The older generation is fond of noting that prairie winters used to be a lot colder. Data shows those folks are right. Stefan Kienzle, a hydrologist and chair of the University of Lethbridge geography department, has studied 60 years worth of climate data from 1950 to 2010. “We don’t get very cold winters anymore,” Kienzle […] Read more
News
Irrigation turns water into money in Alberta
A new report finds the province’s irrigation industry contributed $3.6 billion to GDP and $2.4 billion in labour income
Water makes things grow, which is exactly what it has done for Alberta’s economy, according to a 2015 report on the value of the province’s irrigation systems. The one million acres under irrigation generate $1.4 billion in direct sales of crops and livestock. It means 4.7 percent of the provincial cultivated land base generates 19 […] Read more
Genetic improvements have lasting legacy
Breeding sheep with greater disease resistance instead of treating symptoms could benefit animal welfare, food supply
RED DEER — Understanding sheep DNA could result in healthier, stronger animals. “Genetics have a lot of advantages over our traditional approaches. Unlike changes in management, genetics are permanent and cumulative,” said Susan Schoenian, a sheep and goat specialist from the University of Maryland. Breeding animals with greater disease resistance instead of treating symptoms with […] Read more
Feelings of nostalgia waft through Agribition
Long-time participants say the atmosphere of the old barns will be hard to replace as they are slated for demolition
There was something in the air at Canadian Western Agribition this year and it wasn’t just the smell of livestock. You could feel it in the barns and see it on faces. It was in snatches of overheard conversation. It was the bittersweetness of the last show in some of the landmark Evraz Place buildings […] Read more
Lentil beer shows off pulses
Rebellion Brewing didn’t know what to think last year when AGT Foods and Ingredients approached it about making a beer with lentils, but it was intrigued. “We did a lot of research on it, what we could find, and there wasn’t much done with lentils in regards to beer … anywhere in North America or […] Read more
Bison roaming free near Tisdale
RCMP have warned that bison are running free in east-central Saskatchewan. It’s estimated that as many as 100 animals are roaming. The animals were reportedly seen crossing highways in the area, about 30 kilometres south of Tisdale. They have also been seen on grid roads, according to a media release from RCMP. “The RM of […] Read more
Alberta clubroot could be making its way east: pathologist
A newly released 2015 clubroot map shows that the disease is continuing its steady march toward Saskatchewan. “Even though we don’t see a lot of disease in Saskatchewan yet, it’s banging on the door,” said Bruce Gossen, a plant pathologist with Agriculture Canada. “Our growers have to be really aware that the disease is probably […] Read more
Boat inspections keep mussels out of Alberta
The province’s inspectors conducted almost 22,000 watercraft inspections this year and monitored 66 water bodies
Zebra mussels hitched a ride into Alberta on at least 11 boats this summer. They were discovered because of the province’s mandatory watercraft inspection laws, which were put in place this year to prevent the entry of invasive species. Zebra mussels have contaminated water bodies in most of the United States and some Canadian provinces, […] Read more
Mycoplasma bovis more likely in large herds
Researchers found bison farms in Alberta were 22 times more likely to have the disease than those in other provinces
A study to determine the prevalence of mycoplasma bovis in bison has found two clusters in Alberta and on the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border over the past five years. Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan and University of Calgary’s veterinary schools have been examining the disease, which has devastated individual bison herds, particularly in Alberta. Ana Bras […] Read more
Video: Pint-size producer at home in the cattle ring
REGINA — Learning proper grooming techniques and animal care for a big event like Canadian Western Agribition is a life-long tutorial for nine-year-old Kriselly Webber. The cattle business is a big part of her world at Midale, Sask., where she lives with her parents, Kelly and Kristy, and 13-year-old sister Ashtyn. Webber was involved with […] Read more
