Mary MacArthur

EDMONTON – Alberta Agriculture’s decision to reduce its staff and change their responsibilities will hurt rural communities, say municipal councillors who proposed two resolutions to stop the government cuts. Farmers relied on the service provided by the crop specialist in the Sangudo office, Derril Butler, reeve of Lac Ste. Anne County, said to the Alberta […] Read more

A mother of children who attend an Alberta 4-H centre says thousands of 4-H children’s lives will be in danger if two wells containing sour gas are allowed to be drilled near the centre’s sleeping quarters. “My concern is for the safety of these children,” said Joan Fossen of Cadogan. “The little bit of money […] Read more

The scene is familiar. A group of frustrated farmers in a rural hall recite tales of water wells contaminated with oil, plumes of sour gas drifting through the farmyard and calves dying. The stories have been the same for years. But Andrew Nikiforuk, a reporter and author from Calgary, wants to know why farmers keep […] Read more

EDMONTON – It’s only November, but university students’ thoughts are already turning to summer jobs. A steady stream of students came through a recent Agriculture Career Fair organized by the University of Alberta’s career and placement services office. For Amber Taylor of Wetaskiwin, the career fair was a way of short listing employment prospects and […] Read more

Farming is hard enough with a young family and two adults. It’s even harder when your husband dies and you’re left to raise the children and continue to farm, three widows told an Alberta farm women’s conference. Jean Heie of Kingman, Virginia Van Petten of Kelsey and Joan Baumle of Kelsey told their story at […] Read more

Farm women haven’t changed over the years, but their tools have, Alberta’s lieutenant-governor told a farm women’s conference. Lois Hole said one of the most important tools on her grandmother’s farm was a large cooking pot that was the centre of three meals a day. When the threshing crews arrived, the work got harder, with […] Read more

The Alberta government, hoping to develop the province’s value-added industries, is set to make sweeping changes in the way agriculture services are delivered. Alberta Agriculture staff will no longer deliver producer support programs like fertilizer recommendations, crop reports or variety testing. Instead, programs will focus on helping farmers add value to their crops or livestock, […] Read more

In an effort to eliminate the controversy over where intensive livestock operations can be built, the Alberta government has introduced a bill that takes the decision away from local residents. Instead of local municipalities deciding if a large hog barn, feedlot or poultry operation should be built in a community, the final decision will rest […] Read more

Alberta researchers have found a promising new clover that seems to withstand winterkill and heavy grazing, and outyield other clovers and alfalfas. Kura clover had the highest yield in test plots after three years of testing, said Myron Bjorge, Alberta Agriculture’s provincial forage specialist and a member of the Western Forage Beef Group that organized […] Read more

EDMONTON – Nine months after Donald Biggar’s entire purebred cattle herd was destroyed in a foot-and-mouth outbreak, the Scottish cattle producer was back in Canada searching for replacement animals. Two years ago, Biggar imported a purebred Shorthorn bull from Karen and Doug Hess of Mannville, Alta. During that trip he was impressed with the quality […] Read more