On my travels throughout the County, I have seen an abundant number of established shelterbelts. In fact, I remember driving through the countryside with Brent Hoyland before he retired last year and him pointing out the now established shelterbelts that he planted many years ago.

An Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) is a voluntary free self-assessment tool for producers who are committed to environmental stewardship. The program began in 2003 with a goal to help producers identify their environmental risks and implement mitigation strategies.

Clubroot is a serious soil-borne disease that can’t be taken lightly; it is classified as a pest under the Alberta Agricultural Pests Act. Negligence is no way to overcome it.

There has been a lot of discussion recently on how the agricultural industry will be affected by the world gaining more recognition towards carbon.

Producers have been testing their soil for many years. Many of them wonder if it is worth the investment to make annually or question if they should even do it all? The answer is not that simple.

Under the Water Act, landowners are NOT permitted to drain any wetland without first obtaining provincial authorization.

This spring, we have received complaints about landowners draining water from fields to adjacent land. This practice is becoming all too common.

Farming is a very stressful occupation and is one of the few businesses where you have no control over the biggest factor determining success. Weather. You can do everything right, according to the book, yet, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, as it didn’t this year with moisture, the crop can be a failure.

Flagstaff County has a rich history of Indigenous sites within our region. In fact, Flagstaff County gets its name from the region’s highest point, which the Cree referred to as Flag Hanging Hill. Legend has it that the hill, also known as Treaty Hill, was a popular gathering place for Indigenous people. It was also where Bishop Grandin met the Blackfoot and Cree, and forged peace between them.

As crop prices continue to rise, it has directly affected the price and use of land. We can see it all around us as brush and sloughs are being cleared or burnt to increase the “farmable” acres. Part of the area that some producers might be using are undeveloped road allowances.

Voters in Flagstaff County and municipalities across Alberta went to the polls on Monday, October 18, 2021.