Parkland College and the East Central Research Foundation will jointly pursue new agricultural applied research projects near Yorkton, Sask. Several activities are already underway. The City of Yorkton is providing a lease on a plot of land close to the city that will provide space for the applied research projects. It will also be used […] Read more
William DeKay
Stories by William DeKay
Fundraising auction comes up with $20K
Pilots have banded together to raise money for one of their own. An education trust fund for Kaylie Spence, 5, whose father and older brothers were killed in an airplane crash last month, has grown by nearly $40,000 due to the generosity of the Canadian Aerial Applicators Association. Darren Spence, his sons, Gage and Logan, […] Read more
Rise in cruelty cases due to weather: SPCA
The number and severity of livestock cruelty cases are much higher this winter compared to last year, according to the Saskatchewan SPCA. Cases involving cattle increased 89 percent to 34 this winter (December 2012 to February 2013) from 18 last winter, while cases involving horses increased 76 percent to 58 from 33. Kaley Pugh, the […] Read more
DNA profiling evolves into anti-theft tool
Technology DNA testing used for research and genetic improvement also provides forensic assistance
DNA profiling used in cattle research is proving valuable in forensics as well. A recent incident involving a cattle theft in Saskatchewan showed how genetic fingerprinting can help prove the rightful owner of missing livestock. Glenn Strube, a livestock producer near Shellbrook, Sask., was able to track down his missing cattle with the help of […] Read moreEducation fund takes off
An education fund for Kaylie Spence, a little girl who lost her father in an airplane crash early this month, has grown by nearly $40,000, in large part due to the generosity of the Canadian Aerial Applicators Association. Darren Spence, two of his sons and a young friend were killed in a plane crash near […] Read more
Livestock cruelty cases increase this winter
The number and severity of livestock cruelty cases are much higher this winter compared to last year, according to the Saskatchewan SPCA. There has been roughly a 76 percent increase in cases involving horses and an approximate 89 percent increase in cattle case files this winter — December 2012 to February 2013 —compared with the […] Read more
Auctioneer bids goodbye to livestock business
Allen Olson is bidding adieu after half a century in the livestock auction business. He recently sold Rimbey Livestock Auction Mart to Sekura Auctions of Drayton Valley, Alta. “I just decided at my age it was time to take the opportunity to get out of it while there was a willing buyer,” he said. “There […] Read more
Juggling cattle operation with family a balancing act
Purebred and commercial herd | Couple sees pros and cons of expansion
PONTEIX, Sask. — It’s a busy time for Ross and Tara Davidson of Lonesome Dove Ranch. Calves are born daily, catalogues are in the mail for their March 2 bull sale and finishing touches on the new sale barn are keeping Ross up at night. Arms are also full on the home front. Twin boys […] Read moreFlexibility needed in swath grazing plan
Producers who swath graze their cattle in the winter need to have a contingency plan. “Plan B is the option of what do you need to do when the cows are not able to break through the snow to get at the swath grazing or dormant foraging for grazing,” says Barry Yaremcio, Alberta Agriculture’s beef […] Read more
Trials seek optimal forage nutrition
Maximizing quality | Forage council tests nutritional value of different barley varieties
Research into forage quality and new barley varieties continues to make gains and provide valuable options for producers, says a livestock consultant. “Quality in is quality out, at the end of the day, so we’re trying to push the bar on what type of quality the producer has available to them but at the same […] Read more
