Plenty of sunshine and plenty of wind: those are hallmarks of southeastern Alberta and they make the region a logical target for solar and wind energy projects. In fact, among the 33 proposed solar projects and 52 wind projects in Alberta as of 2016, 41 percent are in the southeast. That number encouraged the region, […] Read more
News
Chicken slaughter must be handled in ‘respectful’ way
RED DEER — The public generally accepts killing of chickens to produce food as long as it is humanely carried out, said a director of an Ontario hatchery. “The public for the most part is OK with it as long as we are fair,” said Mike Petrik, director of technical services at McKinley Hatchery in […] Read more
Speak out to avoid GM mistakes, urges Bayer
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Bayer says the debate surrounding genetically modified crops is over in Europe. “To be honest, I think that battle is probably lost,” Adrian Percy, global head of research and development with Bayer, told delegates attending Bayer’s AgVocacy Forum. Bayer is set to become the world’s largest seed technology company if it […] Read more
Neonic hearings get variety of opinions
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s decision last fall to phase out imidacloprid within three to five years continues to reverberate through the agricultural community. The House of Commons agriculture committee began examining the issue during meetings last week, although the PMRA is a Health Canada agency. The PMRA made its decision based on harmful effects […] Read more
New tool designed for late blight detection
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — A late blight spore detection system tested in Ontario last year could prove useful in other potato-producing provinces. Eugenia Banks, a consultant to the Ontario Potato Board, talked about the system at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Niagara Falls Feb. 22. “The presence of just one spore means the […] Read more
Laser beams quiet and efficient at scaring wild birds away
An organic egg farm in England has set up a novel method of protecting its hens from bird flu allowing them to stay outdoors. Orchard Eggs based in West Sussex is using the latest laser technology from a Dutch company to scare off wild migratory birds and prevent them mixing with the farm’s chickens. The […] Read more
VIDEO: Farm takes plunge to improve animal health
VIBANK, Sask. — Zeus calmly enters the enclosure that will soon have him belly-deep in room temperature water. The treadmill starts, water begins to flow in and he walks for 25 minutes. At one point, he dips his head for a drink. As his hydrotherapy treatment ends, the water level drops and the tank empties, […] Read more
Wet spring may delay early fertilizing plans
WINNIPEG — Last week’s dump of snow in eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba will likely push back fieldwork and fertilizer applications on a lot of farms, according to one crop watcher. Keystone Agricultural Producers president Dan Mazier, speaking from a conference in the United States, said only half of the normal amount of fertilizer went […] Read more
Saskatchewan flood risk low
Last week’s blizzard likely didn’t add enough to the snow pack to change the spring runoff forecast, says Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency. Officials were already expecting above-normal spring flows for southeastern Saskatchewan based on wetter than normal conditions last fall and above-normal snowfall. “A lot of that snowstorm … there wasn’t a whole lot of […] Read more
Take measures to keep markets: poultry chair
RED DEER, Alta. — It is a good time to be in the chicken business in Alberta. The supply managed commodity was allowed to grow through a new national allocation agreement several years ago and expansion has been happening ever since, said Erna Ference, chair of Alberta Chicken Producers. “Our allocation has grown at rates […] Read more
