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AtlanticFarmer is an online news service that publishes original content and gleans the best information from the web, so we can offer our readers access to a wide variety of articles from one easy source.
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Source: ThinkFarm
Extended Learning at the Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture is pleased to offer a one day workshop “Does My Farm Have Worms?” to both sheep and goat producers, and veterinarians on Saturday, May 10. This is a one day workshop featuring updates, case studies, and the latest on managing gastro-intestinal parasites in the face of increasing anthelmintic resistance. (read more)
Source: AtlanticFarmer.com
East Coast Organic Milk is closing after only a year and a half on the shelves. Despite the consumer uptake for the local product, the cooperative found it was unable to compete with products from outside the province that were being sold cheaper than East Coast’s cost of production could match. Only two dairy farms were supplying milk to Cook’s Dairy in Yarmouth where East Coast Organic Milk was being processed. They were unable to grow sales fast enough to cover the cost structure according to Frazer Hunter, whose family owns one of the two farms. Provincial regulations, added to the mounting burden of distribution and shipping costs, were the blows that forced the decision to stop production.
Source: NY Times
Helping America’s beleaguered bees could start with something as humble as planting a shrub. In California’s Central Valley, researchers are trying to find assortments of bee-friendly plants that local farmers and ranchers can easily grow, whether in unusable corners and borders of their land or on acreage set aside with government support. (read more)
Source: AtlanticFarmer.com
The great resource give away. Why New Brunswick is poor. Charles Theriault, documentary filmmaker; Don Bowser, international expert on transparency and anti-corruption; Jean-Louis Deveau, shale gas extraction/fracking. Theriault and guests question the management of the greatest natural wealth New Brunswickers possess, the Crown land forest. Moncton Wesleyan Celebration Centre, Saturday, May 3, 1:30pm. Free admission. (read more)
Source: Financial Post
That not all provinces are alike in the eyes of Ottawa is hardly news, but sometimes different treatment is particularly obvious. Usually, the complaint is that Québec enjoys special treatment. When it comes to the forest industries, however, Ottawa discriminates against Québec. (read more)
Source: Maritime Beef Test Station
On Friday March 28, 2014 Guy LeBlanc was named the first ever recipient of the Bob Colpitts Memorial Award at the New Brunswick Beef Conference. This award is intended to recognize leaders who have committed their career to the continual improvement of the New Brunswick beef industry. (read more)
Source: ThinkFarm
The Department of Agriculture’s Homegrown Success Program is now accepting applications and the program guidelines are available online. There have been some significant changes to the Program: The overall funding cap has been reduced and the percentage that will be funded on projects has been reduced. Applications will be accepted up until April 30 and will be evaluated based on the project impact. (read more)
Source: Maritime Beef Test Station
The 41st Annual Breeding Stock Sale will be held this Saturday, April 5, 2014 starting at 1pm. The sale will feature 69 yearling bulls as well as 29 consigned heifers. Please see the sale section on the website for more information. If you are unable to attend in person, you will be able to watch live on the Internet and bid by phone (check back on Saturday at noon). (read more)
Source: Community Wire
Imagine walking along a tree-lined trail, through the fresh spring air and twigs snapping under your feet – maybe you’re on an afternoon stroll with your children or out searching for songbirds. Or, perhaps you’re lending a hand in important conservation work, whilst soaking up the sun and exploring nature’s wonders! This is the kind of opportunity that awaits you when you sign up for outdoor volunteer events. With National Volunteer Week (April 6 -12) right around the corner and spring sprouting before our eyes, many outdoors-loving Canadians are looking for ways to celebrate their altruistic side, while enjoying the much anticipated warmer weather. (read more)
Source: littleriverfolk@hotmail.com
The third annual South Shore Sustainability Expo & Forum, Saturday April 5, 2014. This event is completely FREE to the public. Nova Scotia Community College Gymnasium, 75 High Street, Bridgewater, 9am - 2pm. Do you want to learn more about the sustainable products, services, and activities on the South Shore? The South Shore Sustainability EXPO will feature an exhibitor area of about 30 local businesses and community organizations that are providing “greener” services and products (or ideas and opportunities) in our community. (read more)
