OLDS, Alta. — Canadian farmers know land is a good buy, but a growing number of foreigners also want to buy it as a way to guarantee food security. Investors from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have asked Ed Smith, a southern Alberta hay exporter, to help them buy land in North America. “For […] Read more
Stories by Mary MacArthur
Ergot-contaminated feed a growing problem
Pelleted screenings | Better grain cleaning methods result in higher concentrations in screenings fed to cattle
Russ Horvey confidently handed out ergot advice for years as an agricultural specialist. However, his cattle didn’t show the classic signs that he had always warned farmers about when they died last winter from ergot poisoning. His cattle’s feet and tails didn’t fall off. Instead, his weaned calves refused to eat their feed. “I couldn’t […] Read more
Know client when shipping hay
Type and purpose important | Producers could improve their marketing, says a hay exporter
OLDS, Alta. — Canadian hay exporters need to do their homework before shipping hay to the United States, says a Canadian specializing in hay exports. Jim Glen of Glen Isle Farms Ltd. said it’s important for farmers to understand what the customer wants rather than just try to sell what they have. Does the customer […] Read more
Back-up plan vital when winter swath grazing
Flexibility is key | Producers say feeding cattle in the field is effective but a Plan B is required when something goes wrong
AIRDRIE, Alta. — Producers must be flexible and have a back-up plan if they’re going to switch from feeding hay bales in a feed yard to other alternatives. Scott Copley of Airdrie said producers must “assess, adapt and reassess” when adopting alternative feeding systems in the winter especially when the weather goes bad. Copley was […] Read moreHay producers show interest in low lignin alfalfa varieties
OLDS, Alta. — Roundup Ready alfalfa may not hold much interest for prairie livestock producers, who grow most of their alfalfa with a grass-hay mix that Roundup would kill. However, low lignin alfalfa has tweaked their interest. Doug Wray, chair of the Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association, said low lignin alfalfa could allow hay producers […] Read more
U.S. dairies, horse owners main market for hay
Shortage of high quality | Dairy operations are balancing rations with corn and byproducts
OLDS, Alta. — There is a market for Canadian hay in the United States, but it doesn’t mean it’s a profitable one, says the president of the American Forage and Grasslands Council. Drought, winterkill in alfalfa and fewer acres in hay adds up to a need for more hay, but Chad Hale said American livestock […] Read moreForage crops often viewed as less glamourous
OLDS, Alta. — Grass and hay crops are the not the glamorous crops at the agricultural ball. They’re grown in corners of the farm that aren’t considered suitable for the real crops — wheat and canola — and get the least management attention. “Often times we feel forages take a less higher profile and are […] Read more
Switch to Angus eases workload, improves calving
Breeders learn the ropes | Ranchers improve management techniques, finding ways to cut costs while reducing footprint
FLATBUSH, Alta. — The Hunt family knew it was time to look for land with fewer neighbours when the acreages started crowding their farm near Bentley, Alta. It took Phil Hunt 10 years of looking to find just the right farm with a single connected block of land and good soil. Checking out farms became […] Read moreNFU warns Ottawa of policy consequences
New president speaks out | Farm group says the same thing that happened with grain handling will happen to the seed trade
Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz must think through his decisions beforehand or farmers will continue to deal with the consequences, says the new president of the National Farmers Union. Jan Slomp said the NFU predicted chaos in grain movement when the government removed the stick that CWB had previously wielded over the railways. “We warned […] Read moreChecklist makes farm safety easier
Alberta Agriculture is developing a farm safety checklist to make farms a little safer as they become larger and hire employees who aren’t always familiar with farm equipment and livestock handling. The need for a simple farm safety checklist spurred Theresa Payne of Gatez Farms Ltd. of Crossfield, Alta., to sign up for the Alberta […] Read more
