On the Farm: The Smyths have set up their home in the operation’s shop/barn as a way to ease the costs of developing a new farmyard
What do you get when you cross a shop with a house? A “shouse,” of course. That’s the nickname Tyler and Suzanne Smyth have applied to their workplace and family home. The building is actually a pole shed they bought a few years ago, along with two quarters of land at Cantuar, Sask. The property […] Read more
William DeKay
Stories by William DeKay
FCL energy earnings drop
Last year was one for the books at Federated Co-op Ltd. “From a financial perspective, 2020 really consisted of two distinct parts. The first four months went pretty much as planned and the last eight months went nothing like as planned,” said chief executive officer Scott Banda during FCL’s annual meeting March 1, which for […] Read more
Researchers dive deep into black mustard
New sequencing technology called nanopore helps scientists reveal previously hidden features buried in plant genomes
Decoding the full genome for black mustard has helped advance breeding of oilseed mustard crops and improved breeding of wheat, canola and lentils. “We were interested in black mustard because basically it’s half the genome of condiment mustard and carinata,” said Isobel Parkin, research scientist with Agriculture Canada and member of the Plant Phenotyping and […] Read more
Engineering biology ‘transforms’ research
The Global Institute for Food Security at the U of S has high hopes for its Engineering Biology Agri-food Innovation Centre
The new Engineering Biology Agri-food Innovation Centre plans to shine its research light on helping to sequester carbon, designing more nutritious and resilient crop varieties, and developing new food ingredients. The new centre formed within the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan is the first in Canada. It is designed […] Read more
FCL energy earnings drop, food profits climb
Last year was one for the books at Federated Co-op Limited. “From a financial perspective, 2020 really consisted of two distinct parts. The first four months went pretty much as planned and the last eight months went nothing like as planned,” said chief executive officer Scott Banda during FCL’s annual meeting March 1, which for […] Read more
TV series explores Sask. cuisine
Documentary dedicates episodes to ingredients that represent the province, including wheat, lentils, beef and honey
Saskatchewan ingredients and cuisine are the focus of a six-episode documentary about foods and the people who grow, gather and prepare them. “Each episode looks at an ingredient or a tradition that is quite iconic in Saskatchewan,” said Jenn Sharp, a Saskatoon-based author who hosts the mini-series. Flat Out Food is based on Sharp’s 2020 […] Read more
Mental health app unveiled in Sask.
A recent demonstration shows how a program developed in the province can help farmers manage their stress levels
Avail: a mental health app was created with farmers and ranchers in mind. It’s a comprehensive and personalized health tool to encourage and help producers manage their stress. Aptly named, the mobile app was officially announced and demonstrated during a recent webinar. Bridges Health is a wellness firm based in Saskatoon with a focus on […] Read more
Bromegrass genes tough to crack
Large numbers of closely related genomes in the same cell create a complex challenge, which has limited improvements made to the crop
Picture a prairie blue sky enfolding a few wispy clouds. Now imagine trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle of one genome with millions of pieces of DNA that look like that big blue sky. That’s what researchers at the Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan are up against in their quest […] Read more
Dairy farmer finds biochar boosts cow health
Ont. producer says feed additive ‘helps their gut and promotes overall better health by pulling toxins out of their system’
It was a lucky accident of sorts for dairy producer Aaron Smith. A broken bag of biochar inside his barn allowed his cows to sample the powdery black charcoal when it spread on the floor near the feeder. “As we were sweeping it up, the cows all came over and next thing you know, two […] Read more
PAMI regroups as it prepares for the future
Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute increases the size of its board and renews its focus on the mining and transportation sectors
The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute has announced a new streamlined operating model to bolster its priorities for the next five years. Several sluggish years, exasperated by the pandemic, have motivated the research and testing organization to regroup. PAMI plans to concentrate on the transportation and mining sectors to enhance its existing agriculture services, which align […] Read more
