Mary MacArthur

Stability is one of the most important keys to keeping the family together, says one psychologist. Having family members who can be counted on to do what they say they will is the start of a good foundation for the family, Dr. Henry Janzen told a group of women at the 11th annual Fall Focus. […] Read more

Last week hog producer Fred Olthuis attended a public hearing for a proposed hog barn. A cattle producer opposed Olthuis’s plan for a hog barn which would be built within 1,000 metres of his house. And he wanted his views known. “At that distance you can’t even smell anything,” said Olthuis, of Neerlandia in northern […] Read more

CORONATION, Alta. – When Dylan Biggs was growing up on the family ranch, he hated working with the cattle in the corrals. His stomach was tied in knots beforehand, knowing there would be plenty of yelling, hollering and cows running past because someone wasn’t standing in the right place. It’s a story anyone who has […] Read more

When Jane Ross drives along Alberta highways she’s no longer sure to see the tall elevators marking each town along the road. Ross can’t stop the demolition of the more than 500 grain elevators in the province, but she’s doing her part to preserve the elevators through a photo search and contest. “I want to […] Read more

VEGREVILLE, Alta. – Scientists are looking back in time for ways to control insects. Ancient Egyptians knew sulfur controlled leaf-eating insects and scientists at the Alberta Research Council in Vegreville hope to add some modern technology to the ancient practice. When extremely small particles of sulfur are seeded with the canola crop, the sulfur reduces […] Read more

The Christmas season is generally one of festivities and hope, but Sherry Blake doesn’t feel much like celebrating this year. For the second year in a row the crop on their Silver Valley farm will go unharvested. No money and plenty of bills don’t give Blake and her husband, Charles, much hope they’ll be able […] Read more

Alberta hog producers may be forced to search for a new slaughter plant for their hogs next week if workers follow through with their plan to go on strike at the Maple Leaf plant in Edmonton. The Alberta Food and Commercial workers Union Local 312A announced its workers will start a strike Nov. 17 in […] Read more

American ranchers who lost cattle in last winter’s storms now have cattle returning to their ranches through the generosity of others. The first 80 cows in the One Good Cow program were delivered to their new homes in Montana and North and South Dakota ranches recently. Judy and Roger Molberg of Battle View, N.D., lost […] Read more

RED DEER, Alta. – A dairy industry in transition has almost made select dairy sales obsolete, said the organizer of the Championship Dairy Showcase here. Wayne Van Sickle said with many older farmers retiring and new immigrants setting up dairies in Canada, there is little interest in high quality dairy sales. “The industry is in […] Read more

VEGREVILLE, Alta. – Farmers may soon have help in fighting blackleg, one of the most devastating canola diseases. Scientists at the Alberta Research Centre in Vegreville have isolated a bacterium that kills blackleg in the lab and reduces the disease on the plant. Prem Kharbanda said they are working on two ways to introduce the […] Read more