Strict protocols are in place to routinely test and monitor all agricultural products to ensure food safety
FUKUSHIMA PREFECTURE, Japan — Yoshiyuki Shigihara, manager of one of the Seven and I convenience store chain’s outlets in his native city of Iitate, dreamed of starting a greenhouse asparagus farm. Iitake has a similar environment as Kitakata, another city in Fukushima Prefecture famous for its asparagus. Asparagus sold in Japan in the winter comes […] Read moreNews
Is that canola growing in almond and pistachio fields?
California research team sizes up the possibilities of using canola as a rotation crop or cover crop on fruit tree farm
California canola. California canola. It’s one of those phrases that just rolls off the tongue. While it sounds great and could be a fantastic brand, growing canola in California is mostly a concept right now. Steve Kaffka, a University of California at Davis plant scientist, hopes that changes soon. Kaffka and his team have been […] Read more
Nature conservancy grows in Saskatchewan
Nature Conservancy Canada has added to its Saskatchewan holdings with the acquisition of the Wideview Complex near Grasslands National Park. The 3,000-acre parcel lies between the west and east blocks of the park and was bought from a landowner in the Milk River Basin with funding from the federal and provincial governments. That brings the […] Read more
Researchers strive for biocontrols to manage invasive weeds
LACOMBE, Alta. — In the war against weeds, one of the best weapons is natural control. Plants that were introduced from other parts of the world often run out of control because there are no predators to keep them in check. Biocontrol introduces natural enemies to get rid of a targeted weed. “Biocontrol is not […] Read more
Bad wiring called major fire threat in barns
An educational campaign in Ontario takes aim at deteriorated electrical/mechanical equipment and heating devices
As barn fires go, an early March blaze near St. Pierre-Jolys, Man., was fairly minor. It caused about $50,000 in damage, and chickens, goats, sheep and rabbits died. A loss of livestock is always stomach turning, but the financial losses were relatively small. In comparison, a large hog barn fire could easily cause losses in […] Read more
A farmer’s best friend is a large shop
It was getting tight in Darryl Klassen’s 32- by 64-foot shop south of Kindersley, Sask. The shop was part of the package deal when he bought what is now his home quarter. It quickly became a critical element in his oil hauling, custom spraying and new farming venture, which is now getting close to 5,400 […] Read more
Conservation projects to receive $9 million
Three large ranches and three other conservation projects were partially funded last week through $9 million provided by the Alberta government. The Southern Alberta Land Trust Society (SALTS) will use $3.2 million of that total for three projects, including protection of the historic D Ranch, owned by Wendy and Gordon Cartwright. The SALTS arrangement comprises […] Read more
Shop makes farming ‘much more pleasant’
Norm Basco used to work on equipment in his farm’s gravel-covered yard. If it was raining and his baler needed fixing, the Manitoba forage producer was out there turning wrenches. “I hated it,” he said. “Working out on gravel is awful.” It’s one of those things that makes a farmer age faster than he should. […] Read more
Shop becomes ‘unofficial community hall’
The cattle herd at Lonestone Farms was growing, as was the size and number of machines needed to take care of the purebred Red Angus and Simmental stock. “When my grandfather farmed, we would have had around 50 cows. As we got more cows, we needed more and more equipment to properly feed them and […] Read more
UK royals in sibling rivalry? Princess Anne touts GMO benefits
LONDON, U.K. (Reuters) — Britain’s Princess Anne may have sparked a royal sibling rivalry after saying genetically modified crops had real benefits to offer, putting her at odds with her older brother Charles, who says they would be an environmental disaster. In an interview with BBC radio, Anne said she would grow GM crops on […] Read more
