By Nolan Ball, Special Areas Board Agrologist The American Badger, the nocturnal neighbor that we rarely see except for their above ground landmarks in the form of a horse-riding hazard or head banging bump in the field. Listed provincially as a sensitive* species in Alberta, (*provincial listing...
By: Toso Bosic, Yard Whispers Many parts of Alberta are under drought conditions, causing widespread tree mortality across the landscape (urban, acreage, farm, county or province wide) with profound effects on the function of tree/forestry ecosystems and overall environment. As summer and fall drought continued into...
By Nolan Ball, Special Areas Board Agrologist Soils have a long history. Soil development within Alberta has been influenced by 10,000 - 12,000 years of subtle changes across the landscape. Once covered by layers of ice 1-2 miles thick, the bedrock of the earth’s crust has...
If you haven’t seen a fence line like this, you haven’t driven through Special Areas lately. The culprits: kochia and Russian thistle, and even sometimes common baby’s breath (but that’s a story for another day). Why are we seeing this uptick in tumbleweeds? The answer may...
By: Special Areas Board Agricultural Fieldmen We’ve made it through another summer of debilitating drought and we’re still standing. PHEW! But wait. There’s more. The effects of multiple years of drought are still being felt in the cow herd and may become more obvious this winter. There...
By: Special Areas Board Agricultural Fieldmen How to calculate the value of a bull? Beef Cattle Research Council has a calculator for that! Different traits of bulls can contribute to different impacts on the bottom line of the operation. For example, a bull with a higher calving...
Check out the winter edition of Growing and Grazing with Special Areas! In this interactive newsletter, you will read about deciding what to pay for a bull, soil secrets, tumbleweeds, badgers and more! Happy reading! To read previous newsletters, visit: Agriculture Services - Special Areas Board...