An east-central Alberta man has died following a propane tank explosion at a farm near Consort. RCMP say the man had been operating a propane-fired torch. Consort is 300 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
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Man dies in propane explosion on Alberta farm
Canola oil fares better than soy oil in market crash
Weakness in China knocked some stuffing out of world markets Monday as investors bet against Chinese import demand expanding any time soon. Soybean oil was a victim of the slump in Chinese stocks and world stock markets, falling about two percent in Chicago in the Monday session. Canola, a crop that relies mostly upon its […] Read more
South Korea lifts BSE ban on Canadian beef
South Korea lifted its ban on Canadian beef Dec. 30, which it imposed when Canada reported a case of BSE in a cow tested last February. An investigation of the BSE case, which was Canada’s 19th, indicated it was likely due to old contaminated feed and was considered an isolated incident. Federal agriculture minister Lawrence […] Read more
Here is how crop markets ended 2015
CHICAGO, Dec 31 (Reuters) – U.S. soybean futures were down nearly one percent on Thursday the last trading day of the year, as traders eyed forecasts for much-needed rains in Brazil, while corn and soybeans were narrowly mixed in light year-end trading. All three markets posted annual declines for 2015, and were closed on Friday […] Read more
The topic we all love (and love to hate)
There came a time in April 1967 when 175 centimetres of snow fell on southern Alberta. That’s five feet and seven inches, to save some readers from doing the conversion. With the electricity out and the chinook coming in, I went outside to see the Canadian Forces helicopters flying overhead, carrying hay to storm-stranded cattle. […] Read more
Outback moves further afield
Ag Junction, producer of farm equipment brands Outback and Satloc, and formerly Calgary based when it was Hemisphere GPS, is reducing its workforce by one fifth in the wake of further industry consolidation that has recently seen it paired with California based Novariant. The company reduced its staff by 100, from about 270, in early […] Read more
Meet Canada’s weatherman
David Phillips wanted to be a teacher or geographer but instead became as big a superstar as any weatherman could hope to become. “We’re not supposed to be famous. We’re supposed to be backroom people,” Phillips said as he tried to make sense of his path to nationwide recognition. “I just became, in a way, […] Read more
El Nino staying for time being
CHICAGO, Ill. — Bryce Anderson didn’t bother packing a coat for this year’s trip to the Windy City to deliver his annual weather outlook. It has been an unusually mild winter thanks to a lingering El Nino, which will continue to exert its influence right through spring. Some forecasters believe El Nino will be followed […] Read more
‘Snow eater’ helps define southern Alberta agriculture
Semi-trailers are blown onto their sides, empty grain bins are crushed like pop cans and big round straw bales roll away to parts unknown when the chinook blows strong in southern Alberta. In winter, snow disappears overnight and temperatures can rise 20 degrees in a day. In summer, the wind dries everything in its path […] Read more
Chasing storms in tornado alley
In a thunderstorm:
Storm chasers live for extreme weather. Whether it’s staying ahead of a tornado or pursuing a thunderstorm, passion drives them to their next weather event, again and again. An awesome respect for the grandeur of nature is a trait shared by storm chasers. “They love watching the sky, love the sound of thunder, the feel […] Read more
