BOUNDARY CREEK, AB - The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) will work to protect an area of pristine grasslands near the Canada-U.S. border from development.Colleen and Dale Adams have signed an agreement with the NCC to conserve their 128-hectare (315-acre) cattle ranch from any future subdivisions, drainage or cultiv...

COALDALE, AB - A major agricultural producer has made a move in southern Alberta.Bayer CropScience Inc. has announced that it will be acquiring HyTech Production Ltd., a canola treating and packaging facility just north of Coaldale.Bayer President and CEO Antoine Bernet says, as they look to increase their canola busin...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - Although it has been a challenging season for farmers in the region due to weather, many have experienced higher-than-average yields.That is according to the latest Alberta Crop Report, which looks at the conditions as of September 24, 2024.It says 85.7 per cent of crops in the southern region have bee...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - An instructor and researcher at Lethbridge Polytechnic is gearing up to undertake a new multi-year research project.Dr. Adriana Morrell, Agriculture Sciences instructor and scientific lead for the institution's Mycology Research Laboratory, has secured a grant of nearly $250,000 through Alberta Innovat...

Farmers in the region are hard at work getting crops out of the ground.According to the latest Alberta Crop Report, which details the conditions as of Aug. 27, approximately 37.8 per cent of all crops had been combined.That is ahead of the five-year average of 29.8 per cent and the 10-year average of 25.3 per cent.The ...

An international credit rating agency says Canada's canola industry could take a $1-billion hit in the wake of new Chinese trade actions.Morningstar DBRS says China's plan to launch an anti-dumping investigation into canola seed imports from Canada could result in China levying tariffs on the crop.The agency says such ...

It has been a mixed year for Canadian agriculture with much higher expected yields for some types of crops and lower for others.Statistics Canada says a range of weather-related challenges resulted in overall lower-than-normal plant health across much of the prairies.The vegetation growth index for July 22-28, 2024 sho...

Will Robbins has been in the process of taking over his family farm southwest of Saskatoon. The 43-year-old grows organic wheat, oats, lentils, peas and occasionally flax and mustard on 445 hectares of land near Laura, Sask. In 1996, when he was still a teenager, prices in west-central Saskatchewan were on average $980...

"Lethbridge Farm-to-Table: Flavours from Southern Alberta" is now available. The recipe book, created by Tourism Lethbridge and Alberta Food Tourism Strategies, in partnership with Alberta Open Farm Days, looks to promote local producers and agricultural products in the region. It includes 25 recipes collecte...

Extreme weather events like fires, floods, heat waves and droughts pose an increasing risk to Canada's food supply chain, putting pressure on prices all the way to the grocery store shelf, say experts."Anytime you have major weather-related events, it tends to increase costs," said Frank Scali, vice-president...

The country's labour tribunal says rail employees do not carry out essential work, opening the gate to a full-fledged strike in less than two weeks that has the potential to snarl the supply chain nationwide.In a pair of rulings Friday, the Canada Industrial Relations Board said a work stoppage would pose no "seri...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - Open Farm Days is returning to Alberta in 2024. In Open Farm Days, farms across the province open up their properties to the public to give them a chance to experience what work is done on the farm. The event saw huge success in 2023, seeing over 130 farms participating and nearly $300,000 in direct fa...

A new report says a third of all agriculture jobs in Canada could be automated within the next decade.The report from the Conference Board of Canada says that's alongside a fifth of jobs in food and beverage manufacturing which could also become automated. Alain Francq, director of innovation and technology at the orga...

A new report shows that, despite parts of the region still struggling with moisture, crops are looking good overall.The latest Alberta Crop Report shows the conditions as of July 23, 2024. Between all major crops, 77.2 per cent in southern Alberta are rated good-to-excellent. The five-year average for this time of the ...

BROOKS, AB - A community in southern Alberta will soon be able to produce far more beef products.JBS Foods Canada has announced a $90 million investment in a new patty processing line and fulfillment centre at its plant in Brooks.With the expansion, they will be able to produce nearly seven million more kilograms of be...

One of southern Alberta's MLAs is set to travel to America to promote Alberta's economic priorities.Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter, along with Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland MLA Shane Getson, are travelling to Portland, Oregon for the Council of State Governments (CSG) West 77th annual meeting.The cross-border meeting will prov...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - There is now another place for people to get locally grown and made goods in Lethbridge.The Downtown Lethbridge Farmers' Market returns to Festival Square (600 3 Avenue South) each Wednesday, beginning July 3, 2024.Paul Kingsmith, Director of Community Engagement with Lethbridge & District Exhibiti...

NANTON, AB - When Leo Wieser worked in the movie biz, he built a million-dollar swimming pool that was used for one day.Now he's fighting to raise at least that much, entering contests, running raffles and hosting movie nights, to preserve two 21-metre icons of the Prairies - twin grain elevators in Nanton, Alta."...

FORT MACLEOD, AB - A 4-H club in southern Alberta has its own theme tune. The Fort Macleod 4-H Beef Club held its annual sale earlier this month, with one of its leaders, Janita Dekok, saying members take on different volunteer opportunities throughout the year, as well as feed and train each of their animals. The club...

Researchers are working on a project to ensure we have safe eggs.They are using Canada's only synchrotron to help improve the safety of eggs and reduce the risk of food-borne illness.Scientists with the University of Saskatchewan (USask) used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at USask to study a promising new technique f...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - Local food banks are once again set to receive regular donations from the Lethbridge Farmers' Market.Lethbridge & District Exhibition has announced that, for the second year in a row, vendors at the Lethbridge Farmers' Market will be able to donate leftover produce and other food items to the Inter...

A poll conducted for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) said most Canadians want a carbon tax exemption for farmers.CTF released Leger polling showing 70 per cent of Canadians support the farmers' opposition to the tax.CTF Prairie Director Gage Haubrich said the poll is clear."The vast majority of Canadians w...

The commodity groups that make up Team Alberta Crops have wrote to two provincial ministers outlining concerns over a possible railway strike.The letter to Minister of Transport and Economic Corridors, Devin Dreeshan and Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, RJ Sigurdson says a strike would be "a serious threat ...

NISKU, AB - The Little Potato Company is celebrating the opening of its new sustainable potato packaging facility in Alberta.The 240,000-square foot facility is located in Nisku, with officials saying the location was selected due to its proximity to strong agricultural regions, dedicated family growers, efficient tran...

The Canadian government is expanding its surveillance program for a form of avian flu amid a growing outbreak in U.S. dairy cattle.Fragments of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been detected in pasteurized milk sold in the U.S. and a statement from Canada's health agencies says lactating dairy cattle being import...

Farmland rental rates are keeping pace with the value of farmland across Canada.Farm Credit Canada (FCC) provides a rental rate analysis for all cultivated farmland from data on cash rental rates and the Farmland Values Report.The analysis provides a detailed breakdown of rent-to-price ratios by province, highlighting ...

LETHBRIDGE, AB - A recycling program for Alberta farmers has been extended.The 'Alberta Ag Plastic. Recycle It!' pilot program is operated by nonprofit Cleanfarms. It allows farmers to recycle their grain bags and twine. This marks the second extension of the program following its launch in October 2019.Officials say s...

The Alberta government on Thursday outlined what it would take for it to active a never-before declared water emergency under the province's 2024 drought response plan. The province is currently at the drought plan's Stage 4 which includes the landmark water-sharing agreements signed in April. There are three triggers ...