Turkey vulture sightings are on the rise in Saskatchewan, an area where they were virtually unseen just four years ago. “We are thrilled to death by this,” said Stuart Houston, who with other naturalists has been tagging the birds and tracking their flight paths from Saskatchewan to Venezuela. They have tagged a total of 87 […] Read more
Stories by Karen Morrison
Hog info collection winding up
Saskatchewan expects to complete registration this month of all the province’s swine operations, said Mark Ferguson of Sask Pork. The policy analyst said 75 percent of producers have already registered their farms and provided details on land locations, contact information, number of swine and other livestock, manure storage and application and water sources. “It’s been […] Read more
Raising bison more exciting than ‘ordinary agriculture’
ADMIRAL, Sask. – Myron Wigness could sit and stare at his bison grazing and frolicking in the pasture for hours. “It’s very therapeutic,” he said. “They’re an impressive animal to watch.” That appeal extends to the amateur photographers who stop to take pictures of the herd on the Wigness family farm on Highway 13 near […] Read more
Community rallies around cancer patient
Calving is a preoccupation in Bentley, Alta., in spring, but this year the community is also making time to rally behind young cancer patient Justin Bickford. A local bank is receiving donations for a trust fund now totalling $18,000, the school sold candles and a hockey team held a 50-50 draw. “We don’t think there […] Read more
Vet helps set standards for lab animals
A chocolate-coloured Labrador retriever nudges Ernie Olfert’s hip as a half-dozen cats swirl around a corridor at the Animal Resources Centre. The animal laboratory veterinarian is director of the centre that is responsible for acquiring test animals for the University of Saskatchewan’s research laboratories. While the use of cats and dogs for research purposes is […] Read more
Custom grazing option has appeal
Trevor Lennox has found a way to earn income from cattle on his farm near Swift Current, Sask., without buying a single cow. Lennox uses his land and expertise to custom graze his neighbour’s cattle each summer. The arrangement gives the neighbour additional pasture space while generating revenue for Lennox on land not suitable for […] Read more
Tully returns as president of co-op
Glen Tully will again lead Federated Co-operatives Ltd., following his re-election at the FCL annual convention Feb. 27-28. The president of the board, who represents 14 retail co-ops in eastern Manitoba, is joined by vice-chair Herb Carlson of Buchanan, Sask. Region chairs include Barry Gosnell representing the Winnipeg region, Laura Vance of Regina, Don Russell […] Read more
New centre pleases irrigators
A one-stop centre for irrigators will benefit those in irrigation now as well as others wishing to get into irrigation in the future, said Roger Pederson. The chair of the Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association is pleased with the creation of a new provincial irrigation development branch in Outlook, Sask., announced Feb. 27. “It’s real positive,” […] Read more
Careful seeding pays off at harvest
Taking extra time at seeding can help farmers reduce losses at harvest, according to a new study by the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute. PAMI was approached by the Canola Council of Canada to study reports from farmers and results from field trials that show canola seed damage as high as 30 percent from metering and […] Read more
Co-op head approaches ethanol with caution
Federated Co-operatives Ltd. plans a cautious approach to exploring alternative fuel supplies, says president Glen Tully. A resolution during the group’s annual convention in Saskatoon Feb. 27-28 called on FCL to build an ethanol or biodiesel facility to operate in conjunction with its Regina refinery-upgrader complex. Tully said delegates debated the merits of FCL producing […] Read more
