Mary MacArthur

WHITEHORSE — Alison and Wayne Grove are typical Yukon farmers. When they bought their farm five years ago, they had little more than enthusiasm to keep them going. Now, they have an established farm with irrigated hay land, greenfeed and the start of an elk farm. “A lot of people are amazed what we’ve accomplished […] Read more

WHITEHORSE — Agriculture ministers from across Canada have set aside past differences and agreed on a future plan for Canadian agriculture. “This co-operation allowed all provinces and the Yukon to agree on an action plan that is a major step to securing the long-term success of the agriculture sector,” said federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief […] Read more

EDMONTON — The long awaited report on how to develop intensive livestock operations in Alberta will likely be released the first week in July, says agriculture minister Shirley McClellan. She said her office received the final report from MLA Albert Klapstein more than a month ago. The government delayed releasing the report, she added, because […] Read more

Dates have been set for public information meetings to convince Albertans about the benefits of hunt farms. A joint committee of the Alberta Elk Association and the Alberta Whitetail and Mule Deer Association will hold eight meetings across the province to answer questions about their proposal asking the government to allow hunt farms. The group […] Read more

EDMONTON — When rancher Patti Scott missed a couple of the neighbourhood cattle brandings this spring, friends wondered where she was. With Scott’s face now on billboards, television and newspapers promoting Alberta beef, they now know what the Sundre, Alta., rancher was doing. “I didn’t tell anyone. They’re all going to be shocked,” said Scott […] Read more

A combination of drought and lack of an effective poison since 1993 has caused an explosion of Richardson’ s ground squirrels across parts of the Prairies, says a Cardston County agricultural fieldman. Richardson’ s ground squirrels are commonly known as gophers. “They’ ve flourished in this climate,” said Rod Foggin, who helped organize the drive […] Read more

Gary Anderson’ s fields are almost still, but it took $13,000 and thousands of hours to do it. Anywhere Anderson looked on his southern Alberta ranch, the ground would be moving with thousands of gophers. He said he could step from gopher hole to gopher hole across the entire length of his 4,000-acre ranch south […] Read more

Saskatchewan hasn’ t been granted emergency registration of two-percent liquid strychnine to kill gophers. Cameron Wilk, Saskatchewan’ s pesticide management specialist, said the province is applying for emergency registration, but isn’ t sure it will get it. Health Canada’ s Pest Management Regulatory Agency won’ t grant emergency registration unless all parties agree on the […] Read more

An Alberta Court of Appeal has rejected a request by Taiwan Sugar Corp. to move ahead a hearing date for a controversial hog barn. Judge Anne Russell said there were no hearing dates available earlier than the original Nov. 27 date. DGH Engineering, the Canadian company that is designing the 7,200-sow barn and represents the […] Read more

Most Albertans may soon get a 45 percent break in natural gas prices. Atco Gas has proposed dropping natural gas rates on July 1, a reflection of falling wholesale prices. Atco has applied to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board to set new rates. The new rate in the northern half of Alberta for residential […] Read more