Karen Morrison

Canadian farmers became increasingly dependent on off-farm work in the 1990s, with nearly half of their earnings coming from it in 1999. That trend was greatest for medium-sized farms, those with gross farm revenues between $50,000 and $99,999, said researcher Lina Di Piétro of Statistics Canada. The study exploring agricultural trends of the last decade […] Read more

Twelve cases of chronic wasting disease have now been found in wild deer in Saskatchewan, including 10 this past year alone. Dave Brewster, manager of resource allocation with Saskatchewan Environment, said all came from the Saskatchewan Landing, Manitou Sand Hills and Paradise Hill areas. Brewster is not surprised by the numbers, given that more than […] Read more

A university researcher is having trouble convincing his colleagues that water witching works. “They’re not willing to accept it. They say dowsing doesn’t exist,” said Vincent von Tscharner of the University of Calgary. In the three years since he completed his three-year study of dowsers, he has been unable to get his research peer-reviewed, a […] Read more

A Saskatchewan farmer will get another chance to prove his allegations that Agriculture Canada was responsible for bringing bovine tuberculosis into this country’s farmed elk herds. Dale Conacher of Mervin, speaking without legal counsel on behalf of other plaintiffs, spent a long day in Court of Queen’s Bench April 28 detailing the sequence of events […] Read more

Canola growers can expect a low to moderate risk from cabbage seedpod weevils this year. Hector Carcamo, research scientist at Agriculture Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre, said the projection is based on studies monitoring the insects in tree shelterbelts and weedy margins of fields where they have spent the winter. The bugs thrive in moist conditions […] Read more

Hog producers will fill out questionnaires about the trade and movement of their animals this spring to help keep better track of pigs in Canada. The data will help the Canadian Food Inspection Agency create a national traceability system. The CFIA is working with national and provincial pork groups and researchers. John Kellar, CFIA’s national […] Read more

Distance education could give rural students across Canada equal access to learning, said Jason Wiks of the Alberta Distance Education Centre. “There’s no reason a kid shouldn’t have access to what they need,” said Wiks, speaking at a recent rural congress on education in Saskatoon. “There should be a day when a kid from Newfoundland […] Read more

SEMANS, Sask.-The orange tabby stumbled near death onto Bill and Blanche Ruski’s farm one winter day 15 years ago. The now arthritic and toothless barn cat became a house pet last year when Blanche injured herself and could no longer carry it outside every night. Digging his claws in for a full body stretch he […] Read more

TISDALE, Sask. – Evelyn and Larry Keyowski stand chin to chest with their Percheron heavy horses. The horses’ ears are up, their eyes strain to see past their blinders and wide feet flatten the straw and mud covering the hockey rink floor in Tisdale. It’s the first competition of the year for the Saskatchewan Draft […] Read more

Eastern Canada’s experience marketing the health benefits of wild blueberries could assist prairie fruit growers, said Kelley Fitzpatrick of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals in Winnipeg. She said the Maritimes had successfully studied and promoted how blueberries’ antioxidant properties contribute to good health. “Let’s learn from the industry successes elsewhere,” she said, […] Read more