There is a lot that scientists don’t know about ground water. In Alberta, much of the ground water information that scientists rely on comes from the Alberta Research Council’s (ARC) mapping programs of the 1960s and 1970s. “We really haven’t moved that far from the ’60s,” said Alec Blyth, a research hydrogeologist with the council’s […] Read more
Tag Archives Technology
Yes, it’s in the ground, but it doesn’t stay there
Biofuel may have bad rap as water user
Biofuel production is having a profound impact on water demand, according to a United Nations report. “Despite their potential to help reduce dependence on fossil energy, biofuels with current technology are likely to place a disproportionate amount of pressure on biodiversity and the environment,” says the UN’s World Water Development Report 3. “The major problem […] Read more
Effluent water proves useful for farm irrigation
Rick Swenson doesn’t turn off his irrigation pivot when the wind blows and the temperature soars. He cranks it up and keeps the water pumping. He’s irrigating his crops and acting as a disposal system for the City of Moose Jaw’s waste water treatment facilities. “There’s no drip nozzles around here,” the Saskatchewan farmer said. […] Read more
Managing water that falls from the sky
Cloud seeding is a growing industry around the world, aimed at harvesting rain and snow. In Canada, however, the emphasis has been more on softening the blow inflicted by hailstorms. Cloud seeding is a way of modifying weather by attempting to draw more moisture out of rain clouds, or change the precipitation that falls. It […] Read more
The Western Producer – Dec. 10, 2009 edition – PDF format
Click here to download The Western Producer – Dec. 10, 2009 edition in PDF format.
Confront critics with passion, biofuel supporters urged
VANCOUVER – Biofuel officials, sympathetic politicians and agribusiness executives are calling on supporters of the biofuel sector to fight back against the criticism aimed at the industry. British Columbia energy minister Blair Lekstrom kicked off the recent Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit in Vancouver with a presentation that included a plea to delegates to find a […] Read more
Electronic bracelet helps keep track of kids in farmyard
SEDLEY, Sask. – Joe and Wendy Wecker want to put a stop to tragic tales of farm accidents involving children. Earlier this month, during Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany, the producers from Sedley, Sask., signed a deal to bring a safety device to North America. The Kinderfinder is designed to prevent runovers by alerting drivers that […] Read more
Small breed draws big crowds
The Nelsons of Colinton, Alta., have been promoting their cattle, including their Dexters, at Edmonton EDMONTON – Regular visitors to the cattle barns at Farmfair International in Edmonton often see familiar faces among those who show and promote their cattle. Probably no couple is more familiar to Farmfair goers than Allyn and Rita Nelson of […] Read more
Welcome to the clone farm
Similar looking cows are huddled in similar looking pens. However, some of the cattle don’t just resemble each other. They are identical, clear down to their genes. Of the approximately 400 cattle in Barry Pollard’s herd of mostly Black Angus cattle, 22 are clones, genetic copies of some of the most productive livestock the world […] Read more
Web tycoon at home among the pigs
BEIJING, China (Reuters) – He may be a billionaire, but soft-spoken William Ding, founder of Chinese online gaming giant NetEase.com, feels as comfortable on the farm with his pigs as he does in the boardroom. The publicity shy 38-year-old juggles his time between China’s No. 3 online game operator and a pig rearing business he […] Read more
