may be investing in the processing equipment […] Read more
Southwestern Sask. looks at little spring runoff
It’s only February, but preliminary runoff estimates in Saskatchewan show that drought areas from the last couple of years may face more dry conditions if there isn’t more snow and spring rain. The report released by the Water Security Agency Feb. 8 shows a wide swath from northwestern through central and southeastern regions with near […] Read more
Project addresses gender barriers in agriculture
A new project intends to address barriers that prevent women from participating in agriculture. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture launched Engaging and Advancing Women in Agriculture last week. The project leverages work done earlier by the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture and Karolyn Godfrey of Winding Path Inc. According to CFA, the project will […] Read more
