Absorbency a selling point | Unwanted biomass fuel cubes find new market in livestock barns
Eugene Gala and Stephane Gauthier were caught in a classic business conundrum in the late 2000s: they had a better mousetrap but buyers were few or nonexistent. Gala and Gauthier had developed a dense cube of straw and wood residue at their processing plant in La Broquerie, Man. The product was designed as an environmentally […] Read moreTag Archives Environment
Energy industry challenges efforts to protect grouse
Sage grouse | Medicine Hat and an energy company question new restrictions
The City of Medicine Hat and LGX Oil and Gas Inc. are challenging a federal emergency order designed to preserve Alberta and Saskatchewan’s dwindling sage grouse population. An application was filed Jan. 3 that seeks judicial review of the order, which would restrict activity, noise and building in a 1,700 sq. kilometre region of southeastern […] Read more
Protecting birds can boost bottom line
Birds and electrical lines can be a deadly combination. The number of wild birds injured or killed by collision or electrocution cannot be accurately measured, but it is thought to be substantial. Nikki Heck, an environmental adviser for electrical transmission company AltaLink, has worked to reduce bird fatalities by implementing the first avian protection plan […] Read more
Recycling plastic grain bags just got a whole lot easier
New pilot project | Saskatchewan launches free program to collect and recycle plastic grain bags
For many Saskatchewan farmers, the easiest way to deal with used grain bags is the illegal way — with a can of gas and a book of matches on a moonlit night. But Travis Quirk thinks most farmers would use alternative disposal methods if they were available. Quirk, the agricultural plastics recycling co-ordinator with Saskatchewan’s […] Read more
Outdoor experiences forge early connections with nature
Special places | Conservationists argue that children who lack knowledge about nature grow up to be adults who don’t know it is worth protecting
RED DEER — When Jim Robertson thinks back to a special place from his childhood in Montreal, he remembers climbing through trees to a small natural cavern. The ground was covered with thick moss and he was completely enclosed in nature, said Robertson, who works with the Kerry Wood Nature Centre in Red Deer. “It […] Read moreCo-ordination key to fighting prairie grass fires
Community effort | Expert says that while intentions are good, firebreaks aren’t effective unless placed properly
FORT MACLEOD, Alta. — Out-of-control grass fires on the Prairies bring immediate community response. Often that includes farmers who bring tillage equipment and create firebreaks to slow or stop the fire’s spread. But do those firebreaks really help? Not always, says Alberta government rangeland specialist Kevin France. He told the Holding the Reins conference Feb. […] Read more
Ranchers believe in rest — for the grass
Pastures overgrazed | After 10 years of ‘crisis management,’ legume, grasses and wildlife have returned
TOMAHAWK, Alta. — The simple combination of grass, water and rest was key in turning severely overgrazed pastures into an award-winning ranch. The pastures were bare and overgrazed when the Taillieu family took over management of the Tomahawk Cattle Ranch in 2001. Eleven years later, the family has revitalized the ranch without fertilizer, plows or […] Read more
Suzuki takes swipe at conventional agriculture
Sustainable farming | Environmentalist calls pesticides the ‘dumbest thing’ invented and believes organic agriculture is the way to go
Leaning across a book-signing table from David Suzuki, Sid Stevenson, a young farmer from Kenton, Man., listened carefully to Canada’s most famous environmentalist and his thoughts on modern agriculture. Suzuki spoke to an audience of 1,000 Dec. 4 at the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association annual meeting in Brandon. In his keynote speech, while signing books […] Read more
Ranch uses tranquil setting to diversify
CL Ranches, with its swift running creek and dark red cattle moving through sweet smelling prairie grass, is a portrait of what an Alberta foothills cattle operation should look like. But like many modern operations, this 1,750 cow outfit needs new and creative ways to stay profitable. Located just south of the busy TransCanada Highway […] Read more
Consumers push for sustainably sourced food
Consumers push for sustainably sourced food
Pulse Canada officials think the Canadian agriculture industry needs to develop a plan for sustainability issues. Consumers are becoming more curious about how food is grown. They want to know if it is being produced in a sustainable manner. That has prompted food companies to learn more about their supply chains. In 2002 Nestle, Unilever […] Read more
