Contest launched about resistance
A new online contest wants Canadian growers to share their pesticide resistance management tips.
The Pest Management Challenge: How do you outsmart resistance on your farm? is operated by CropLife Canada to raise awareness and promote the adoption of strategies to manage weed, insect and disease resistance to common crop protection products.
The contest (pestmanagementchallenge.ca) is open to all Canadian growers until March 3.
Nuffield Canada scholars named
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Nuffield Canada has awarded five $15,000 scholarships for 2023.
The rural leadership program is available to anyone mid-career who is involved in agriculture in any capacity of primary production, industry or governance.
​The recipients are:
- Justin Cantafio from Dartmouth, N.S., is the executive director of Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia, a co-founder of Canadian Farmers’ Markets and president of the Centre for Local Prosperity.
He will explore the power of the world’s public markets to build sustainable and resilient local food systems in Canada. (Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture Scholarship recipient)
- Craig Lester of Calgary is the owner and producer of Rural Roots Canada, a multi-media platform. He will examine the media’s role in agriculture and the influence it has on consumers’ perspective of the industry. (Alberta Wheat Commission Scholarship recipient)
- Stephanie Lam from Guelph, Ont., is an agricultural program officer working with Genome Alberta to advance the application of genomic technology in the agriculture and agri-food sectors.
She will study genetic and genomic approaches for sustainable beef production. (Semex Canada Scholarship recipient)
- Emily Ford of Medicine Hat, Alta., is a senior agronomist with Quattro Ventures in Bow Island, Alta., which provides field monitoring and solutions to ensure top crop performance.
Ford’s topic of study is regenerative agriculture in potato production systems. (McCain Foods Ltd. Scholarship recipient)
- Kirk Zembal from Edmonton co-founded Blindman Brewing, which has become the first brewery in Canada to use a new technology to capture and reuse CO2 produced during fermentation.
Zembal will study ways to create value for grain and oilseed growers in the sustainability and carbon pricing landscape. (Canadian Canola Growers Association Scholarship recipient)
New courses for U of A agriculture students
Two new agronomy related courses at the University of Alberta were designed to help ag students gain a career edge in the workplace globally:
- Exploring Field Crop Agronomy provides undergraduate agricultural students with hands-on learning about soil management and crop production.
Students learn how to identify nutrient deficiency in crops like wheat and canola and soil-borne diseases such as clubroot. Students also learn about determining seeding depths and irrigated agriculture.
- Experiential Learning in Agriculture provides students with paid internships from May to August as sales agronomists, agronomy associates and research, horticultural and veterinary assistants.
Funding and support for the course is provided by the Alberta Barley and Wheat Commission, the Alberta Canola Producers Commission and Western Grain Research Foundation.
Goat code of practice updated
The National Farm Animal Care Council and the Canadian National Goat Federation have released an updated code of practice for the care and handling of goats.
The updated code reflects the industry’s progress on welfare since the 2003 code and incorporates current research on goat welfare.
It will help set a standard of care for all goat farms across the country.
The code is available at nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/goats.
FCC to fund community projects
Farm Credit Canada is giving $1.5 million through its FCC AgriSpirit Fund to 85 community groups across Canada to support rural capital projects.
The fund supports causes that contribute to a sense of community and help improve the quality of life for rural residents.
This year, it awarded between $5,000 and $25,000 for several community improvement initiatives in communities with fewer than 150,000 people.
Over the past 19 years, the FCC AgriSpirit Fund has supported 1,529 projects, an investment of $19.5 million.
The next application period opens April 1.
Visit fccagrispiritfund.ca for eligibility requirements, to apply online and view past projects.
Stock growers launch food drive
Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association has launched its sixth annual beef drive for the 36 food banks of Saskatchewan.
It aims to surpass last year’s total by collecting more than 10,000 pounds of beef in addition to direct financial donations made by its members.
Cargill is also returning for the fourth year as a beef drive sponsor and will match cash donations dollar for dollar up to $5,000.
Producers or individuals can donate an animal or make a cash donation to help cover the processing costs of the donated animals.
To date, more than 38,000 lb. of ground beef have been collected for the food banks of Saskatchewan, which would sell at retail for more than $180,000.
For more information or to donate, contact the SSGA office at 306-757-8523.
