I've been thinking a lot about consumer awareness and needs, as the movement to "tell your [ag] story" continues to grow. I have concerns with some of the messages I've seen, and some I once felt compelled to give. I've heard again and again that consumers must be aware of where their food comes from.... Read More
Tag: Debra Murphy
After a busy week of networking, mind mapping and proposing solutions to food insecurity at the Youth Ag Summit in Calgary, I am now preparing to leave for Australia to meet up with the Five Nations Beef Alliance. Who is that, now? Allow me to elaborate. Four of the world’s major beef producing nations –... Read More
What's sure to be a career-shaping week for nearly 120 youth from across the world kicked off in Calgary yesterday, as the first-ever Youth Ag Summit got rolling in the city. Hosted by 4-H Canada and Bayer CropScience, the week-long event's theme is "Feeding a Hungry Planet," and each day delegates from 20 countries will... Read More
If you had asked me in February what “CYL” was, I likely would have answered with a completely made-up, yet entirely coy response. Six months later? I have a whole new network of industry leaders at my fingertips, a very encouraging mentor, a community of friends, educational opportunities galore and a $1,000 budget to attend... Read More
The 2013 calving season was, to say the least, awful on our farm. Ugh, I still shudder at the thought of it. If you were anything like me, you were confused. The lack of sleep and surplus of snow certainly didn’t help. Why is this calf sick? What are these signs and symptoms indicative of?... Read More
Thriving in wet, soggy soils (and thus seldom acknowledged as a problem-pathogen in Canada), aphanomyces is difficult to differentiate from other root rot microorganisms based on symptomology alone. Molecular techniques and identification of spores in the lab are the best means of identification, and as of right now, there is no commercial test available for... Read More
The Morris slogan is "We hear you" and with the recently unveiled Morris Razr disc drill and the new 9 series Air Carts, it's clear they do. RealAgriculture's Debra Murphy was on the grounds before Canada's Farm Progress Show to see the new equipment. In this video, Garth Massie, corporate agronomist for Morris Industries, describes... Read More
Concerns of habitat loss, wildlife diversity, climate change and clean air and water are growing. Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) — originally a pilot project out of Manitoba — is a means of addressing these concerns through a program where private landowners are paid to maintain and improve the ecological goods and services on their... Read More
To say that big machinery gets noticed at a farm show is understating that fact just a little. It seems each company is trying to out-do each other every year. While it may not have been their intention, the SprayFlex sprayer dwarfed just about every other piece of equipment at Canada's Farm Progress Show. With... Read More
Yeah, I am a bit of a nerd, but who wouldn’t be terribly excited to be a part of the Alberta Pest Monitoring Network (APMN)? Setting up the bertha armyworm pheromone traps last week required battling the mosquito cavalry, but the mozzies were no match for my baggy sweater and good help. The traps were... Read More