Source: ThinkFarm
A hands-on workshop with Av Singh, organic and small scale farming specialist with Perennia at Watershed Farm, Baker Settlement, N.S., April 16, 10am-to 4pm. This workshop will be helpful to everyone from home gardeners to farmers who want to grow healthier crops. (read more)
Source: modernfarmer.com
To save the bees, enlist the human-hive mind. That’s the gist of Open-Source Bee Project’s (OSBP) new project. Earlier this month, the international collaborative of hackers opened a fundraising effort they hope will connect backyard beehives to the Internet. And no, this is not about bringing Netflix to insects. OSBP thinks that a global set of sensors could give scientists new insight into the possible causes of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) – the elusive condition threatening bees and the crops they pollinate. (read more)
Source: Agriville.com
A blackened pasture warms faster on a cold spring day. That starts early grass growth. “Fire is the most underused grass management tool we have,” says Rob Kallenbach, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist. With the long, cold winter followed by a delayed spring, fire may offer a chance to jump-start grass growth by warming the soil. “We know the value of controlled burns on native warm-season grasses. But we don’t realize the value of fire on cool-season grass.” (read more)
Source: NPR
Last week NPR reported on a new campaign from the Center for Biological Diversity that hopes to persuade Americans to cut back on their meat consumption. Their pitch? Eat less meat and you will help save wildlife. While ranching and farming have hurt wildlife and their habitats throughout the West, ranchers are working with Defenders of Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy and other environmental organizations, demonstrating that raising livestock and protecting wildlife can be compatible. (read more)
Source: NSFA
This tool will help determine soil erosion levels on your farm. It will allow you to test different crop rotations and crop management systems (i.e. tillage, cover crop, terracing) to reduce the potential for soil erosion. To use the tool just select your field from the map and input your crop rotation and management practices. Soil erosion levels are calculated based on available soil information, rainfall data and inputs of crops, cropping practices and slope length. (read more)
Source: NSFA
Nova Scotia 4-H is a not-for-profit organization for youth with close to 2,400 members and 900 leaders from across the province. 4-H is one of Canada’s longest-running youth organizations for young people between the ages of seven and 21. Nova Scotia 4-H has an immediate need for a talented Executive Director to provide leadership, direction, and management. (read more)
Source: FCC
Canada Beef is one of the leaders in using social media to connect consumers with ranchers from coast to coast. The latest promotion encourages beef producers and their families to pose for “felfies” – a term combining the words farmer and selfie – a self-portrait usually taken with a smart phone. Over 100 felfies have been submitted over the past couple of weeks from nearly every province. (read more)
Dirk van Loon, the publisher of Atlantic Forestry Review, was inducted into the Nova Scotia Forestry Hall of Fame at a ceremony held March 20 in Truro, in conjunction with the joint meeting of the Nova Scotia Forest Technicians Association, the Canadian Institute of Forestry - Nova Scotia Section, and the Registered Professional Foresters Association of Nova Scotia. Several associates of the magazine were present for the celebration; from left: David Palmer, George Fullerton, David Sutherland, Wim van Loon (the inductee's son, accepting the award on his behalf), and David Lindsay. Also inducted to the Hall of Fame was David Barrett, a veteran lumberman from Beaver Bank, N.S. (Don Cameron photo)
Source: NSWOOA
Nova Scotia Woodlot Owners and Operators Association Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, 12 April 2014 in Old Barns, N.S. The gathering starts at 8:15-8:45 with registration and coffee. (read more)
Source: ThinkFarm
The Municipality of Kings County and the Town of Berwick are holding a Farm Stay Workshop on April 3 from 9am to 2:30 pm in Kentville. Farm Stays are huge in Europe, the U.S., and other regions in Canada. Farm Stays connect consumers to producers, enhance the buy local strategy, offer tourists new experiences, and create new revenue streams for farmers. We want to bring together the stakeholders for this conversation: farmers, tourism, agriculture, municipalities, economic developers, people with ideas and information to share. Have an idea? We’re looking for you to participate. (read more)
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