BANFF, Alta. – Opportunities for agronomic consultants have never been greater. Terry Betker of Meyers Norris Penny in Winnipeg says the profession was once thought of mainly as public service brought to farmers by government. However, farm size is escalating and new agriculturally based businesses such as biofuel producers and oilfield remediation services are opening […] Read more
Stories by Michael Raine
Agrologists, farm advisers urged to check insurance
BANFF, Alta. – Give advice? Get insurance. When grain producers provide professional advice or supply custom farming services, the better their education, the more they need to consider their insurance. “Agrologists need to consider their insurance needs based on the types of liability they may be seen to have, if there is a problem,” said […] Read more
Mustang roams prairies again
EDMONTON – Mustang came charging back this month. The 13-year-old oat variety that was dropped by Agricore United has found a new home and a new life as a seed show winner and popular forage and grain oat. Picked up by Mastin Seeds of Sundre, Alta., the oat won grand aggregate cereal and top oat […] Read more
Canadian bees escape serious hive damage
Colony collapse disorder may be all the buzz, but Canadian growers aren’t feeling that sting. The mysterious disorder that American beekeepers are experiencing doesn’t appear to be plaguing Canadian colonies. Many American beekeepers are finding abandoned boxes when they check their overwintered bee colonies this spring. That could hurt U.S. seed, vegetable, nut and fruit […] Read more
Young farriers get footing in Olds
OLDS, Alta. – Student farriers get a galloping start during their year of training in Olds. The Advanced Farrier Science Certificate program selects 16 students annually to learn how to become farriers. Fourteen weeks of basic instruction are followed by four months of practical experience under the eye of an accredited practitioner. “It’s an intense […] Read more
Photo service lowers the bar
BANFF, Alta. – A photo can say more than a thousand words when assessing crop development, but the information must be timely. Satellite photographs have provided grain growers with critical information about how their land produces and their crops develop. Unfortunately, these images are delayed by weeks or months, may suffer from cloud shadow interference […] Read more
Research centre funds in place
The Saskatchewan government has handed over the first $5.7 million instalment of its $24.7 million commitment to support building the new International Vaccine Centre at the University of Saskatchewan. The $110 million project, which is scheduled to open in early 2010, builds on the work of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, which began life […] Read more
Post-calving health key to profits
Tight margins require producers to wean every calf they can. While this is a goal every year, when prices for fall calves are expected to continue lower, production efficiency is the only place to find the dollars to replace lost income. “It all starts here, at calving,” said Sandy Russell of the livestock development branch […] Read more
Rural population continues slide
KINDERSLEY, Sask. – Growing smaller seems to be the fate of many prairie agricultural communities, a trend that has been ongoing for three decades. The West clearly won the Canadian population growth battle in percentage terms, with Alberta on top with a 10.6 percent increase, followed by British Columbia with a 5.3 percent boost, Manitoba […] Read more
Feeders can use distillers grain
Dried distillers grains enhance the rates of gain for beef cattle. Texas A&M livestock researcher Jim MacDonald began studying the feeding of DDG even before it was available in his region, around Amarillo. “We don’t have any in the Panhandle right now. But there are a lot of ethanol plants under construction. It’s just like […] Read more
