If one word could sum up the 2015 growing season, it would be “unpredictable.” For farmers across Western Canada, 2015’s unco-operative weather made for a suspenseful crop year—one that left many worried that their crop might not make it to harvest, especially in the case of malt barley. While it is normally a rewarding crop
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Former Alberta Agriculture and Forestry researcher Dr. Jim Helm has been awarded the prestigious American Society of Agronomy Distinguished Service Award. This award is given only to highly distinguished nominees that have made a transformational contribution to the agronomy profession. “Jim Helm is a household name among cereal breeders and scientists worldwide” says nominator Dr.
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With Alberta’s craft beer industry expanding, the province’s grain producers continue to take advantage of the opportunities this market provides. Thanks to the strong demand for malt barley, a key ingredient in beer, Alberta farmers will be including this high-value crop in their rotations in the years to come. Existing barley insurance is currently designed
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It was on his uncle’s farm near Russell, MB, that Rob Davies developed his lifelong enthusiasm for all things agriculture. Davies credits summers spent on the farm with starting him off on the path that would eventually lead him to become Alberta Barley’s general manager. Davies earned a bachelor of science in agriculture at the University
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When asked, “where does our food come from?”, too many kids say the grocery store. The Classroom Agriculture Program (CAP) is trying to change that. CAP has been around since 1985 and during those 30 years, more than 600,000 grade four students have participated in the program. These students have learned where their food really
Read More(Saskatoon, SK) December 16, 2015 – Recognizing the important role producer funding of public breeding has played in delivering new wheat and barley varieties for increased farm profitability, Western Canada’s wheat and barley commissions/associations are working together to consider options for continued leadership and influence. Since producer investments in breeding began in 1995, over 200 new
Read MoreAccording to senior brewer Chase Gordon, Alley Kat Brewing Company likes to buy local, “as much as possible.” “We’re a small Alberta company as well,” he said, so when Alley Kat brews a coffee porter, for example, they buy their beans from Transcend, another Edmonton-based company. That buy local habit extends to their barley and
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