ag bulletin - Flagstaff County

AG BULLETIN
FLAGSTAFF COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
BOARD
Spring 2014
Flooding from snowmelt
concerns many people
throughout the world. Besides flooding, rapid snowmelt can trigger landslides
and debris flows.
These runoff events
have been associated
with mass-wasting of hill
slopes, damage to riparian zones, downstream
flooding.
Runoff can move contaminants into the water
supply. Agricultural
production can generate
contaminants that may
have negative effects on
both surface or ground water
supplies. These contaminants
are associated with cropping
and livestock practices such
as nitrogen, phosphorus
(inorganic fertilizers) and
organic livestock manures
(microorganisms), herbicides
and insecticides, salts and
other trace elements.
Most contaminants are
transported into the hydrological cycle by either being attached to sediment or dissolved in water. This
transport of contaminants can
impair water quality, which
can restrict water uses for the
following such as livestock
watering, irrigation, drinking
supplies, sport fisheries, and
recreation.
In summary, agricultural
activities, can have a significant impact on the quality of
our water resources. Understanding that we live in a
rural area with multiple agricultural sources surrounding
us, we need to keep track of
our water quality.
Source: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/
watercyclesnowmelt.html
Source: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/
watercyclesnowmelt.html
Source: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/
watercyclesnowmelt.html
ASB Members
Rick Manning - Division 1
Gerald Kuefler - Division 2 (Reeve)
Jim Matthews - Division 3 (ASB Chair)
Gunna Albrecht - Division 4 (Deputy Reeve)
Gary Matthiessen - Division 5
James Brodie - Division 6
Wade Lindseth - Division 7
Jason Forster
Steve Saruga
“In spring at the end of the day you should
smell like dirt”
Howard Shield
David Hihn
ASB Staff
~ Margaret Atwood~
Andre Bonneau
— Agricultural Fieldman
Inside this issue:
Kelsey Fenton
Agricultural Fieldman’s Report
2
— Assistant Agricultural Fieldman
Tree Legacy for Next Generations
2
Corey Stuber
Agricultural Foreman Introduction
3
— Agricultural Foreman
Caution on the Roads
3
Sarah Zimmer
Stockpiled Pastures
3
— Administration Assistant
Agricultural Fieldman’s Report
Andre Bonneau
As I write this, the snow is disappearing quickly. What seemed
The Agricultural Services Board will be focussing attention on
like an endless winter is finally coming to a close. This spring,
leafy spurge this year. Staff and equipment are being put in place
there are a few things I would like us to think
to help farmers and ranchers, mainly in the Hardisty
about: Richardson’s ground squirrels,
region, take steps to help control this persistent
weed. County staff will apply herbicide at cost with a
clubroot and leafy spurge.
50% discount on the price of the labour and equipThe Agricultural Service Board has strychment. Farmers with scentless chamomile and white
nine for sale. Quantities are limited so get
cockle infestations will also be permitted to use counyours quickly. The best time to bait Richardty staff for herbicide application, herbicide applied at
son’s ground squirrels is before the grass
cost and the first two hours of labour being free.
turns green.
If you do not want your ditches cut or treated with
Every year, the Agricultural Services
herbicide, please submit your no-hay and no-spray
Board expects to find clubroot and will keep
agreements into the office before May 15th and June
finding clubroot if nothing is done to prevent
st
1 respectively. Forms can be found online
the spread. Clubroot is spread by soil movement. The potential
(www.flagstaff.ab.ca) or at the Flagstaff County office.
for spread is greatest in the spring when farmers are performing
Any Questions Call ASB Staff @ 1(780)384-4118
any type of tillage. At a minimum, take the time to remove excess soil from equipment.
Tree Legacy for Next
Generations
age, pesticide use and different equipment. Research teams hope
to collect crop yield data over multiple years partnering with interested farmers.
Ray Stoner, a forester with the USDA’s Natural Resources
Conservation, stated that the pilot study wanted to draw conclusions whether shelterbelts have a positive, neutral or negative
impact on crop yields. The goal is to forecast yield responses for
certain crops under particular soil and climate conditions.
Field Shelterbelts
Planting trees can create a legacy for the next generation.
Shelterbelts can increase crop yields by 10—20%. The challenge
is waiting for more than 30 years to break even, that deters farmers. A mature shelterbelt, yield increases, which more than offsets yield losses due to the land that is taken out of production for
the shelterbelt being planted. Depending on the species, some
shelterbelts may last 70 to 80 years.
Toso Bozic, an agro-forester/bioenergy specialist with Alberta
Agriculture and Rural Development, remarked that the benefits
of shelterbelts go beyond the improved yields to enhancing moisture and temperature conditions. Shelterbelts provide habitat for
natural pollinators and enemies of crops. These shelterbelts can
enhance the real estate value of the agricultural land as Dr.
