After 40 years in an evolving cattle industry, the Saskatoon Fall Fair is still going strong and at least one loyal exhibitor has been with it all the way. “I was 15 years old, I guess, at the very first one,” said Jud Willms, an Angus cattle breeder from Dundurn, Sask. Willms has been a […] Read more
Stories by Lindsay Jean
Student demystifies rural cow-tipping myth
In the dead of night unsuspecting cows are flipped over by groups of giggling friends and left on their sides, officially tipped. Or not. A zoology professor and a student at the University of British Columbia say they have disproved the decades-old myth of cow-tipping. “I thought it was a good idea (for the student) […] Read more
Pill found to boost pork marbling, flavour
A pill a day could eventually solve the problem of increasingly drier and tougher pork, says an American animal physiologist. “Animals are so lean and so the fat deposition has decreased so much,” said Gary Hausman, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Athens, Georgia. “You’ve started losing some of […] Read more
Pigs especially sensitive to fusarium toxins
A significant amount of fusarium-contaminated grain in Manitoba means swine producers in the province should be cautious when buying feed grain. “The concern with fusarium-contaminated grain is that it reduces feed intake in pigs,” said Jim House of the department of animal sciences at the University of Manitoba. Fusarium head blight is a fungal infection […] Read more
Don’t ship apples, residents warned
The emergence of the apple maggot in Alberta has British Columbia’s commercial fruit growers on guard. Joe Sardinha, president of the B.C. Fruit Growers Association, said the Okanagan Valley is the only maggot free commercial apple growing area in North America. “We really don’t wish to see apple maggot here. The main thing is, do […] Read more
Newly weaned foals need comforting
Horse owners who bought freshly weaned foals this fall can ease their transition by offering comfortable surroundings, says a livestock specialist. “Whatever you can do to make it easier is all helpful,” said Jim Graham from Saskatchewan Agriculture. There are approximately 475,000 horses across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Graham said many foals are sold in […] Read more
Gun courses reduce accidents
Carol Metcalfe’s breath looked like a puff of gunpowder in the crisp morning air on Oct. 15 as she squinted to align her target in the sights of a .357 revolver. She steadied her arms, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. Her arms kicked back slightly from the force and a big smile […] Read more
American investors keep hemp fibre trials going
New financing from American investors brings a Vancouver company closer to commercializing its hemp fibre technology, a process it hopes will create a fibre industry for the Prairies. “We just received $1.3 million US. It is going toward our pilot project plants to perfect our Crailar system,” said Jason Finnis, founder and president of Hemptown […] Read more
New disease threatens dogs
Farmers will not be able to protect their dogs against a canine influenza spreading across the United States, says a Saskatoon scientist. “The current vaccines for infectious disease in dogs will not address this disease or prevent this disease,” said Hugh Townsend, who works at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. The […] Read more
Fair touts benefits of natural fibre
LLOYDMINSTER – Nancy Labold recently watched an eager student weave long strands of green and beige wool onto a loom. “I am a fibre snob; I like natural fibres,” Labold said, taking a break from her weaving workshop at the Canadian Natural Fibre Fair in Lloydminster Oct 14. Labold runs Misty Glen Farm Creations near […] Read more
