Farmers in Alberta’s northern region are experiencing a wet, snowy and frustrating harvest this year. It’s been so difficult that farmer Otto Rottier has called it, in some ways, “the harvest from hell.” “There’s a lot of very stressed farmers around here, for sure,” said Rottier, who lives northwest of Westlock, during a phone interview […] Read more
Weather
VIDEO: Massive windstorm causes two Alta. trains to derail
Wainwright, Alta. — Two trains in Alberta derailed during the wind storm that clobbered much of the Prairies Tuesday, resulting in the closure of one of main line and putting a stop to some grain movement. CN crews were cleaning up two wrecks Wednesday when winds in excess of 100 km/h on Tuesday evening derailed […] Read more
One dead in accident during Sask. storm
Saskatchewan RCMP say one man is dead after a single motor vehicle accident about 10 kilometres south of Burstall during last night’s firefighting efforts. But incident commander Inspector Ted Munro said it is unknown whether the fire or visibility caused the accident on a grid road. Two men fighting another fire near Tompkins were sent […] Read more
Windstorm, grass fires wreak havoc in Saskatchewan, Alberta
Alberta UPDATED – 1625 CST October 18, 2017 – Four Alberta municipalities remain under a state of local emergency resulting from high winds and numerous wildfires, and wind warnings remain in effect in some areas. Crowsnest Pass, the M.D. of Acadia, Wheatland County and Medicine Hat remain on high alert. In the Crowsnest Pass, a […] Read more
Canola again flirts with $500 while farmers prepare for big wind
Crop futures barely changed on Tuesday as drier weather in the U.S. Midwest raised the prospect for better harvest progress. Canola edged slightly higher as the loonie drifted a little lower. The November contract again spent a good part of the day above $500 but weakened late. The record pace of canola exports and improving […] Read more
Prairies could return to cold, snowy tradition if La Nina arrives
WINNIPEG, Oct. 5 – The world’s major weather forecasters predict a slightly better than 50 percent chance that a La Nina weather pattern will occur this fall and winter. Most Prairie farmers could see good things happening if the system does materialize because La Nina systems tend to bring what many people think of as […] Read more
Crop report: Rain delays Saskatchewan harvest
WINNIPEG, MB, Oct. 5, 2017 (CNS Canada) – Saskatchewan restarted harvest following several days of rain delays last week to push the total amount combined to 89 percent from 78 percent the week before, according to the Saskatchewan Agriculture’s crop report released Thursday. Harvest was most advanced in the southwest where 98 percent of the […] Read more
Hay shortage could make for difficult winter for southern cattle producers
Oct. 3 (CNS Canada) – Many cattle producers in southern areas looking for local feed this winter might have a difficult time, says the Saskatchewan Agriculture provincial forage specialist. Yet, producers further north in the grey and black soil zones and those producing high quality feed for export in Alberta, saw near record hay production. […] Read more
Dry conditions in Sask. set grass, fence lines, combine ablaze
Feeding will begin much earlier at Six Mile Ranch this fall after fire swept through stockpiled winter grazing acreage last week. “We have lost about 11 miles of fence and about 2,800 acres of grass ourselves,” said Clayton Gibson of the Red Angus operation at Fir Mountain, Sask. “Neighbours have lost probably another 800 acres […] Read more
August brings strong winds but little hail across Prairies
All hail the relative absence of hail on the Prairies. That could well be the celebratory cry for farmers with the number of damaging hailstorms tracking below the five-year average, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association. In its report for August, issued Sept. 5, the CCHA listed two hailstorms of note in Alberta, two […] Read more
