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The Alberta Water Nexus: Energy, Food and People
These six short videos introduce different aspects of the water-energy-food nexus and how our communities are connected through it. |
Three little puddles into one big pond
Prairie pothole consolidation has been occurring almost from the time the first farmers arrived. The concept is simple. Drain small nuisance wetlands into one large pothole to gain arable acres. A major research component is to explore the agricultural potential of drained wetlands with an emphasis on improving nutrient uptake, thus reducing the nutrient load down-stream. This will include fertility management, residue management and novel cropping practices. The greater nutrient mineralization on the drained soil should allow Weiseth to grow crops with a reduced fertility prescription. The residue management treatment will focus on shallow incorporation of trash into the soil to reduce contact between residue and snow runoff water. This should reduce the amount of soluble phosphorous flowing away in runoff. The novel cropping treatment will look at the use of mixes of annual forages, including legumes. The reduced fertility requirement at seeding with legumes should reduce nutrient losses in the runoff water. For more see the Western Producer |
Farming Smarter Conference & Trade Show
Come back to High Definition networking! #FSCONF20 Step away from the screen and come be seen! ** Please complete AHS self-assessment prior to attending each day ** Also available as a digital conference with ways to interact with speakers and digital participants Agenda Emcee Dianne Finstad is back! FSconf 2020 agenda We are working with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Exhibition Park to ensure we follow safety protocols and recommendations. Click here to review the current AHS trade show guidelines Book a booth… |
Expanding agriculture research at the U of A
Alberta’s barley program moving to Olds College
Investing in research at Lethbridge College
Alberta’s government is increasing research capacity by supporting the transition of the Alberta Irrigation Technology Centre (AITC) and the Brooks Greenhouse to Lethbridge College. Details are currently being finalized for a $2-million agreement that will see the college manage the 200 acres and three pivots at the AITC. In addition, the Brooks Greenhouse will be transferred as part of its Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE). Lethbridge College is hiring five staff to manage these facilities. By working with the college, the AITC and Brooks Greenhouse will be able to offer scientists the opportunity to conduct research at a scale Alberta farmers can then apply in the field. Lethbridge College will operate the facilities as workspace for agriculture researchers from across the industry – post-secondary institutions, private industry and more. |
A farmer’s journey with mental illness
Growing up in rural Alberta, discussions about mental health were never a part of Sean Stanford’s life. “Farmers are usually the kind of people who don’t talk about their feelings,” shares the 36-year old grain farmer, who lives and works near the town of Magrath, a community south of Lethbridge. “They’re usually [straight]-to-the-point hard workers, and there’s no time for that kind of [stuff],” he says, reflecting on his experiences as a farmer and someone who personally deals with mental illness. “That’s kind of the way it’s always been, and I never thought of it any differently.” https://rhpap.ca/news-events/planting-the-seeds-of-support/ To learn more about men’s mental health or how to reach out to someone who’s struggling, visit- www.suicideinfo.ca/resource/men-and-suicide/ or https://alberta.cmha.ca/news/men-mental-health-how-to-start-the-conversation-about-your-mental-health/ or https://www.domore.ag/ |
Animal health research boost for University of Calgary
The governments of Canada and Alberta are investing in critical animal health diagnostics at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
L-R: Dr. Baljit Singh, Minister Dreeshen, Jennifer Davies, Ashley Whitehead and Ed McCauley of the University of Calgary. The $3.44-million agreements were finalized in March and will help the faculty launch a pilot project to expand its diagnostic service unit for animal disease diagnosis and welfare until February 2024. This will create an animal disease and diagnosis welfare capacity at the university, which will provide diagnostic pathology, bacteriology and other testing services to the province’s veterinarians. The pilot project is a made-in-Alberta solution for quicker, more affordable results for vets and producers, and greater learning opportunities for the university’s students. This agreement is a part of the Alberta government’s commitment to ensuring farmers and ranchers lead agriculture research priorities – not government. Establishing Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), an arm’s-length non-profit corporation, is a first step in making sure research funding priorities are producer-led. Over the long term, RDAR will assume ongoing responsibility for the funding agreement with the University of Calgary. Under this new model, agricultural research in Alberta will lead to tangible benefits for farmers, including higher profits, a more abundant food supply at lower cost for Albertans and ultimately a higher quality of life in rural communities |
Agriculture leads Alberta’s economic recovery
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