FORT MACLEOD, Alta. — A worker at the Jumbo Valley Colony turkey farm was going about his business Sept. 2, checking each of the nine barns for adequate feed and water to supply some 30,000 turkeys. He opened the door to one barn and found about 30 people seated along the walls holding signs and […] Read more
News
Lack of dairy compensation upsets processors
The processing sector was expecting to be included in the compensation package announced for dairy producers
Processors say they were left out of the dairy trade compensation package announced last month but haven’t been given a reason why. Mathieu Frigon, chief executive officer of the Dairy Processors Association of Canada, said processors comprised half of the working group that worked with the government to develop the program yet their requests were […] Read more
Research unlocks key to bigger canola seeds
Scientists discover gene that influences seed development, but environment still holds sway over how big they grow
Every canola grower wants pods filled with large seeds. And most canola crushers want more oil in those seeds, so they can sell more canola oil. A recent discovery in England could satisfy both of those wishes. Charlotte Miller, a geneticist at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, England, has discovered a gene that influences […] Read more
Elevator deal expands P&H handling network
Parrish & Heimbecker reaches a deal to buy 10 western Canadian elevators from Louis Dreyfus Commodities
Canadian-owned Parrish & Heimbecker Limited has taken a giant leap forward in expanding its network of western Canadian grain elevators and input centres. The Winnipeg-based company announced last week that it reached a deal to acquire 10 Louis Dreyfus Commodities elevators located in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. According to a Sept. 4 news […] Read more
Tour teaches foragers about edible weeds
Alberta on the Plate festival celebrates local food by holding a foraging event in conjunction with a long-table dinner
ARMENA, Alta. — Jenn Doucet ventures into a wet grassy field, coaxing about a dozen foragers to join her. The mosquitos are vicious, but the wild mint is too good to pass up. Doucet and the others pluck handfuls of the herb and smell the leaves. “Try it,” Doucet, a herbalist, tells the others. “It […] Read more
Extra care urged when applying fall glyphosate
Producers are warned that herbicide residues detected in overseas shipments could potentially disrupt international export market
Crop specialists say farmers should be more mindful if applying pre-harvest glyphosate this fall, given many fields have uneven levels of maturity. They say producers will have to make sure all crops reach their maturity level before applying. If they apply too early, residues could end up in kernels and potentially jeopardize markets. “Consumers around […] Read more
New neonic study points to songbird decline
The findings of a University of Saskatchewan study may affect the fate of insecticide seed treatments in Canada. The study, which will be published tomorrow in Science, a highly regarded scientific journal, has concluded that imidacloprid is a threat to songbirds. White crowned sparrows that consumed seeds coated with the insecticide lost weight and the […] Read more
Documentary delves into farm succession
Filmmaker focuses on the story of a retiring Ontario farmer who is passing on his operation to a non-family member
Filmmaker Brina Romanek was working on a project about food waste in Canada when one of her subjects showed her how many farms in the area were not being passed down to the next generation. It sparked an interest in her, and also anxiety about what it would mean for farming’s future. The feeling was […] Read more
Chickpeas look OK, prices soft
Canada’s chickpea crop likely beat earlier expectations, but poor prices may limit farmer sales at harvest time. “We planted the crop in drought conditions” and were preparing for the worst, said Colin Young of Midwest Grain in Moose Jaw, Sask., pointing to the lack of subsoil moisture in the key chickpea growing regions of southern […] Read more
Neighbours milk cows in organic partnership
Two Danish producers have been working together successfully for more than 20 years, and they now milk 900 cows between them
Two dairy farming neighbours in Denmark have been milking cows together for more than 20 years and say the partnership model works well for them. Kjartan Poulsen, chair of the Danish milk producers association, farms on the west coast of the Scandinavian country, 30 kilometres north of Esbjerg. Poulsen had 45 cows in 1998, when […] Read more