Surendra Kulshreshtha of the University of Saskatchewan estimated that the economic value was over $140 million. This included benefits such as increased carbon storage, reduced wind
erosion, improved water and air quality and protected biodiversity.
Plant trees today to enhance land for future generations.
Source: Top Crop Manager (Nov 2013 ed. PG 14—18).
This involves understanding the windbreaks and crop relations
still valid under evolutionary cropping changes such as, zero till-
Page 2
AG BULLETIN
Caution on the Roads
Introducing:
Corey Stuber
Managing Heavy
equipment traffic is a
part of everyday life in
Flagstaff County. As
winter comes to an end
and farmers gear up for
spring seeding, the
highways and gravel
roads will continue to
fill up with heavy
equipment. Everyone
should be aware and
patient when driving at
this time of year, don’t
take chances when
passing the slower
moving equipment.
half are collisions involving vehicles and
farm equipment. Most
motorists do not recognize how slow the farm
machinery is actually
safer and longer to travel down the back country roads.
Farmers can take
preventive measures by
making sure all equipment have proper lighting, clean signage and
reflectors. Providing
pilot vehicles allows
the approaching motorists know that there is a
slow moving piece of
farm equipment ahead.
Managing safe distancgoing and the blind
es between machinery
spots created by the
and pilot vehicles will
large equipment. These
Canadian Agriculture
allow motorists to pass
busy highways may be
Injury Reportsafely, rather than
ing (CAIR),
all the equipment
states that every
in one shot.
year there are
Do not rush, be
about twenty
aware, and drive
agricultural
safe.
equipmentrelated deaths
the quickest route to
that occur on Canada’s
some farmer’s fields
highways and country
information in The Furrow (Jan
even though it may be More
2014 ed. PG 15-16).
roads, where virtually
Stockpiled Pastures
Stockpiled forage for pasture can
mean savings for producers. The
term stockpiling pasture means to
postpone grazing. The stockpiles
are grown with in the spring and
summer growing season. This can
be used in fall or early spring the
following year to extend the grazing
season for several weeks.
Agricultural Foreman
Flagstaff County, I am Corey Stuber, your Agricultural Foreman for the 2014 season. My family moved to Ohaton, AB in 1991. Graduated
from Bawlf School in 2008, after I worked for
Battle River Oilfield Services for 2 years. I studied Environmental Conservation and Reclamation at Lakeland College in Vermilion, AB. For
the past three seasons, I worked for Camrose
County on their spray crew. I am ready for this
year’s season to start.
SPRING 2013
Will need to consider the species
selected, the length of rest period
and how soil nutrients will be managed. The single grazed system is
more suited for the drier prairie region within our county, since there
is low summer
rain fall that can
reduce regrowth. Some
native species as
they mature,
will retain better
quality stands
than other tame species. The species choice will depend on the environmental conditions and the specific grazing system being implemented. Under a single graze system,
creeping red fescue and Kentucky
bluegrass will retain a more nutritive
quality during maturity. Note that
these species have some down falls,
as creeping red fescue has a higher
than average dry matter loss over the
winter, therefore fall grazing would
be best when using this species for
stockpiled pasture grazing systems.
Happy grazing and keep an open
mind towards the
options of stockpiling grass over the
summer to extend
grazing into the fall
months.
Source: Agri-Facts (October
2008 ed).
Page 3
Upcoming Events & Announcements
Contact Agricultural Service Board Staff (ASB) @ 1-780-384-4118 or visit www.flagstaff.ab.ca for
more information on any of these upcoming ASB events or programs.
2014 Monsanto Fund Opportunity Scholarship
Program
Achieve
your
Potential in
Agriculture
Flagstaff Agriculture Scholarship
 Provides about 65 scholarships to high school
students across Canada
 Provides a scholarship annually to students
enrolled in Agricultural related post secondary
Program
 EACH Scholarship valued at $1,500 awarded
to successful candidates
 Scholarship is valued at $1,000 to successful
candidates
 Application Deadline: May 24, 2014
 Application Deadline: June 30, 2014
 Visit the Website: www.monsanto.ca
 Visit the Website: www.flagstaff.ab.ca
Out ‘N’ Bout in Alberta
Farming Smarter
2014 Field School: Growing Something
Different
Save the Date
Livestock Handling in
Emergencies
Agricultural
Trade Show
Lakeland Vermillion College Campus
Location: Lethbridge Farming Smarter Site
Place: Lougheed, AB
May 3 - 4, 2014
2014 Conference and Tradeshow
Date: August 9, 2014
Lougheed Fair
Registration: Call 1-800-661-6490
Dates: June 24 - 26, 2014
Dates: December 2 - 3, 2014
Location: Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede
Grounds
http://www.farmingsmarter.com/events/
Location: Lougheed Arena
Time: 10am - 3pm
Website:
www.flagstaff.ab.ca
OR
Online: http://www.emergencytraining.ca/News_Releases/news02211301.aspx