Federated Co-op Ltd. will buy 14 food stores, including four with gas bars, from Sobeys Inc. The agreement includes four stores in Edmonton, four in Winnipeg and one each in Saskatoon, Regina, Taber, Leduc, Wetaskiwin and Fort Saskatchewan. “This transaction raises the profile of Co-op in Western Canada,” FCL chief executive officer Scott Banda said […] Read more
William DeKay
Stories by William DeKay
Schulte Industries expands to meet international demand
Schulte Industries has expanded its production capabilities to keep up with growing demand. The farm equipment manufacturer from Edgefield, Sask., recently completed a $3 million, seven-month-long construction project, which adds 21,000 sq. feet to its plant. “The main reason we’re doing this is we’ve had some good growth in our sales, both domestically and internationally,” […] Read more
Prairie fruit growers fight fire with fire
Fire blight | Producers have learned that controlled burns are an effective way to control this devastating disease
An ancient way is new again. Forrest Scharf of Saskatchewan Agriculture says burning saskatoon berry plants infected with fire blight is a proven method of controlling the disease. “The way people are handling fire blight is unique and somewhat new,” the fruit crop specialist told the Saskatchewan Fruit Growers Association conference held last month during […] Read moreYoung farmers stay close to family
Lifestyle continues to be why most new producers choose to farm. When participants at the Jan. 29-30 Saskatchewan Young Ag-Entrepreneurs Conference were asked why they farm, some mentioned the freedom involved in being an entrepreneur while others talked being their own boss, a love of nature and the ability to be on the land and […] Read more
Spray good for one, not good for other
The ‘ticking time bomb’ | Crops, particularly canola, can be damaged by residue of other herbicides left in the sprayer
More awareness of the potential for carryover during crop spraying could result in fewer injured canola crops, says a weed control specialist. Clark Brenzil of Saskatchewan Agriculture said an increasing number of cases have come through the Crop Protection Lab in Regina in which producers apply one herbicide and see injury symptoms from another. The […] Read moreParents told to take cyberbullying by the horns
Parents who want to stop cyberbullying must do a better job of monitoring and enforcing their children’s activities on the internet, says a retired police officer. “One third of Grade 7-11 students have been cyberbullied. Three-quarters don’t call the police and 25 percent tell no one,” said Brian Trainor, a former sergeant with the Saskatoon […] Read more
Cabbage seedpod weevil on the move
Canola pest | 2013 saw an expansion of the pest north of the South Saskatchewan River
Some insect pests are projected to be on the decline this growing season, but others need to be closely monitored, said an insect control specialist. It’s reasonably good news overall, said Scott Hartley of Saskatchewan Agriculture. “Cabbage seedpod weevil is one that is becoming a real up and coming pest in the province,” he said […] Read moreCanola disease survey shows changing disease pressure
Proper field management helps Field surveys show sclerotinia cases dropped 31 percent in Saskatchewan in 2013
Favourable canola growing conditions last year resulted in less conducive conditions for some plant diseases, says a plant disease specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “Actually, 2013 wasn’t a huge year for diseases,” Faye Dokken-Bouchard told Cropsphere in Saskatoon last week. Dokken-Bouchard, who presented the findings from an annual canola disease survey that looked at 268 fields […] Read more
Google helps Parks Canada offer virtual walking trails
Making parks more accessible | Service expected to be used by armchair travellers, trip planners and teachers as they develop lesson plans
It’s now possible to visit many of Canada’s national parks and historic sites without ever leaving home. Armchair travellers can use Google Maps or Google Street Viewer to take a virtual walk on park trails. Parks Canada and Google recently launched a collection of visual vignettes that will eventually highlight more than 70 national historic […] Read moreWhere does breakfast come from?
Positive and balanced farm-to-fork messages have never been as important as they are now, says a food writer and hog farm owner. Diana Prichard, author of the new children’s book The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen, said knowledge is waning about where food comes from. “My hope is that it spurs discussion among children, who […] Read more
