Iowa may have its baseball Field of Dreams, as depicted in the 1989 movie, but it has nothing on my brother Tim. In December 2014, he made his own Rink of Dreams near his Sherwood Park, Alta., home. I was headed to nearby Edmonton on business, and on a hunch we might meet, I tossed […] Read more
News
‘Rink of Dreams’ offered new challenges for farm boys
Ag Notes
Mental health app developed A new mobile app named Avail allows users to gain insights into their mental well-being through self-assessments and tracking progress. Bridges Health of Saskatoon was selected as the winner of the $10,000 Innovation Challenge in 2020 to assist Saskatchewan farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers to monitor mental health. Avail connects users […] Read more
Thousands of hay bales destroyed in massive fire
Officials are investigating the cause of a massive fire that destroyed nearly 6,000 bales of timothy hay near Taber, Alta., causing millions of dollars in damage. “Some of the things that were found by the fire investigator (are) a concern, but we’re just right at the beginning of the investigation,” said Const. Corinne Oliver of […] Read more
Wheat not causing food price spike: prairie growers
Wheat prices are not making bread more expensive, say wheat growers from the Prairies. In a joint statement issued today, SaskWheat, the Manitoba Crop Alliance and the Alberta Wheat Commission said a recent media report on food prices is inaccurate. Part of a Canadian Press story published last week said bakery prices in Canada are […] Read more
Sask. lowers gathering limits in new COVID measures
Saskatchewan is imposing tighter restrictions on residents ahead of the holidays. As of Thursday, Dec. 17, at midnight, private indoor gatherings are limited to immediate household members, while outdoor gatherings can have up to 10 people if physical distancing can be maintained. Single people can meet with one, consistent household of fewer than five people. […] Read more
Survey finds public support for foreign workers
In the world of work, business owners benefit from having employees and workers benefit from having a job. In an ideal world, both sides should benefit equally. When it comes to temporary foreign workers employed in agriculture, many Canadians say farmers are getting the better end of the deal. Fifty-five percent of Canadians believe farmers […] Read more
Feds continue crack down on fake honey
Fake honey remains a massive problem for beekeepers around the globe. But recent data shows the amount of fake honey imported or sold within Canada is on the decline. Fake honey is made by adding corn syrup, rice syrup or another sweetener to genuine honey. Between April 2019 and March 2020, the Canadian Food Inspection […] Read more
Margin-based insurance program gains traction
Canada’s agriculture ministers are considering whether a margin-based income protection program could replace AgriStability in 2023. As prairie agriculture ministers look at whether their governments can pay millions more on AgriStability changes before the next five-year agreement, Manitoba’s Blaine Pedersen said margin-based insurance is gaining traction. Speaking to reporters after the recent federal-provincial-territorial ministerial meeting, […] Read more
Demand grows for filter strips in fields
Many farmers in Western Canada have a buffer area between their cropland and a waterway. Those who don’t may soon need one because a 10-metre-wide natural area between a canola field and a creek could become standard practice in Western Canada — possibly a required practice. In a presentation during Canola Week, a virtual conference […] Read more
Research agency ponders proposals
The first call for research proposals and funding through Alberta’s new Results Driven Agriculture Research entity yielded 117 applications requesting more than $33 million. Dr. David Chalack, chair of RDAR, gave an update on the organizations activities Dec. 3 during the online Farming Smarter conference. The farmer-led organization has $4 million to distribute in this […] Read more
