WETASKIWIN, Alta. — Hanging on the farm shop wall beside the combine and the seeder are thousands of bulbs of drying garlic. Using the existing farm equipment and buildings enables Kristin Graves to build her Fifth Gen Gardens farm business while working alongside her father, Richard Graves, on their Wetaskiwin-area farm. “It is so neat […] Read more
Stories by Mary MacArthur
Food display brings ‘I didn’t know that’ moments
The new Ag for Life trailer is designed to educate the public about the advances that have been made in Alta. agriculture
EDMONTON — As Wren Harder-Tessier and his mom Ann-Marie Harder walk through an agriculture education trailer, a few things surprise the pair. “I didn’t know ostriches and emus were farmed commercially,” said Harder-Tessier, who had seen the large birds at fairs. His mom also was surprised that some of the sugar on her kitchen table […] Read more
‘Going to the farm now is more fun’
Alberta farmer makes a smooth transition, moving into town and driving to the farm to help his son on his own schedule
CAMROSE, Alta. — When Warren Moseson retired from farming and moved to the city, he kept on farming. With his son Adam making the decisions, Warren could come and go as he pleased. He has the benefit of still having a connection to the farm, without the farming pressures. “He would go nuts if he […] Read more
Man. farm couple retired into the fruit business
The venture began with the planting of haskap berry bushes and culminated with the purchase of a jam-making business
When Joyce and Doug Livingston went looking for fruit trees to plant in their yard they never dreamed they’d own a fruit-processing business. Originally looking for blueberry bushes to have fresh fruit, Joyce bought one haskap bush, planted it in her yard and then forgot the name of the fruit. Eventually figuring out the bush […] Read more
Drones find their place on the ranch
The technology can help check fences and find cattle but also map fields, identify plants and check protein levels
KINSELLA, Alta. — Looking for cows in thick brush, checking for trees fallen on fence lines, identifying livestock in a herd, spraying weeds and creating maps of pastures are just some of the possible uses for drones, said John Church during a University of Alberta field day of new agriculture technology. The Thompson Rivers University […] Read more
Alberta farm leader moves to town
The president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture has replaced life in the country with a new beginning in Lethbridge
The acreage has been sold, the land rented, a house bought and Lynn and Elaine Jacobson are moving off the farm near Enchant, Alta., into Lethbridge for the next stage of their life. The couple even bought a pair of e-bikes to explore their new community. The couple will miss their farm home, but Lynn […] Read more
Retired farmer lands part-time job
Farmer puts past experience to good use while helping mediate equipment repairs that don’t always go smoothly
CAMROSE, Alta. — An agriculture engineering degree, a lifetime of farming and volunteering on local boards and committees scored Keith Rasmuson his first job off the farm. Almost three years ago, Rasmuson was hired as a farm implement inspector, a type of mediator to help farmers and machinery dealers navigate the sometimes tricky negotiations when […] Read more
Old farm machinery transformed into yard art
Couple turned yard into a showpiece of flower beds before starting to create art out of rusty equipment found in the bush
Don Engbrecht is into heavy metal, just not the music. The former farmer, agricultural salesperson and community association executive transforms old farm machinery into yard art. A dozen pieces are nestled between the flowers at the International Peace Garden in southern Manitoba, a massive piece is installed at an assisted living facility in Boissevain, Man., […] Read more
Antique tractor lovers put machines through their paces
Volunteers donate hours of their time to help show what these old implements can do at a recent vintage machinery show in Alberta
LACOMBE, Alta. — Peter Ewaskow and William Mitchell lean against an old Caterpillar 60 tractor. The 1930s-era machine had been running earlier but ran out of fuel and the pair were letting it cool down so it would be easier to restart. Starting the machine is an art and a science. A metal rod is […] Read more
Bat poop research gets to the bottom of pesticide residue
Alberta researchers look for information about how insecticides may be affecting bats by poking into what remains from their diets
The Alberta Community Bat Program is looking for bat homes near crops to test the bat poop for insects and lingering pesticide found in the guano. “The insecticide project ties in well with our bat-friendly farms initiative, which aims to promote bat stewardship on farms and improve practices for how bats are managed in these […] Read more
