FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Silver Hills Ranch at Lumby, B.C., was named 2012 environmental stewards at the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association convention. Rod and Nonie Hesketh moved to the ranch in 1962. Located 30 kilo-metres east of Vernon, the 2,000 acre property has been modernized and upgraded. The family recently completed its five year […] Read more
Tag Archives Ag Finance
Ranch recognized for water, grazing practices
How plants compete in battle for sunlight
Light sensors cause plants to react | Too much shade triggers protein-producing hormones that stimulate stem growth
Plants may appear companionably benign, but a vicious turf war is being waged beneath that shady canopy. A plant’s goal is to get ahead of its neighbour, upwardly speaking, and grow toward the light while literally overshadowing the competition. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, together with colleagues from […] Read moreHorse size linked to global warming?
Adapting to change Scientists find fossils of ancient horses that show they evolve during temperature changes
About 56 million years ago, horses were about the size of small dogs. But during a period when the global climate warmed substantially, they shrank to the size of average house cats. According to recent studies, the dwarfing was in response to globally warming temperatures. Research results appeared in the journal Science and the study […] Read moreLivestock accidents pull at heart strings
Emergency response improves | Truckers, first responders and firefighters find training helpful
Much like Monday morning quarterbacking, it’s easy to criticize the response to livestock transport accidents after the fact, says an expert from Alberta. In reality, it’s a thorny task to respond perfectly to the chaos of 200 hogs inside, outside or trapped under a truck on the side of a highway. “People, the media included, […] Read moreConfusion in exporter ranks causes setback
Backsliding reported | South Koreans want to start negotiations ‘from scratch’
Crucial trade talks with South Korea, stalled for years, may be facing a setback because the Koreans want to return agricultural negotiations to the beginning, says a malt industry leader. In an appearance before the House of Commons international trade committee, Malting Industry Association of Canada president Phil De Kemp said he had been informed […] Read moreHarmonizing rules could save billions
Think-tank recommends removing border inspections
Canada and the United States should move toward regulatory harmonization, particularly within the red meat industry, says a recently released report from two independent think-tanks. The U.S. might not have implemented mandatory country-of-origin labelling if the two countries had achieved this earlier, the report added. “If only we could have co-operated in 2003 on this […] Read moreBee deaths prompt call for chemical ban
David Schuit received a call from his son last week just before appearing in front of the House of Commons’ agriculture committee with other beekeepers. Schuit, who owns a bee operation in Ontario’s Huron County, was there to complain about a popular grain and oilseed treatment chemical that he says is killing thousands of bees. […] Read more
Food insecurity sparks conflict
Middle Eastern governments are making food self sufficiency a priority
Food and its availability played a key role in the uprisings that have wracked many Arab countries, says a top Syria-based researcher. Mahmoud Solh, director general of the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), said in a recent analysis that the combination of food issues and widespread youth unemployment were key […] Read moreBASF to collect production data to assess farm practices
While Pulse Canada is developing a carbon footprint calculator, BASF Canada is testing its own tool on Canadian canola. A study conducted by the company will compare production data information from 1995 with the 2010 growing season, with its more intensive production, high-yielding varieties and new soil conservation practices. “We’ve gone from growing a conventional […] Read more
