2021 Municipal Election Results

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

Beetles making inroads in war on leafy spurge

There’s a beetle invasion taking place on two Hardisty-area farms.

But not to worry. It’s all part of an innovative weed control program that Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Services department is spearheading in partnership with the Alberta Invasive Species Council.

Century Farms Abound in Flagstaff

It’s no secret that Flagstaff County – with one million acres of fertile farmland – is steeped in a rich farming tradition. But did you know that Flagstaff County is home to the most Alberta Century Farm and Ranch Award recipients?

Goats winning war on weed

It was an especially productive season for Flagstaff County’s favourite bearded weedeaters.

Between May 20 and the end of July, as many as 180 goats grazed a quarter-section of Flagstaff County-owned land near the Town of Hardisty in a cost-effective bid to purge the area of an infestation of leafy spurge.

Grazing Goats Take on Leafy Spurge

A herd of hungry goats – 150 in all – is working to purge an infestation of leafy spurge from a quarter-section of Flagstaff County-owned land.

The four-legged, bearded weedeaters have been grazing through the noxious weed in a fenced area just southeast of Hardisty from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day since May 22.

Flea Beetles Feasting on Leafy Spurge

Leafy spurge has been “bugging” Wyatt and Theresa Bitzer for years.

This summer, the Hardisty-area farmers are finally turning the proverbial tables on the persistent perennial weed – by unleashing 4,000 flea beetles on a patch of their infested land.

The tiny black beetles, referred to scientifically as aphthona lacertosa, are known to have a voracious appetite for leafy spurge.