Rural communities need to decide what they are before talking about what they want to be. Such navel gazing can help create goals, identify obstacles, make decisions and take action, says organizational specialist David Allen. A featured speaker at the Pan Canadian Community Futures conference in Whistler, B.C., in May, Allen has worked with communities […] Read more
Stories by Karen Morrison
Driving a highway to change – Special Report (story 2)
Highway 219 snakes through central Saskatchewan. The bumpy journey offers few shoulders for travelers dodging the pockmarked trail south of Saskatoon that passes a heavily treed First Nations reserve, lush irrigated farms and sandy beaches. The road is well travelled by Russ McPherson of Outlook, a tidy town of 2,400 adjacent to the South Saskatchewan […] Read more
Partnerships vital to revitalization – Special Report (story 3)
Half a country away from sudden declines in fishing and forestry in British Columbia, a similar scenario plays out at a slower speed in prairie agriculture. Ken White of Kamloops, past chair of the Community Futures Development Association of British Columbia that helps foster regional development, believes farm communities can learn from their West Coast […] Read more
Sask. ferry breaks down again
The Riverhurst, Sask., ferry was out of service again this month, after the cable drive system failed. Repairs, expected to be completed by Aug. 5, provided little comfort to those in central Saskatchewan who rely on the service to cross the two kilometre wide span of Lake Diefenbaker. Lorne Sheppard, councillor for the Rural Municipality […] Read more
Youngster sounds like pro in show ring
The six-month-old red and white Holstein is alert, freshly shorn and preened for its close-up in the 4-H show ring. Ruby’s owner, Neline Kielstra, spends hours preparing the calf for events like the recent Prairieland Junior Ag Showcase in Saskatoon. On the night before a show, Kielstra hauls Ruby to the show barn from the […] Read more
Mower designed to speed hay drying time
OUTLOOK, Sask. – Bill Young wants to help producers make hay one day faster. Kuhn Farm Machinery’s regional manager for Western Canada attended a field demonstration at the Canada-Saskatchewan Crop Diversification Centre in Outlook in July to talk about his company’s trailed mower conditioner and rotary rake. He was hoping to persuade farmers to try […] Read more
Prairie crops mature early
A leisurely Sunday drive taken by Lacombe, Alta., agrologist Phil Thomas to celebrate a family birthday in Lloydminster revealed producers can celebrate the impending harvest season. “Generalizing, we have a reasonable crop coming along considering the conditions we’ve had,” he said. Thomas, a senior agri-coach with Agri-Trend Agrology, spent many such days on prairie roads […] Read more
Cargill crusher will expand
Cargill Inc. plans to crush 800 more tonnes of canola a day when an expansion is completed at its plant near Clavet, Sask., next June. The Saskatoon area plant, built in the mid-1990s, will increase its canola crushing capacity to 3,000 tonnes from 2,200 tonnes. Plant manager Ken Sauser said more crushing capacity means more […] Read more
Family farms in paradise
PEMBERTON, B.C. – Cotton batten clouds enshroud the mountains rising from Michelle and John Beks’s farm home in the Pemberton Valley. Shaw Creek Farms sits along a picturesque rural roadway that is dotted with field crops, livestock, greenhouses and acreage businesses. “Everywhere you look it’s gorgeous,” said Michelle, whose oversized dining room windows frame the […] Read more
Hog growers learn how to cut greenhouse gas
Changes in pig diets and barn operations can help operators lower greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. In a new study funded by the Canadian Pork Council, DGH Engineering sought to identify, implement and demonstrate the best management practices for intensive swine barns. Doug Small, DGH vice-president, said the study discovered the nutrient content of […] Read more
