The federal government today announced a $4.47 million investment in the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence to be built in Saskatoon. The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association has already earmarked $1 million for the project. It will partner with the University of Saskatchewan and other stakeholders on the project. Today’s federal funding is channeled through the […] Read more
News
New grain transportation bill prompts cheers among farmers
Widespread grain industry support for new federal transport legislation introduced last week comes with questions about how new long-haul interswitching provisions will work and what happens when extended interswitching expires this summer. Farmers and grain companies applauded Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act, for containing much of what they had asked for to improve rail […] Read more
Early scouting urged for blackleg
However, it can sometimes be difficult for growers to tell the difference between blackleg and root rot in June and July
Canola growers and agronomists often look for blackleg in August or September because it’s a good time to spot signs of the fungal disease. However, Justine Cornelson, an agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada, said growers should also scout for blackleg earlier in the season. “If you’re only scouting for blackleg prior to harvest, […] Read more
Stop and smell the dirt
University of Alberta researchers develop a soil heatlh test by evaluating the composition of the soil
Most farmers and gardeners recognize healthy soil. It has a certain look and smell and likely feels softer than poorly conditioned soil. That sense of quality is mostly based on experience and scientists have struggled to measure the traits of healthy soil — until now. Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed a test […] Read more
Field edge analysis platform delivers the news fast
Sentera’s new software allows growers to send their drones out to gather photos, determine trouble spots and take action quickly
Farmers who access early warning data on poor emergence have the opportunity to spray out or rip up those tardy acres for replanting or go in with remedial nutrition to rescue them. The key is to know as soon as possible after emergence if you need to take such action. One week too late can […] Read more
Drones spit out facts, not answers
LACOMBE, Alta. — Chris Neeser has been studying drones for Alberta Agriculture since 2014 to gauge the usefulness of current technology in agricultural applications. “We examined the usefulness of imagery from UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for the purpose of weed and disease forecasting, and hopefully the process might answer some of the questions in case […] Read more
Farmers less likely to own land they farm: census
Canadian farmers are producing more grain than ever and they’re growing it on more land than ever. However, a larger proportion of what they produce is being grown on land that’s owned by someone else. That’s especially the case in Western Canada. “We’re seeing that an increasing proportion of the land being operated by farmers […] Read more
Improvements sought in grain bag recycling
Some landfills do not accept the plastic bags and burning them is illegal in Alberta because they release harmful toxins
A number of Alberta rural municipalities are pondering ways to recycle grain bags and keep them out of regional landfills. Cypress County and the County of Forty Mile in southern Alberta are surveying taxpayers to find out what farmers do with their used grain bags, how many they typically use and whether they think their […] Read more
Abuse of cattle nets jail timefor B.C. dairy workers
Three men who pleaded guilty to 18 counts of abusing cattle at a British Columbia dairy farm in 2014 are going to jail. Jamie Visser and Chris Vandyke were each sentenced to 60 days in jail and prohibited from owning animals for three years. Travis Keefer will serve seven days and is prohibited from owning […] Read more
Sunny export market forecast
Economist says Saskatchewan produces many products in demand by ‘hungry markets in the world’
Trade policy bluster from the administration of President Donald Trump is just that, bluster, says a leading economist. “It’s about getting a better deal,” said Peter Hall, chief economist at Export Development Canada. “The idea is to move the needle this way and that’s why individual industries (softwood, dairy) are being picked on. They are […] Read more
