Research results have also determined soybean varieties bred under organic management will perform better under such farming methods
Efforts by Canadian scientists to breed wheat specifically for use in organic farming could potentially benefit conventional agriculture by leading to varieties that require fewer chemicals, said an expert. Similar research could also improve conventional farming of crops such as soybeans, said Andrew Hammermeister, director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada at Dalhousie University […] Read moreNews — page 798
Organic farming called blend of old and new
Conference is told farmers can boost crop productivity without chemicals by using the power of the life within their soil
Freeing yourself from the mindset of farming with chemicals doesn’t mean going back to the days of the horse and plow, a Montana farmer told a western Canadian conference on organic agriculture. Farmers need to question their basic assumptions so they can fulfill their true purpose, said Bob Quinn at the recent Organic Connections event. […] Read more
Another dire season pummels apple growers
Labour shortages and an early snowfall leave Okanagan orchard floors covered under a blanket of millions of rotting apples
Apple growers are a dying breed in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and this season is shaping up to be another nail in the coffin. After three years of low yields and declining prices, producers this year had to contend with the labour shortage from COVID-19 and then an early October snowfall that snapped decades, even […] Read more
Northern transportation strategy encouraged
University professor says proposed Alaska to Alberta railway shows that the country must do more for northern Canada
The proposed Alaska to Alberta railway is a warning sign that Canada needs a national infrastructure strategy to open up the northern half of the country, something that could benefit farmers, says a researcher. Alberta’s frustration over stalled pipelines for its oil and gas industry is likely providing much of the provincial enthusiasm for the […] Read more
Northern railway could benefit ag
A company proposes building a 2,570-kilometre rail network that would connect Alberta with ocean ports in Alaska
A proposed railway linking Alberta to deep water ports in Alaska will be “massive for farmers in Western Canada,” says the chair of a provincial task force studying such projects. “This literally is a game changer for the nation for the next hundred years,” says Alberta MLA Shane Getson. Potential benefits for farmers range from […] Read more
Alta. foodgrains project marks quarter century
A record number of combines bring in the crop for the Central Alberta Foodgrains Growing Project near Blackfalds, Alta.
BLACKFALDS, Alta. — The early November harvest of 120 acres of canola marks a quarter century that the Central Alberta Foodgrains Growing Project has supported the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. While the COVID-19 pandemic halted the local organization’s 25th anniversary celebrations, it didn’t stop the important work done by Lacombe County farmers. In fact the 2020 […] Read more
FBN buys canola breeders
There’s a new player in the canola game. Farmers Business Network has made its first foray into the Canadian canola seed business by acquiring two small breeding companies. The online crop input retailer and farm data provider has purchased Winnipeg research and development firm Haplotech, as well as the Canadian canola breeding program of Cibus. […] Read more
New U.S. container facility expected to benefit Canada
Ray-Mont Logistics’ new transloading facility in Seattle joins three it operates in Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Montreal
Ray-Mont Logistics is opening a new transloading facility in the United States that should improve Canadian container traffic on the West Coast, says a company official. The facility is set to begin operations on Harbour Island in the Port of Seattle on Nov. 11. “There is a lot of U.S. traffic currently right now that […] Read moreSask. cabinet shuffled; Marit still ag minister
David Marit remains Saskatchewan agriculture minister after Premier Scott Moe announced his new cabinet Nov. 9. Donna Harpauer retains her finance portfolio and is now deputy premier. Also keeping their portfolios are Christine Tell in corrections, Jeremy Harrison in trade and export development, and Bronwyn Eyre in energy and resources. Nine MLAs with new duties […] Read more
Nitrous oxide incentives required
During the 2020 Soils and Crops workshop in Saskatoon last winter, Richard Farrell of the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources presented a study on slow and controlled released nitrogen products on the Prairies. Researchers from the University of Manitoba, Agriculture Canada and the University of Alberta also worked on the study that […] Read more
