Karen Morrison

The incidence of club root is on the rise in Alberta canola crops from St. Albert to Fort Saskatchewan in the Edmonton area. The disease has spread to 40 fields this year from about 10 in 2003, said Dan Orchard, of Sturgeon Valley Fertilizers at St. Albert. That number could be higher, he said, citing […] Read more

Southern Alberta producers are advised to scout for the cereal leaf beetle after small numbers were found in the Lethbridge and Taber areas. Keith Merrifield of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Lethbridge said a low number of these insects were found during a field survey this year. Surveys during the last three years had […] Read more

Major rivers that are vital to prairie farms and communities have their source in Rocky Mountain alpine glaciers that are receding, but the effect on river flows is unclear. Masaki Hayashi of the University of Calgary’s department of geology and geophysics said melt water from glaciers takes a complicated, circuitous path from the Rockies to […] Read more

While the future of glaciers and their effect on prairie water supply is uncertain, the effect of prairie droughts is clear. John Pomeroy, director of the Centre for Hydrology and Canada research chair in water resources and climate change at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, said western Canadian droughts vary. Sometimes the mountains receive […] Read more

Rural communities should join forces with their urban neighbours and explore innovative taxation options to stave off further decline, says a university researcher. Mark Partridge, the Canada research chair in the New Rural Economy at the University of Saskatchewan, is leading a team researching rural economies and seeking ideas to sustain their population base and […] Read more

Cowboys are smiling while farmers are crossing their fingers after bouts of heavy rain and unseasonably cool weather slowed harvest. Grant McLean, cropping management specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, said this year’s conditions are ideal for livestock operations, offering a rebirth for pastures stressed by a higher than normal number of animals. It’s a real kick […] Read more

Spray planes are still flying in northeastern Alberta but most residents feel confident the worst of the bertha armyworm infestation is behind them. Paradise Valley was hardest hit, with Vermilion and Wainwright also affected, said Josie Van Lent, UFA crop production specialist for the northeast. Bertha armyworms numbered as high as 120 per sq. metre […] Read more

Sunny, hot weather is helping crops advance rapidly across the Prairies. Crops are a week behind normal development in southern Alberta due to a cool wet spring, with canola finished flowering and most crops starting to change colour. The pea harvest began last week, said Ken MacDonald, crop specialist at Stettler. He expects canola swathing […] Read more

DANBURY, Sask. – A visit to the Krywy farm includes a healthy dose of laughter and a sprinkling of good-natured sarcasm. From matriarch Katie chiding her husband Paul’s love of heavy equipment to their son Don taking shots at the politics of farming, the Krywys punctuate most thoughts with a grin. “At the end of […] Read more

Horses played a pivotal role in the history of this southern Alberta community, from the legendary rodeo bucking bronc Midnight to the mighty mounts of the North West Mounted Police that established an outpost here. The local rodeo grounds are named for the horse bred by local cowboy Jimmy McNab. Midnight is buried at the […] Read more