One of the most damaging insect pests in North America has been lurking in small numbers for decades, spending most of its long life in the soil waiting for an opportunity. That opportunity has arrived. Wireworm armies are massing and the war on prairie crops is underway. (Click here for a wireworm life cycle graphic […] Read more
News
Wireworms are back, and they’re hungry
Couple shifts gears during economic downturn
A downturn in real estate markets forced two former Canadian farmers to revisit their roots and begin producing food again, this time in Costa Rica. Jessa York and Allan Shantz raise more than 70 free range chickens and ducks on a 35 acre farm near Tamarindo, as well as growing purple corn for feed and […] Read more
Farmers urged to deep till with caution
Farmers should plan for surprises if they’re deep tilling their fields, said a northern Alberta farmer. Gary Sanocki called Alberta First Call, the agency that searches for buried pipelines and cables beneath fields and farmyards, and discovered a pipeline only 18 inches deep. The Eaglesham, Alta., farmer was forced to pause in his post-harvest deep […] Read more
New sheep federation chair
Andrew Gordanier was recently elected chair of the Canadian Sheep Federation board. Gordanier, a sheep producer from Shelburne, Ont., will lead the federation and industry thorough a renewal process that stems from three months of stakeholder consultations. The process will build understanding and commitment among provincial organizations to work in partnership and encourage industry growth […] Read more
Roof rake safely tackles dangerous snow pack
FARGO, N.D. — Keeping snow off roofs is time consuming and dangerous but also necessary to prevent structural damage and cave-ins. A 60-foot telescoping aluminum arm attached to a front end loader might solve the annual snow removal hassle. Progress Farm and Mechanical Innovations was formed in 2006 to develop new products to make farming […] Read more
Grain production up, environmental impact down: study
Farmers are growing bigger crops with less cost to the planet, says a study organized by Pulse Canada. That’s good news because food retailing and food manufacturing companies are being pressed to prove that their products are sustainable, and the pressure is reaching all the way back to the farm. “We have people, customers, consumers […] Read more
Jersey youth scholarship
Dustin Coleman has received the 2011 Jersey youth scholarship. The Innisfail, Alta., student is enrolled in the animal science technology program at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta. He plans to major in dairy science at Lakeland and then work as an agriculture and heavy equipment technician. Coleman has volunteered with Aggie Days and Ag-Tivity In […] Read more
Mobility key to fighting remote fires
FARGO, N.D. — It’s no fun watching a $500,000 combine go up in flames in the middle of a field while a $1 million fire truck sits helplessly on the gravel road. Farmers and rural volunteer firefighters who have experienced the frustration of trying to get firefighting equipment to isolated targets may now have an […] Read more
Family challenges conservation limitations
A Saskatchewan family interested in wind power says a conservation easement is damaging the value of its land and hurting its earning potential. The matter has the family in court, challenging provincial legislation and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. In a notice of motion filed in Moose Jaw Court of Queen’s Bench in May, Sheldon […] Read more
Royal Jersey ambassador appointed
Casey Morey of Rochester, Alta., is the 2011 royal Jersey ambassador. She will join the Jersey Canada team at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in early November, greeting the public in the Jersey Canada booth and presenting awards at the Jersey shows. Morey has been involved with the 2006 and 2009 Jersey Canada annual general […] Read more
