An Alberta farmer has donated 940 acres of native prairie, just outside Hanna, to the provincial government to be used as a provincial park. Gottlob Schmidt, 90, has asked the park be named Antelope Hill Provincial Park. It will be Alberta’s 76th provincial park. “I am very happy to make this donation to the province […] Read more
Stories by Mary MacArthur
Alberta man donates land for new provincial park
An Alberta farmer has donated 940 acres of native prairie, just outside Hanna, to the provincial government to be used as a provincial park. Gottlob Schmidt, 90, has asked the park be named Antelope Hill Provincial Park. It will be Alberta’s 76th provincial park. “I am very happy to make this donation to the province […] Read more
Barns depopulated in B.C.’s avian flu outbreak
Depopulation of 80,000 birds on four Chilliwack and Abbotsford poultry farms from the deadly strain of H5:N2 avian influenza virus has begun, said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency during a technical briefing today. Chief veterinarian Dr. Harpreet Kochhar said four farms have been confirmed to have the virus, and depopulation of the turkeys and chickens […] Read more
Dairy breeders combine looks, performance
COATICOOK, Que. —Thierry Jaton’s family looked for the cheapest land possible to buy when they moved from Switzerland to Quebec 34 years ago. What they found was a dairy farm with an old barn, fields full of stones, old machinery, no artificial insemination or dairy testing program and a barn full of grade cows. They […] Read more
Interest growing in livestock price insurance scheme
It’s taken a little time, but the new livestock price insurance program is catching on with cattle and hog producers, says the head of the program. “We went to a lot of auction markets and bought a lot of coffee to have people listen to us,” said Bill Hoar, AFSC co-ordinator for the Western Livestock […] Read more
Selling to Middle East demands attention to detail
Know the customer | Quebec exporter says Kuwaiti horse owners may drive a Lamborghini but haggle over feed prices
BROMONT, Que. — Exporting hay to the Middle East is all about connections. Alan Gardner’s connections in Kuwait, the United Arab Eremites and Qatar just happened to be influential princes and sheikhs. “They’re decent contacts,” Alan Gardner of Northern Ireland told the Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association conference. Gardner met many of his contacts years […] Read moreRetired farmer eager to serve as rural leader
A retired central Alberta farmer is the new president of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties. Al Kemmere of Olds was elected Nov. 20 during the association’s annual convention in Edmonton, replacing Wainwright farmer Bob Barss. Kemmere was elected to the Mountain View County council in 2004 and spent six years as reeve. […] Read more
Study looks at impact of technology on students
A new study will follow thousands of Alberta schoolchildren to determine how technology has affected their physical and mental health. The study is looking at the consequences of growing up surrounded by technology, said Phil McRae, a executive staff officer with the Alberta Teachers Association. “We need to look at the impact of technology and […] Read more
Forage group lacks funds to halt winter kill
BROMONT, Que. — What comes first, the chicken or the egg? Or, with forages, what comes first, the money or the research? The forage industry says $100,000 would help it access a matching federal grant to fund important re-search. However, the Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association will have only $3,000 in the bank by the […] Read more
Forage crops tough sell to farmers, researchers
BROMONT, Alta. — Forages are the ultimate multi-taskers. They are good for the soil, boost nitrogen levels, preserve moisture, increase yield within a rotation, protect wildlife, feed livestock and act as a water filter and a carbon sink for greenhouse gases. They are also Canada’s largest crop with an estimated value of $5.1 billion. However, […] Read more
