Issues & Insights

By Dr. Rebecca Purc-Stephenson for the Alberta Farm Mental Health Network We’ve all felt anxious at one point or another in our lives. It’s a very normal reaction to stress. It’s feeling worried, panicked, fearful, and uneasy about a future concern. We might even feel faint, sweaty like our heart is racing, or we have…

By Paula Duhatschek, CBC Calgary Inside an agricultural exhibition building at the Calgary Stampede, kids practise rotating cattle through different areas of pasture, earning “carbon points” as they go if they can avoid under- or overgrazing the land. They’re playing Guardians of the Grasslands, a computer game that was produced with funding from a government grant program, the charitable arm…

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) is offering temporary livestock water assistance for producers facing water shortages due to drought conditions. This program is available to any livestock and poultry producers in urgent need of water. If you require help to find an alternative water source, contact your EPA district office or call the Water…

By Kate Helmore, The Globe and Mail Rachel Herbert spent the past few days fixing up her water pump. The water in her well was barely reaching it. The surrounding streams had slowed to a trickle, or were bone dry. Her cattle ranch, Trail’s End Beef, is located in Nanton, Alta., a community that has received a…

AFSC is adjusting the low yield allowance for 2023 to encourage farmers to put more poor-quality crops towards livestock feed.  For 2023, AFSC is doubling the low yield threshold to allow for additional cereal or pulse crops to be salvaged for livestock feed. For example, the barley crop threshold will be increased from 150 to…

The University of Alberta is partnering with AgKnow, the Alberta Farm Mental Health Network, to conduct a study on the health and well-being of Alberta farmers and ranchers. Farmers, ranchers, and anyone who lives or works on a farm can participate in this online survey, which will cover what they find stressful about their work,…

By Dave Bedard, Alberta Farmer Express A heifer whose tissues tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (TB) at slaughter in the U.S. has been traced back to a Saskatchewan cattle herd which has now turned up two more cases of the disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in a report dated Wednesday, said it was notified…

The Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) recognizes that due to the current very dry conditions and poor grass pastures, summer feeding of cow-calf herds may be required. Under normal conditions, cow-calf confined feeding during the grazing period may be considered a confined feeding operation that requires a permit. However, due to the extenuating circumstances, the…

By the Beef Cattle Research Council This summer producers across the country are experiencing extreme dry conditions, drought and wildfires. While the elements themselves cannot be managed, there are six decisions that can be made on-farm to reduce the impact of dry conditions. Read More ‘What We’re Reading‘ is a quick look at some of…

If you’ve been impacted by Alberta’s recent wildfires, you may be wondering how to help your pastures recover. While there is more research on pasture recovery after a late season fire, there are still some guidelines to consider in light of early season fires. Grasslands evolved with fire, and in most cases their roots won’t…