Prime minister Justin Trudeau wound up a day of tours in Saskatoon meeting with staff, board members and leadership from the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan May 25. He thanked VIDO-InterVac board members and staff for their efforts and contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prime minister also took part in […] Read more
William DeKay
Stories by William DeKay
Response trailer ready for epidemic
Manitoba Pork says it is better prepared for a disease outbreak through a partnership with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute. In 2019, PAMI designed and built a disease response trailer, which it said is the first of its kind in the world, with patents pending. It is used to humanely euthanize animals when the need […] Read more
Czech community gets visit from the old country
Ambassador visits descendants of Czech homesteaders who helped settle Western Canada more than 100 years ago
The Rosetown, Sask., region hosted an ambassador April 26. Borek Lizec, the ambassador of the Czech Republic to Canada, paid homage to the region’s Czechoslovakian culture when he and his wife, Katerina Lizcova Kulhankova, visited the Czechoslovakian Pioneers Memorial Hall north of Rosetown. “It’s really touching to see that they stick with their Czech language […] Read more
Getting to the bottom of bad vibrations
Researchers from the U of S want to minimize the negative health effects of whole-body vibrations from farm equipment
Jiggling and twisting around while operating equipment have led to many a back problem for farmers. Take a Break from the Shake is a new research project at the University of Saskatchewan looking for ways to relieve those negative health effects. “The main objective of the work is to explore and develop strategies to help […] Read more
Flax may provide reproductive fuel
Saskatchewan researchers find that steer calves from cows supplemented with dietary fat had greater wean weights
A recent study found that pregnant cows produce healthier offspring when flax is added to their diets. “You are what your mother ate,” said Bart Lardner from the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan. Lardner spoke at a recent webinar about the benefits of flax supplementation in beef cattle diets. […] Read more
Sask.-made protein crisps to help feed Ukrainians
A shipping container packed full of egg and lentil protein crisps, as well as dried soup mix, is on its way to help the people of Ukraine. The shipment is expected to arrive in Poland before being shipped onward to Ukraine. “If all goes well, it should be in Poland in about two weeks,” said […] Read more
Sask. farm delivers enormous lamb
The 24.6 pound lamb was born during a difficult birth, but there were no injuries and mother and baby are thriving
The owners of Big Betty believe she is one of the world’s largest lambs. Weighing 24.6 pounds at birth on April 11, she measured 16 inches tall and 42.5 inches long from front to back hoof. “There’s a little monster we have out here,” said Bobbie Torrie, who owns Bochdacaty Farm with husband Chas near […] Read more
B.C. to double number of subsidized vet college seats
Decision means some students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine will now pay only regular tuition
McKenna Edmand was walking to class last week when she received the good news about funding for her field of veterinary study. “I was on my way to a horse lab in my full coveralls and I actually collapsed to the ground because I just couldn’t believe it. I had to read the email multiple […] Read more
Variety is key on this small-scale organic farm
On the Farm: Family takes meandering journey to their prairie home, where they raise livestock and grow vegetables
LUMSDEN, Sask. — “We do a little bit of everything,” said Jo White, as she described the 160-acre organic farm she owns with her husband, Jim. “We’ve got 15 mixed cattle, 70 ewes and lambs, two dozen finishing pigs, 40 laying hens, four geese, six colonies of bees and a flower and vegetable garden.” A […] Read more
‘Be cool, calm and collected’
When it comes to showing cattle, learning from mistakes is as important as knowing strengths, said Wyatt Millar of Asquith, Sask., during the Saskatchewan Beef Expo in Saskatoon April 1-3. “I talked a lot more about what I did wrong in the ring than what I did right,” said Millar. “That’s important to figure out […] Read more
