Seeing the risk of having all their eggs in one basket after the avian flu outbreak, B.C. poultry producers decided to move part of their operation to Saskatchewan
The new Outstanding Young Farmers for British Columbia and Yukon aren’t satisfied with farming in just one province. Brian and Jewel Pauls are based in Chilliwack, B.C., but when the first avian influenza outbreak in B.C.’s Fraser Valley in 2004, they decided to split the operation and invest in poultry farming in Saskatchewan. They also […] Read moreStories by Rebeca Kuropatwa
Farmers warned to be vigilant for cutworms
This spring is looking like it will be early and dry, which is when it can be trickiest to manage cutworms. “When it’s early, dry and cool, growers sometimes wait too long to scout for cutworms, thinking a field is just slow to germinate or to green up because of the weather,” said Jennifer Otani, […] Read more
Cutworms come in many kinds
Growers are starting to find more than one species of cutworms in their fields, which makes it more difficult to deal with the pests. “When we do find a field with high densities, it appears that we’re finding multiple species of cutworms, which we refer to as a ‘complex,’ ” says Jennifer Otani, a pest […] Read more
Intergenerational farm takes holistic approach
Management course sparks changes to calving and winter feeding to improve bottom line and quality of life
ANOLA, Man.— Many farmers try to use every piece of land to its full potential, but paying attention to achieving maximum profit while also looking after the health of the land and the people is the driving philosophy of the Bouw family farm. The farm in Anola, Man., was started in 1960 by Peter and […] Read moreOntario survey asks for feedback on worst weeds
WINNIPEG — The 2016 version of Ontario’s Worst Weeds is inviting growers to cast their ballots and share information about the worst weeds on their farms. The survey is conducted by weed specialist David Bilyea at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus, along with colleagues, Kris McNaughton and Christie Shropshire. “We did the survey back […] Read more
Study examines farmer stress
An Ontario researcher is attempting to determine what triggers stress among Canadian farmers. “There’s a quite surprising lack of research done into the mental well being of Canadian farmers,” said Andria Jones-Bitton, a veterinarian and epidemiologist in the population medicine department at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College. “So we decided in the summer […] Read more
Know your enemy: Ontario on hunt for worst weeds
WINNIPEG — The 2016 version of Ontario’s Worst Weeds is inviting growers to cast their ballots and share information about the worst weeds on their farms. The survey is conducted by weed specialist, David Bilyea, at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus, along with colleagues, Kris McNaughton and Christie Shropshire. “We did the survey back […] Read more
Blight resistance, late picking date give new Ontario pear variety marketing edge
A Canadian-developed pear is now an option for fruit buyers. The variety, named Cold Snap, is marketed and sold by Vineland Growers Co-op out of Ontario. Director of operations Dave Lepp said the co-op has worked on pear varieties for years, but this was the first selection to be named. Lepp said the variety received […] Read more
Brothers hit it big in rodeo ring
Necessity is the mother of invention, so goes the saying. And for two brothers from Manitoba trying to break into rodeo, it couldn’t be more true. Tyrel, 26, and Orin, 24, Larsen of Inglis, caught the rodeo bug from their father, Kevin Larsen, who rode bulls while at Olds College in Olds, Alta. The family […] Read more
Israeli dairies link up to improve yields
Software collects information on every cow in the country and it is shared with other dairies to improve management
Finding ways to increase milk production while cutting costs is the name of the dairy game. Israel, a small country that faces land and water shortages, has managed to average the world’s best milk production at 12,083 kilograms per cow last year. “What we lack in physical re-sources, we more than makes up for in […] Read more
