Saskatchewan will announce its Phase 4 re-opening date next week. Phase 3 of re-opening after COVID-19 restrictions began June 8 and chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab has always said he prefers two to three weeks between phases. Phase 4 will be done in parts, with the first including child and youth day camps, […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 virus
Rural teacher forced to shift gears
Wendy Weichel learns how to work from home as well as teach her own children after COVID-19 closed schools in Sask.
KENDAL, Sask. — It used to all start at 6 a.m. with a flurry of activity. Wendy Weichel would get her four kids out of bed and launch into busy days filled with a full-time teaching job, farm duties and a smorgasbord of after-school activities from hockey to volleyball to dance. The Grade 2-3 Montmartre […] Read more
4-H shows fundraising spirit during pandemic
Clubs adjust to COVID-19 by going digital to showcase their work and raise money for charities such as food banks
Despite changes to their activities, 4-H members have adjusted fairly well during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clubs have started showcasing their work and have undertaken fundraising efforts. Even though everything is digital, they’ve continued to be successful. “Our motto is to learn by doing, and that is what we’re doing,” said Susann Stone, executive director of […] Read more
Pandemic sets back disease discovery
Aster yellows disease forecasting for western Canadian field crops is difficult in a normal spring, but this year it presents a whole new level of issues because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Agriculture Canada laboratories in Saskatoon are usually well into testing leafhoppers for aster yellows by June, but this year they are yet to test […] Read more
‘May lose an entire generation’
Young producers face particular challenges as they cope with a COVID-19 pandemic that has upended the cattle industry
Even though she says she’s surrounded by the excitement of spring, Kendra Donnelly worries about the future. The third generation feedlot operator and her family have been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s brought lots of uncertainty. “It might wipe a generation out of business. We may lose an entire generation because of the […] Read more
Hot demand keeps regional abattoirs hopping
Business has been booming at rural meat plants this spring as fears of meat shortages prompt consumers to stock up
Beef has become the new bathroom tissue. It’s been flying off store shelves. “That’s what we joke about right now is that beef appears to be the new toilet paper,” said Jim Johnson of Alberta Prairie Meats in Duchess, Alta. Ground beef sales, in particular, have been sizzling hot, selling as quickly as processors can […] Read more
Surplus potatoes head to feedlots this spring
Spuds can be fed whole to range cattle, but feedlots must grind them up so that they can be added to other ingredients in the ration
Mashed, baked or fried: none of these potato options are suitable for cattle, but raw potatoes can provide a win-win scenario for potato and cattle producers. Drastic changes to food service because of COVID-19 reduced demand for french fries and other spud preparations served in restaurants. Processors didn’t require raw potatoes with which to make […] Read more
Sask. schools to re-open in fall for K-12 students
Saskatchewan students will return to kindergarten through Grade 12 classrooms this fall, the government announced today. Classes should begin as early as Sept. 1 in some school divisions. Deputy premier and education minister Gordon Wyant announced the decision, saying it was a significant milestone for the province and an important step for families to get […] Read more
Funding helps beekeepers cover COVID costs
Alberta beekeepers will have access to $1 million in government funds to offset the costs of colony replacements this year. The money, available through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and introduced by Alberta Agriculture, is earmarked to help beekeepers cover higher costs for new colonies; costs that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds will be made […] Read more
Pandemic recovery plan suggested
One of Canada’s largest agri-food companies has laid out a five-point industry recovery plan for federal politicians to consider. During a May 26 meeting of the standing committee on finance, the president of Quebec-based Sollio Cooperative Group shared plans to limit consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agri-food supply chain. Sollio Cooperative employs more […] Read more
