Mary MacArthur

CAMROSE, Alta. – High grain prices won’t entice potato farmers to switch from the lowly spud, says Alan Stuart, manager of the Potato Growers of Alberta. “Potatoes are in their blood.” Stuart anticipated Alberta potato acreage will increase slightly from 27,000 acres last year to 30,000 acres this year, despite a slow seeding start. Like […] Read more

CAMROSE, Alta. – Alberta’s first cheques under its new disaster relief program have been mailed to farmers, says a government spokesperson. Cheques averaging $30,316 each have been mailed to six farmers in the northeastern part of the province after the area suffered one of the driest years and lowest cattle prices on record, said Ray […] Read more

CAMROSE, Alta. – The Alberta government is considering getting into the grain marketing business to help farmers avoid the Canadian Wheat Board’s export monopoly. Under the proposal, the province would buy grain from farmers for $1, transport it across the border and then sell it back to the farmer for the same price. Premier Ralph […] Read more

ROUND HILL, Alta. – It has taken a while, but Joe and Georgina Orcheski’s tough culling program has finally paid off. Just over 10 years ago the couple bought their first group of bison calves. Then they made the decision not to be the biggest bison producers in the area, but the best. “We’ve tried […] Read more

CAMROSE, Alta. – All Rhonda and Charles Jenkins can do is look out their window at the drizzle and hope for sunshine. “We haven’t done any seeding. We’ve done nothing, absolutely nothing,” said Rhonda, of Grassland, Alta. While the fields are not saturated on their farm north of Edmonton, it’s too wet to think about […] Read more

CAMROSE, Alta. – Northern Alberta farmers who recently trucked grain directly to the terminal in Prince Rupert say the experiment was a success. “There’s quite a lot of excitement up here,” said Don Wieben, of Fairview, who organized the convoy of 10 grain trucks hauling wheat to the west coast terminal. “It’s 48 hours from […] Read more

EDMONTON – A postage stamp and a couple of pictures are all Diane Dallaire needs to decorate most houses. After years of making drapes for friends, going through a divorce and the empty- nest syndrome, Dallaire figured it was time to take a chance and start her own mail-order decorating business. The idea has had […] Read more

CAMROSE, Alta. – If Alberta farmers are tempted to run the Canada/U.S. border with truckloads of grain without the proper Canadian Wheat Board export permits, Buck Spencer wants to make sure they’re armed with good information. “If I can’t stop them, I’m going to help them get in the least trouble as possible,” said Spencer, […] Read more

EDMONTON – Richard Ference displayed an unwavering confidence in the bison industry recently when he paid $24,000, a Canadian record for the grand champion bull. “It’s going to be strong for a long time,” said Ference of Elk Point, Alta., who along with his wife Laurie and partners Andrew and Shannon Boddy bought the grand […] Read more

EDMONTON – The federal government’s grain marketing panel took on a human touch two weeks ago with a presentation from a United Church agricultural task force. Instead of focusing on the Canadian Wheat Board, dual marketing, spot prices or political interference in the grain industry, Terry Lee Degenhardt talked about the importance of saving family […] Read more