A second flock of backyard chickens in British Columbia has tested positive for avian influenza, the first case in more than a month. Ray Nickel of the B.C. Poultry Association said the flock of 80 to 95 egg laying hens near Chilliwack was confirmed positive Feb. 3 and has already been destroyed. The last confirmed […] Read more
Stories by Mary MacArthur
Farmers slow to adopt workers compensation
RED DEER — Farmers need to be part of the discussion on farm safety rules or rules will be forced on them, says the vice-president of Keystone Agricultural Producers. In 2009, it became mandatory for Manitoba farmers to take out Workers Compensation Board coverage for their farm employees. However, only 1,500 of the province’s 10,000 […] Read more
VIDEO: Urban agriculture class opens eyes
MORINVILLE, Alta. — Most of the students in the urban agriculture program at Morinville Community High School know urban, but few know anything about agriculture. Teacher Neil Korotash knows the Grade 10 and 11 students in his urban agriculture class likely won’t turn into farmers after taking a semester-long course on food and agriculture, but […] Read more
Name change provides spike in AFA membership numbers
With fewer farmers and more commodity groups, farm policy organizations must work hard to recruit members
RED DEER — A new name has given the Alberta Federation of Agriculture a boost. Membership in the general farm organization is up 20 percent to 255 individual members, three commodity groups, one non-profit, two association members and 20 patron members. “The new name fits our needs,” said president Lynn Jacobson. The organization, which had […] Read moreFarmer wants harmonized trade
RED DEER — Farm leaders should use their influence to increase harmonized agriculture trade between provinces, says a border area farmer. Terry Murray of Wainwright, Alta., said there are a truck load of opportunities to improve standardized rules around cross border trade for agricultural equipment, food and transportation. He said producers from border towns such […] Read more
China may control future of GMOs
EDMONTON — It won’t be thoughtful conversations that dictate if more genetically modified organisms are part of agriculture’s future, says an American economist specializing in global agriculture. Instead, it will be Chinese politics. “Whatever China decides on GMO is going to move the needle,” Lutz Goedde of Chicago said during a recent FarmTech presentation in […] Read more
Transportation issues hinder plans for oat sector expansion
Mexico is a promising market, but rail service south remains unreliable, says Prairie Oat Growers president
EDMONTON — There’s plenty of market potential for western Canadian oats, says the president of Prairie Oat Growers. However, Art Enns said there is no point finding new markets until problems getting oats to market are solved. He said last year was one of the worst winters for the industry. “There were lots of milling […] Read moreTo pea or not to pea, disease is the question
Abstinence makes soils grow fonder when it comes to pea yields, because it’s better to avoid fungal battles in the first place
EDMONTON — Limited options for dealing with root rot in peas means growers must develop new management strategies, says a plant pathologist. Michael Harding, a research scientist with Alberta Agriculture in Brooks, said farmers need to adopt ways to avoid the disease instead of trying to eliminate it from their fields. “We’re going to talk […] Read moreFarm show honours weed scientist
EDMONTON — Alberta research scientist Neil Harker has been awarded the FarmTech Recognition Award for his contributions to agriculture. Harker has worked as a weed scientist at Agriculture Canada in Lacombe since 1985, specializing in no-till cropping systems, competitive crop stands, weed ecology, weed interactions with insects, canola production and canola biodiesel quality. He has […] Read more
Alta. seed cleaning plants continue to see brisk business
EDMONTON — Alberta’s seed cleaning plants have come a long way from the 1950s when the province’s small wooden elevators simply cleaned seed. Modern seed cleaning plants clean commercial and pedigreed seed, apply seed treatments and ship grain for export. Sixty-six Alberta seed cleaning plants cleaned 39.5 million bushels of grain last year. The average […] Read more
