Provoking spontaneous applause from a group of farmers is not an easy task, but Matt Reimer pulled it off Jan. 20 during a speech at Manitoba Ag Days. Last year, Reimer used basic knowledge of computer programming to build a robotic tractor on his farm near Killarney, Man. Reimer told a crowd of about 200 […] Read more
News
Environmentalists target off-highway vehicles
Alberta groups want these vehicles banned on public land along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Conservation groups in Alberta have called on the province to limit the use of off-highway and all-terrain vehicles on public land along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Such vehicle activity is affecting water quality and wildlife habitat and must be curtailed to avoid further damage, they said. In a Jan. 25 news release, […] Read more
Survey finds more CWD in Western Canada
An examination of animal heads submitted by hunters determines that the disease is spreading to new areas
A recent hunter surveillance program suggests the population of chronic wasting disease continues to rise and spread in Western Canada. Trent Bollinger of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative said that of the 200 animal heads submitted for testing, 18 or about 10 percent tested positive for CWD. While final numbers are still being calculated, Bollinger […] Read more
Experts debate theories behind cow’s unusual behaviour
Sascha-Kate Marskell believes nitrate poisoning was the reason one of her cows went temporarily crazy and attacked her without provocation several years ago, inflicting injuries that still bother her. Soil tests from the pasture where that cow and some of the other late calvers were held showed nitrate levels of up to .09 percent, which […] Read more
Exporters eye Hamilton port
After decades of neglect, Hamilton, Ont., is gaining attention as an export hub. Money is flowing into the port as companies peg Hamilton as a good location to base trade in crop and food products from Western Canada going to markets in eastern North America and overseas. “If you have extra capacity in a place […] Read more
Outdoor Pursuits podcast – Cold Steel and Kershaw tomahawks
In the Outdoor Pursuits podcast series Rod Peel and Kim Quintin cover the gear and skills used for camping, fishing, and hunting. This second episode is about Cold Steel and Kershaw tomahawks. We are interested in your feedback, so please share your thoughts about how we can make our future podcasts interesting and successful. Click […] Read more
U.S. on high alert for bird flu after Indiana poultry outbreak
CHICAGO, Jan 28 (Reuters) – In the two weeks since bird flu reappeared in Indiana, U.S. veterinarians have swabbed the mouths of chickens and turkeys across the country, racing to uncover any more infections and contain the virus before it causes mass death and damage like last year. Biologists also are running tests on feces […] Read more
Potash Corp forecasts bleak year ahead, slashes dividend
Jan 28 (Reuters) – Potash Corp of Saskatchewan forecast its bleakest year in a decade and slashed its dividend, due to tanking fertilizer prices. Shares of Potash Corp, which also reported lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, bounced off earlier losses, climbing 1.9 percent in New York by afternoon. On Monday they tumbled to a nine-year […] Read more
Coloured netting is picky with light
Photo selective netting gives fruit and vegetable growers something to smile about, says a provincial specialist in fruit crops. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a win, win, win,” Forrest Scharf of Saskatchewan Agriculture told the Saskatchewan Fruit Growers Association’s annual conference in Saskatoon Jan. 15-16. The special netting helps control leaf size, stem length, […] Read more
Producer recalls day gentle cow attacked
“On this day I had no exit strategy because I didn’t think anything would happen,” says Sascha-Kate Marskell
It was the kind of day that cow-calf producers love: late spring and sunny, near the end of calving season. Newborn calves frolicked in the pasture, their dams keeping watch and chewing their cuds. The bright green of new spring grass was evident around the bale feeders and in many of the pasture’s sunny spots. […] Read more
