LINDELL BEACH, B.C. – A new discovery could pave the way for more effective chemicals to protect honeybees from the deadly varroa parasite. Researchers at Michigan State University have figured out how to produce proteins in the laboratory that help channel sodium ions through cell membranes of the varroa mite. The findings, which could lead […] Read more
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Varroa mite control closer to reality
Ontario warming up to energy crops
LONDON, Ont. – Agricultural energy crops appear poised to change Ontario’s landscape. The supply of farm-grown biomass is small, but interest and production are growing. Ontario Federation of Agriculture policy analyst Ted Cowan told a recent Growing the Margins conference in London that energy crops can compete as a source of heat with propane and […] Read more
Energy project sets sail after temporary delay
A wind farm project six years in the making is going ahead in southeastern Saskatchewan. The $60 million Red Lily Wind Energy Project, a joint effort of Algonquin Power and Gaia Power, will erect 16 turbines in the Moosomin area. Two of the turbines will be located in the Rural Municipality of Moosomin and the […] Read more
Chicken manure seen in new light
LONDON, Ont. – Chicken producers may one day have a new perspective on the manure litter they remove from their barns. The smelly waste product could end up being more valuable than the meat. “There are more than 500 chemicals in chicken manure,” Agriculture Canada researcher Zakir Kazi told a recent Growing the Margins conference […] Read more
Hormone eases transplants’ move to fields
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. – Moving vegetables from the controlled environment of a greenhouse to variable weather conditions in an open field often results in stressed plants during the critical adjustment phase. Daniel Leskovar, a plant physiologist with Texas AgriLife Research, has been investigating ways to help plants make the transition more easily, which would improve […] Read more
Vancouver Island beekeepers seek answers to colony deaths
LONDON, Ont. – Chicken producers may one day have a new perspective on the manure litter they remove from their barns. The smelly waste product could end up being more valuable than the meat. “There are more than 500 chemicals in chicken manure,” Agriculture Canada researcher Zakir Kazi told a recent Growing the Margins conference […] Read more
Sewage ejector ban raises stink in Man.
A ban on sewage ejectors remains the number one issue in rural Manitoba, says Doug Dobrowolski, president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities. It’s been six months since the provincial government changed the rules regarding residential sewage disposal. New sewage ejectors are now banned and homeowners must re-place existing sewage ejectors when they sell their […] Read more
Inventor improves device to simplify grain bag sealing
There’s not much point spending $800 on a grain bag if producers don’t securely seal the end for an airtight storage environment. Most producers use planks, soil and other heavy objects to seal their bags, but it’s a time consuming, often back-wrenching chore. As a result, it isn’t always done to perfection, leaving grain in […] Read more
Rural businesses get money
CAMROSE – More rural communities in Alberta will benefit from government programs designed to boost rural business opportunities and increased high speed internet access. The Canadian Badlands tourism cluster development initiative in southeastern Alberta recently received $444,300 from the Rural Community Adaptation Grant Program. The Municipal Districts of Peace River and Northern Lights, Northern Sunrise […] Read more
Canada rebounds faster than U.S.
RED DEER – Economic growth and consumer confidence in Canada are outpacing the United States, where millions are still unemployed and struggling to pay off debt. Economist Charlie McVean says Americans are working fewer hours per week compared to three years ago and they are reluctant to spend. “This is the crisis that confronts the […] Read more
