Key factors that help with disease management:
Farmers who want better disease management should seek better information. “Diagnostics are a really important part of the disease scouting aspect as well as the follow up at the end of the season,” said Faye Dokken-Bouchard. The plant disease specialist for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture discussed new approaches to disease management during CropSphere in […] Read more
William DeKay
Stories by William DeKay
Be creative marketing products, promoting farm
Producers who want to sell direct to consumers should remember that the farm gate swings both ways, says Joe Pozzi. The commercial sheep and cattle rancher from California’s Sonoma County has been marketing farm-based products for 25 years. “When we talk about opening a gate, we talk about how we bring people to the farm […] Read more
Exhibit teaches benefits of soil
An exhibition showcasing the dirt on soil is expected to open later this year at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum in Ottawa. The museum is working with Nutrients for Life Foundation Canada, Fertilizer Canada and the Soil Conservation Council of Canada on the new exhibit, which will highlight the connection between soil and food […] Read more
Why we should all love snow
The technology of climatology has made great advancements, but tools for measuring snow remain crude. “We can put a man on the moon and we have super computers and satellites, but the good old-fashioned way that we’ve been measuring snow for eons of time is the same way, which is a bit sad,” said meteorologist […] Read more
Seasonal signs
Long before meteorologists had sophisticated technology and 24/7 global weather networks, people made forecasts based on their observations of the sky, animals and nature
People once relied on lore to forecast the weather and connect changes in nature with rhythms or patterns of weather. Proverbs were created and passed down through the generations as if they were family heirlooms. Bill Zak has been a farmer, hunter and trapper for more than 50 years. A life of living off the […] Read more
Chasing storms in tornado alley
In a thunderstorm:
Storm chasers live for extreme weather. Whether it’s staying ahead of a tornado or pursuing a thunderstorm, passion drives them to their next weather event, again and again. An awesome respect for the grandeur of nature is a trait shared by storm chasers. “They love watching the sky, love the sound of thunder, the feel […] Read moreMarkets collapse but reindeer live on
Couple educates people about reindeer by taking their animals to special events, schools and seniors’ homes
WADENA, Sask. — Elaine and Wes Wirtz remember a time when people thought reindeer did not exist. “Fifteen years ago, there were still a number of people who thought that reindeer actually were a mythical creature. There were a significant number of adults who didn’t believe us that they were reindeer, but that has changed,” […] Read more
Timing was right for couple to join farm and grow herd
EDAM, Sask. — The satisfaction and privilege that comes from toiling together on the farm are special, said Melissa Stuart. “At the end of the day, you still go home and you’re still a family. I don’t know if a lot of kids see that anymore,” she said. Melissa and her husband, Mitch, operate Stuart […] Read more
Red Angus win top prizes at Stockade show
LLOYDMINSTER, Sask. — Judges saw red at the annual Stockade Roundup in Lloydminster Nov. 4-7, and awarded top honours to Red Angus animals. The supreme grand champion female title went to Ter-Ron Farms of Forestburg, Alta., while Redrich Farms, also from Forestburg, won supreme grand champion bull. In the end it was a straightforward decision, […] Read more
A twist on brain food: educate kids, then let them eat
Fast food could be coming to a Saskatchewan farm near you. “The ministry has partnered with industry to put together pizza farms and burger and fries farms where kids come in the spring to plant the crops and in the fall they harvest the crops,” said Shelley Jones, manager of Saskatchewan Agriculture’s Agriculture Awareness Initiative […] Read more
