Goats continue to die on the Smith farm in Saskatchewan’s northwest, but at least there are some answers to the mystery. Choiceland farmer Dave Smith has lost more than 700 animals. At first a chlamydia infection was blamed but later investigation showed a lack of copper in the goats’ diet may also be at fault. […] Read more
Stories by Michael Raine
Transportation woes hurt special crops
Specialty crops may have been the shining example of how western Canadian farmers have adapted to meet a changing world market, but that reputation is now tarnished, say exporters. Export sales of specialty crops has been saving many prairie farms, but problems delivering those products have resulted in lost sales and a declining reputation for […] Read more
Farmers focus on Christmas
MOOSE JAW – They’re only open for one month a year, but Henri and Aline O’Reilly work all year to make Christmas pay. Unlike most farmers, the O’Reillys make their customers harvest the crop. “Christmas trees, our Christmas trees, are an experience rather than a commodity. And that’s what we sell, the experience of people […] Read more
I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. Raine
Anytime a Western Producer editorial meeting ends with the phrase, “I’ll supply the livestock,” you know something fun is about to happen. For this special holiday edition, we needed a special holiday cover photo. It had to be something seasonal, yet unique, that could easily be seen as special. So naturally, we decided to place […] Read more
Old relics come alive
Applying new skins to the old whine of a John Deere R or a Ford 8N is a growing hobby. Tractor restorers say the satisfaction of driving what appears to be the brand new tractor that your father or grandfather bought in 1948 can be difficult to explain. “It’s an experience that can bring tears […] Read more
FBI keeps close watch on agricultural terrorism
Terrorism in agriculture and the environment has already cost North America more than $120 million. “Terror attacks on North American soil have been going on for years,” said John Lewis of the counterterrorism division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States. Lewis attended the recent Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan annual conference […] Read more
Packing plant funding comes too late: report
The George Morris Centre has issued a report that says the federal government’s assistance to farmer-invested beef packing plants is too little, too late. Federal investments in new meat packing capacity might have worked two years ago at the height of the BSE crisis, but today they might encourage farmers to invest in uneconomical plants, […] Read more
Test soil before reducing fertilizer rates
Nitrogen prices across the Prairies have topped $500 per tonne for urea and with these near record prices and low commodity returns comes the temptation to cut application rates. However, cutting fertilizer rates below optimum levels will limit yields. Spring soil testing has never been as important as it is when nutrient prices sail into […] Read more
Ways to tackle hidden saline problem
Salt is secretly sapping prairie soils and along with it the Canadian economy. Secret soil salinity, which lies hidden in the crop’s root zone, affects 22.25 million acres of prairie farmland, according to Agriculture Canada. Assuming those fields were planted to traditional cereal and oilseed crops, the problem would cost the Canadian economy as much […] Read more
Farmer can’t find vet help
Dave Smith turned himself in to authorities for failing to protect his livestock from suffering and death. More than 700 of his goats were dead and he couldn’t explain why. Smith, a goat producer from Choiceland, Sask., said his local veterinarian couldn’t figure out the cause of all the deaths, but said chlamydia was involved. […] Read more
