A leader in southern Alberta's cattle ranching community died in a vehicle crash while helping fight wildfires along the Alberta/Saskatchewan border on Tuesday night. Cypress County officials have identified the firefighter as James Hargrave, 34, a volunteer with the fire station at Walsh, Alta., about 50 km east of Medicine Hat. Alberta's Agriculture Minister Oneil[...]
Warm spell raises hopes as Canadian farmers race to finish harvest
Winnipeg/Reuters – Unusually warm temperatures in Western Canada are raising farmers' hopes of a strong finish to a growing season of highs and lows, easing investors' worries about the late harvest. Summer-like weather in Saskatchewan and Alberta, the two biggest wheat and canola-growing provinces in Canada — a top global exporter of both crops —[...]
Alberta rain good news for farmers, bad news for grasshoppers
CNS Canada -- After a dry spring, the rainfall across Alberta is a welcome change -- unless you're a grasshopper. "I'd hoped that over the weekend with the rain we had it would drown the little buggers out. When they're small like that, they're easily drowned if there's water on the surface," said crop specialist[...]
Mild winter, poor snow cover watched in Alberta, Saskatchewan
CNS Canada -- A milder than normal winter, with a lack of significant snow cover across much of Alberta and Saskatchewan, may be raising concerns in parts of the Prairies -- but there is still plenty of time before spring seeding will begin. "There's not much moisture there," said Harry Brook, crop specialist with Alberta's[...]
Alta. harvest turns up stagey crops
CNS Canada -- Alberta farmers who could have used wet conditions earlier this year now have rain slowing their harvest progress. However, the biggest issue producers in the province face is field variability, according to Harry Brook, a crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry in Stettler. "It truly is a mess out there --[...]
Western Prairies see low yields as harvest ramps up
CNS Canada -- This summer’s erratic weather has taken its toll on plant development in Alberta and parts of western Saskatchewan, according to crop-watchers in those areas. “We have heard that dry conditions have caused plants (peas) to slough off or have the tillers dry off and have lost those heads,” said Barry Yaremcio at[...]
Cold, snowfall not likely to hurt Alta. crops
CNS Canada -- Cold temperatures that brought some snow and frost to some parts of Alberta overnight won't likely cause much damage to crops. "Most of our crops aren't up yet; there's been a fair bit of seeding going on, but I haven't seen any emerged crops yet. So, it's pretty much a non-issue at[...]
Some farmers already seeding in southern Alberta
CNS Canada -- Some farmers in southern Alberta are seeding earlier than normal this spring, thanks to some recent warmer weather. "Some guys are just starting to turn a wheel in southern Alberta," Harry Brook, crop specialist with Alberta's provincial Ag-Info Centre in Stettler, said Thursday. Soil temperatures are still not very warm, so more[...]
Prairie forage crops to benefit from early spring weather
CNS Canada -- Forage crops in Western Canada are in a much better place this spring compared to a year ago, as spring's early arrival will benefit crop development. The milder winter was also beneficial in preserving forage supplies, with feed stocks adequate to good in many regions, said Terry Kowalchuk, a provincial forage specialist[...]
Prairie farmers eye early start to seeding
Winnipeg | Reuters -- Western Canadian farmers, some of whom could not plant crops last year due to soggy soil, may be able to get a head-start on sowing their fields this spring. Canada is the world's biggest canola exporter and the second largest wheat exporter, but its flat western provinces -- Manitoba, Saskatchewan and[...]
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
