Grain shipments surging at Port of Thunder Bay after slow start

The Port of Thunder Bay hopes to ship seven million tonnes of grain this year, the most in 15 years. Ice problems delayed the port opening by a month but in May more than 1.3 million tonnes were shipped, the largest one-month tally since 1998. The port continues to ship about a million tonnes of […] Read more

Grain shipments surging at Thunder Bay

The Port of Thunder Bay is cautiously optimistic that it will ship seven million tonnes of grain this year, the largest amount in 15 years. More than 1.3 million tonnes were shipped in May despite difficult ice conditions that delayed the port opening by one month. It was the largest one-month tally since 1998. The […] Read more

Ranchers ready to move out of fire’s path on moment’s notice

Some northern British Columbia ranchers are ready to evacuate livestock from their ranches if the fire threat grows. Pam Gunderson, of the Beryl Prairie area northwest of Hudson’s Hope said they have pushed their cattle into a smaller area, but are holding off moving the 350 cattle and calves, hoping fires don’t reach their ranch. […] Read more


Bees appeared to survive the winter but a cool spring on the Prairies has slowed honey production.  |  File photo

Study examines honeybee health

Survey will look at hive samples from different regions to determine problem pests

BEAVERLODGE, Alta. —Bees may be tiny, but they can suffer from a lot of health problems. A four-year national health survey plans to take a snapshot of the health of Canada’s honeybees “We hope to have a base line of disease, pests and parasites that are common in Canada,” said Carlos Castillo, manager of the […] Read more

Tile drainage saves crop in wet years

Worth the investment | Alberta farmer not sold on vacuum planters and controlled traffic farming

LACOMBE, Alta. — Craig Shaw isn’t afraid to try new things, whether it is experimenting with controlled traffic farming or seeding canola with a vacuum planter. However, he says the most important new technology for his farm near Lacombe, Alta., is tile drainage. “It’s the difference between a crop and no crop,” he said during […] Read more


Hog producers urged to halt plasma feed

Despite the clear link between feed and early cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea in Ontario, some producers are still feeding porcine plasma to young piglets. Of the roughly 80 producers on a June 26 Alberta Pork PED conference call, 10 said they were still feeding some form of porcine protein plasma to their young animals. […] Read more

Sector faces challenge of cheap honey imports

BEAVERLODGE, Alta. — A long, cool spring has slowed honey production, but it hasn’t dampened enthusiasm for the honey business. “Bees, like the field crops, started off a trifle slow, but it looks pretty good now and the moisture conditions are excellent,” said Grant Hicks, president of the Alberta Beekeepers Association. Moisture to keep crops […] Read more

Birds are about 40 grams when they arrive at Greenbelt Farms in Wainwright, Alta., and are sold at 2.35 kilograms.  |  Mary MacArthur photo

Chickens beat out cows in expansion plan

WAINWRIGHT, Alta. — Farm diversification doesn’t necessarily mean adding a few chickens to the yard. Sometimes it can mean 120,000 chickens. When Greenbelt Farms diversified, it choose broiler chickens over more milk cows and quota. “There seemed to be more opportunity in chickens than in the dairy business,” said Paul Rajotte, one of five family […] Read more


About 75 organic oat plots are grown at the research station in Fort Vermilion, Alta.  |  Mary MacArthur photo

Organic oats popular for northern Alta. growers

Ideal growing conditions | Producers in Mackenzie County cite economic benefits in switching from conventional methods

FORT VERMILION, Alta. — Alberta’s organic farmers are scattered across the province, but a surprisingly large number of them are in Mackenzie County. Twenty percent of the Alberta Organic Producers Association members are in the northern county. “There is a huge growth rate in the area,” said Becky Lipton, executive director of Organic Alberta. Long-time […] Read more

Northern Alta. eager to retain local ag research

FORT VERMILION, Alta. — It was with little fanfare that Alberta’s largest county took ownership last year of one of Canada’s oldest research stations. Mackenzie County paid the federal government $555,000 in November for the 450 acre Agriculture Canada Experimental Farm in Fort Vermilion. The farm was a valuable resource for local farmers hundreds of […] Read more