Teamwork played a key role in creating this year’s Ag In Motion Discovery Plus show, said event organizers. Delivering a virtual agriculture event during a pandemic took a cross-country effort, said Rob O’Connor, director of the Ag in Motion (AIM) outdoor farm show, which is part of Glacier FarmMedia, the company that also owns The […] Read more
William DeKay
Stories by William DeKay
Ranchers, conservationists share common aim
Beef production and grassland conservation have similar objectives, according to Ducks Unlimited. “It’s very rare that you actually hear the terms of cattle and conservation together in the same conversation and the same context,” Emily Lowe, a regional beef agrologist based in Turner Valley, Alta., said about the non-profit organization. “A lot of these claims […] Read more
Father and son focus on moving farm forward
On the Farm: Saskatchewan family emphasizes the importance of soil health as a key way to keep operation viable
STURGIS, Sask. — Education is a lifelong endeavour for a father and son focused on improving their soil health. Elgin Amy and his son Keenean are moving their farm closer to where they want to be next year and beyond. “There’s just so much to learn. But you got to get your head around the […] Read more
Barley silage performs as well as corn in trial
Researchers expected better performance from steers fed corn silage-based diets because of their higher starch content
A recent feeding trial that compared barley and corn silage in backgrounding diets revealed unexpected results. “What they ended up finding was virtually no meaningful differences in animal performance, either in the backgrounding periods when they were growing them, or in the finishing period when they were fattening them up for slaughter,” said Reynold Bergen […] Read more
Sask. producers pick up the pieces after tornadoes
Softball-sized hail was also reported in some areas as a violent storm flattened crops earlier this month in the province’s southwest
Derek Tallon was busy assessing the state of his crops the day after a tornado and hail storm tore across his farm at Lafleche in southwestern Saskatchewan earlier this month. “Probably about 60 percent of the farm has seen some of it and 10 to 20 percent of the acres are pretty close to a […] Read more
Recyclers find a home in the country
Couple starts a free service where people can both drop off and pick up used items that would otherwise go to the landfill
Jack’s Place is home to a host of second-hand treasures — and they’re free. From old cups and toys to used windows and doors, the facility in Imperial, Sask., is a haven for odds and ends that people come to drop off or pick up. The startup is modelled after places like the Salvation Army, […] Read more
Cut fence creates bison-size chaos
DALMENY, Sask — In the early morning hours of June 28, 13 strands of thick wire fence were cut, which allowed 52 bison to escape their home pasture. More than a week later, the motives still mystify owners Mark and Diane Pastoor. The act has caused the death of two bison and much of the […] Read more
Tornadoes, hail decimate southwestern Sask. crops
Derek Tallon was busy assessing the state of his crops the day after a tornado and hail storm tore across his farm at Lafleche in southwestern Saskatchewan on Saturday. “Probably about 60 percent of the farm has seen some of it and 10 to 20 percent of the acres are pretty close to a right […] Read more
Microdosing research helps farmers in Africa
A project at the University of Saskatchewan has determined how to fertilize at less cost and with greater sustainability
Fertilizer microdosing after plants have emerged is helping farmers in Africa grow more food, save money and help the environment. It was part of a seven-year research project by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan to help farmers in West Africa’s sub-Sahara region grow vegetables less expensively and more sustainably. “Instead of broadcasting fertilizers, we […] Read more
Human feces get their day in the sun — and field
Researchers explore ways to make fecal matter a safe and transportable soil amendment for agricultural use
Researchers are breathing fresh air upon an aromatic subject that is often quickly flushed from sight. Human feces has historically been used as a natural fertilizer in many other countries, but its benefits haven’t found major uses in modern agriculture. Not that long ago, outhouses sat in most backyards and their contents could be carried […] Read more
