SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – A merger of irrigation groups in Saskatchewan could open new doors, said the chair of the Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association. “Maybe there’s some benefits if we’re one group,” said Roger Pederson during the annual meetings of SIPA and the Irrigation Crop Diversification Centre in Swift Current Dec. 5-6. The two boards […] Read more
Stories by Karen Morrison
Sask. cabinet considers new water use policy
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – A provincial water strategy will need to include all types of water users, exclude any water exports and provide incentives to use water wisely, says Dale Hjertaas of the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority. “Water conservation shouldn’t be about not using water, but about making the best use of the water,” the SWA […] Read more
A walk a day keeps disease at bay
High tech storage facilities cannot replace daily walks through the potato sheds, growers were told at the Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association meeting in Saskatoon last week. Robert Coffin, crop specialist at Cavendish Farms in Prince Edward Island, said farmers need to visit their storage piles daily to smell for ammonia and look for signs […] Read more
Program fast-tracks pesticide approval
Seed potato growers are hoping a new federal program will speed up their access to minor use pesticides. Under the Pesticide Risk Reduction Program, a joint initiative of Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency and Agriculture Canada, the government hopes to address sustainable pest management strategies and make it easier to register certain pesticides. Brad […] Read more
Sask life suits former Albertans
KAMSACK, Sask. – The cows on Dwayne Anderson’s ranch are naturally outfitted with a straight cut header, manure spreader and four-wheel drive. “They come all standard equipment with every cow,” said the Kamsack area cattle producer. Using such low-tech natural advantages and keeping handling to a minimum are among Dwayne’s strategies in maintaining a large […] Read more
Sask. artist explores past using camera and words
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. – The rotting timber farmhouse is empty except for the dusty toys scattered on the floor and curtains billowing out a window frame. The image is a window into the life of families that once dotted the southwestern prairie landscape, said Swift Current photographer Bonnie Dunlop. “When I go into old farmyards, […] Read more
Don’t ignore old to attract new
HUMBOLDT, Sask. – New shops generate lots of positive press but existing businesses create jobs, said a speaker at a small business development conference here Nov. 8. Sonja Dahlman, economic development officer in Assiniboia, Sask., said her community launched a business retention and expansion program on the heels of attracting a tire recycling plant in […] Read more
Fund helps rural businesses get off ground
Small business in rural Saskatchewan will be able to tap a host of resources through a new entrepreneurship foundation and fund. As much as $1 million will be available to each business through the Entrepreneurial Foundation of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Entrepreneurial Fund. The foundation, guided by a private sector board of directors, will provide […] Read more
Bison trio strive for sales
Listening to customers and giving them what they want are recipes for success at Carmen Creek Gourmet Meats. “Provide what they want, not what you want to produce,” said Dean Andres, who manages about 1,500 head of bison on his land and in a feedlot at Windthorst, Sask. He is Carmen Creek’s director of sales […] Read more
Crop insurance claims dip
Untimely rain in Alberta and Saskatchewan created headaches for many farmers this year but did not increase the number of crop insurance claims filed. Alberta expects an average year for crop insurance claims while Saskatchewan claim numbers are down substantially from 2004. In Manitoba, crop insurance claims are expected to top $300 million. Merle Jacobsen […] Read more
