All posts by cara

Nora Paulovich, manager of North Peace Applied Research Association (NPARA) and conference chair is pleased to confirm Gabe Brown’s participation in the newly combined Western Canada Conference on Soil Health (WCCSH) and the Western Canadian Grazing Conference (WCGC) in 2017. A number of Alberta applied research and forage associations organize and present these popular events.

The combined conference will take place on December 5, 6 and 7th at the Radisson Hotel Edmonton South, with the theme “Profit Above and Wealth Below”.

The 2015 WCCSH featured Gabe Brown, soil health practitioner and producer from Bismarck North Dakota. “Gabe is really able to bring soil health and ag production into focus. People like to hear what he knows and what he has done” says Paulovich. “And he likes to visit Alberta”.

Farming and ranching for soil health enhances biodiversity and increases biological activity, both of which are absent in current production technology. In both cases integrating plant diversity, keeping the soil covered, maintaining living roots as long as possible, and minimal soil disturbance leads to reduced crop inputs, greater infiltration and water holding capacity, and a myriad of environmental and social benefits. Soil health is greatly enhanced when practiced in conjunction with animal agriculture. “Gabe Brown is maybe the best at cropping and livestock integration” notes Paulovich.

Attendees will have the opportunity to attend two great conferences in one. “Some seats have been added, but interest is high and registrations may go quickly” cautions Paulovich. Registration information, agenda and speakers are being finalized and will be announced in the coming weeks. Current information is available at npara.ca.

Watch the new Website for further details! https://www.absoilgrazing.com/

HANNA, Alta. — Canadian cattle have been tuberculosis-free since 1985, which has reduced the level of understanding of the disease among producers.

However, the discovery of a small number of cases on a southeastern Alberta ranch last fall sparked renewed interest in the disease.

READ MORE: http://www.producer.com/2017/02/bovine-tuberculosis-poorly-understood/

WQ Drainage FactSheet

Transition planning is the process of planning to transfer the ownership (capital), management, and operations (labour) of an agribusiness to a child(ren), relative or other successor. Transition planning is not a single event and cannot be completed in a handful of meetings with advisors. Rather, it is a process that should be thought of as business continuity planning. Expect to invest six months to a year or more in planning for transition.

View the complete Government of Alberta’s Agribusiness Transition Planning Guide For Agribusiness

ARECA Soil Health initiative

This article is part of a series to promote better understanding of our agricultural soil resources along with practices that can influence soil health. http://albertasoilhealth.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Understanding-soil-health-ARECA-Series-1-Yamily-Zavala.pdf

The Special Areas is cooperating with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in their investigation of bovine tuberculosis in this region, working with impacted producers and industry in the area.

For more information, please reference the CFIA information sheet at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/tuberculosis/investigation-southeast-alberta/eng/1477438380160/1477438380659.  

Alberta Agriculture is now accepting applications for their

Summer Farm Employment Program

If full time farmers are thinking about hiring a student for summer employment, now is the time to apply. Once again, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development will be offering the Summer Farm Employment Program. This program gives Alberta’s youth the opportunity to gain farm work experience and provides wage support to farmers for the months of July and August. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development provides wage support to a maximum of $400 per month as well as worker’s compensation coverage and safety training information.

Employers must own or rent a farming operation in Alberta with gross production of $25,000 per year and work must be directly related to the farming operation. This does not include domestic work or child care. Employers must recruit their own employee, provide daily supervision and ensure safe working conditions for their employee. Monthly records of time worked must be completed by the employer. Employees are paid by the farmer and by the government for each respective part of their salary, which must meet provincial minimum hourly rates.

Employees must be residents of Alberta, between 15 and 24 years of age and cannot be a direct relative of the employee. Employees must not be working fulltime anywhere else or attending school while participating in the program. If they have been working full time prior to July 1 for the employer, they are not eligible for the program. Employees require a social insurance number in order to receive payment under this program.

Farm safety is an emphasis in this program and all summer farm employers and employees are required to review a safety DVD together. Employees must complete and pass a safety quiz based on the DVD information in order to be accepted into the program.

Application forms and detailed information are available on Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s website www.agriculture.alberta.ca. Applications are processed on a first come, first served basis. Applications can be printed from the website or obtained by calling the Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (3276).

All applications must be submitted by May 31, 2015 and signatures of both employee and employer must be included.

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It is now recognized that taurine plays major roles in human physiology and nutrition.  Taurine benefits the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, immune, muscular, neurological, reproductive and visual systems.

Check out the full article at:

Put March 13, 2013 on your calendar for a Grain Market Outlook at the Oyen Legion. There will be sessions on Marketing Contracts, a Market Outlook (from Lee Melvill) and a Trade Show with Grain Company Reps, ag lenders, etc. It is a daytime meeting that will run from 9 am – 4:30. I’ll send you more details later on.