LETHBRIDGE – Mother Nature continues to pound the southern Alberta sugar beet industry. Harvest had already been postponed until Oct. 30 because farmers had dug more thawed sugar beets than could be handled. Then southern Alberta was hit by 13 centimetres of wet snow and a severe blizzard Oct. 26-27. The storm brought much of […] Read more
Stories by Ric Swihart
Spuds in bin despite slow start
Alberta’s potato producers finally caught a weather break. Potato Growers of Alberta executive director Edzo Kok said harvest wrapped up Oct. 3 and a prolonged stretch of cold, wet weather hit Oct. 4. Mother Nature hasn’t always been that co-operative this year. About 3,000 acres of potatoes were smashed by severe hail storms this summer, […] Read more
Ag sector faring well: FCC
LETHBRIDGE – With the exception of the hog sector, the agriculture industry is doing well this year, says the head of western operations for Farm Credit Canada. “The hog industry is in turmoil right across Canada,” Clem Samson said during an FCC meeting in Lethbridge Aug. 26. The crown corporation has become a partner in […] Read more
Cargill opens canola centre
LETHBRIDGE – Stripe rust is appearing in southern Alberta, but wheat producers have time to protect crops. “I think it is very important that producers in the Lethbridge region are aware of the threat,” said Byron Puchalski, who works at the Lethbridge Research Centre for Agriculture Canada. Outbreaks may occur in irrigated areas of southern […] Read more
Weevil control with chemicals can be challenge
LETHBRIDGE – Farmers who plant peas in southern Alberta this season will likely require an additional insecticide treatment or two. In the future, producers prairie-wide also will be looking to add pea leaf weevil control to their list of spring practices. Scott Meers, a pest risk-management specialist for Alberta Agriculture, said the pea leaf weevil […] Read more
Irrigation farmers get help with conservation
VAUXHALL, Alta. – Soil conservation farming is dominating dryland agriculture in Alberta and Saskatchewan and Frank Larney feels irrigated agriculture in southern Alberta has some catching up to do. Irrigation, with its water management capacity, has opened up the crop rotation selection for hundreds of farmers on about 1.5 million acres in district and private […] Read more
Ag Notes
Beef congress head The North American Beef Congress has appointed Laurie Fisher as its new general manager. Fisher will be in charge of scheduling, funding and operational details for the second annual congress, scheduled for Oct. 25-29 in London, Ont. The congress features educational seminars, a junior exhibitor heifer show, trade show, several classes of […] Read more
Ag Notes
Deadline changed The application deadline for the Alberta Industry Transition Program for Other Ruminants has been changed to Feb. 28, one month earlier than the original March 31 deadline. The program is designed to help sheep, goat, deer, elk, reindeer and bison producers who are suffering from lack of access to U.S. slaughter facilities and […] Read more
Ag Notes
Jersey industry exchange The International Jersey Youth Exchange is seeking applicants be-tween 18 and 26 years old to travel abroad and learn more about the Jersey dairy industry. The program has been sending exchange students to Jersey dairies around the world on three- to six-month study terms since 1962. Recent applicants travelled to New Zealand […] Read more
Ag Notes
Sask., Quebec share title A Leask, Sask., farming couple has tied with a Quebec pair for the honour as the Outstanding Young Farmers of 2001. John Cote and Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote were among the seven finalists who represented their regions in the Canadian competition. The Saskatchewan couple raise grain and oilseeds on 3,900 acres and Stefanyshyn-Cote […] Read more
