A research team has compiled a library of identifiable E. coli DNA patterns in livestock, wildlife and human waste to determine the cause of water contamination, but so far the data has not been able to accurately pinpoint offending species. Shu Chen, one of three researchers at the University of Guelph who have been mapping […] Read more
Stories by Mark Oddan
Wildlife takes bite out of swath grazing
Carl Wilson’s wild neighbours have made it impossible for him to continue his swath grazing program. The rancher from Rimbey, Alta., has been attempting to swath graze for seven years but the local elk herd, which can number as many as 100, has caused as much as $8,000 a year in damages, forcing him to […] Read more
Unique car raises eyebrows, cash for charity
ACADIA VALLEY, Alta. – What has two fronts, no backs and feeds hungry people by turning in circles? The Chesmobile, of course – a one-of-a-kind automotive creation that this summer has raised money for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Chester Neilson, who owns and operates Graindale Farms near Acadia Valley, built this unusual car by welding […] Read more
Egg yolks may hold secret to food safety
Two University of Guelph food scientists who believe it is only a matter of time before antibiotics are banned from poultry feed claim they have found a solution: give birds a taste of their own medicine. Yoshinori Mine and Zeina Ghattaskassaify have discovered that adding powdered egg yolks to poultry diets can help stop disease […] Read more
New meat processor rises from grocery fire
A fire that destroyed his previous business has sharpened plans for one Saskatchewan meat processor. This month, Dennis Lane and his family will start slaughtering animals at their new Neilburg, Sask., on-farm meat processing plant. The venture is a result of a fire in March 2004 that closed Lane’s Neilburg Fine Foods grocery store and […] Read more
BSE creates meat self-sufficiency
One legacy of the BSE crisis is Canada’s increased capacity for domestic slaughter as evidenced by the growth of processing facilities of all sizes in recent years. Added to that list is Dennis Lane and his new company North 40 Meats, of Neilburg, Sask., who broke ground this spring on his farm and expect to […] Read more
Painted ladies: organic farmers’ flying friend
One prairie farmer hopes that butterflies may soon become a viable weed management tool for organic producers, but insect experts caution it could be a risky business. Bob Willick, a certified organic farmer from Blaine Lake, Sask., said painted lady butterflies effectively kept down the thistles in his field peas this growing season. “The peas […] Read more
Harvest project unites community
ACADIA VALLEY, Alta. – It took only a small amount of time, but a group of volunteers near this east-central Alberta town gave tonnes in an effort to make hunger history. The Graindale Heritage Project saw 160 acres of wheat harvested in less than two hours by eight Canadian flag-clad combines on Sept. 2, with […] Read more
Grain more valuable than cash, say organizers
ACADIA VALLEY, Alta. – When helping the world’s hungry, it’s better to send food than write a cheque. That’s the attitude of many of those involved with the Graindale Heritage Project harvest, a local event for the benefit of the world’s hungry, administered nationally by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. “Grain is what you’ve got to […] Read more
No fuss, no muss barley shows good silage potential
A new barley variety is expected to be a hit with ranchers, organic producers and other low-input feed growers because it fares better than others when left to its own devices, says its breeder. CDC Cowboy is a new two-row feed and forage barley line developed to perform well under less than ideal conditions. “I […] Read more
