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Tag Archives Irrigation — page 2

McCain Foods’ french fry processing plant near Coaldale, Alta. (University of Lethbridge video screengrab via YouTube)
Crops

McCain to double Alberta french fry plant capacity

Lethbridge-area plant to more than double staff count

By
Alberta’s plans to boost its irrigated acres are being met near the starting line with a major french fry producer’s plans to double the capacity of its plant there. McCain Foods announced Monday it will put up $600 million to build two new production lines for frozen french fries and potato specialty goods at its […] Read more
Flooding from the Salinas River forces the closure of a road at Salinas, California on Jan. 12, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Nathan Frandino)
Crops

California picks up debris from latest storm, braces for next

Also: Why all this rain won't end California's drought

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Sacramento | Reuters — Rain-soaked Californians took advantage of a break in a weeks-long deluge to haul away dead trees, restore downed power lines and prepare new stacks of sandbags before another series of storms hits the state beginning Friday. In Monterey County along the state’s central coast, communities near the still-rising Salinas River were […] Read more
Nate Horner, shown here speaking Oct. 4, 2022 at Southland Trailers at Lethbridge, was named Oct. 21 as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and irrigation. (Alberta government video screengrab via YouTube)

Alberta reorganizes ag portfolio for returning minister

Horner to handle agriculture and irrigation file

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Both Alberta and Quebec have re-upped with their incumbent agriculture ministers in cabinet shuffles this week — but incoming Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s shuffle will also streamline that province’s ag portfolio. Chosen by Alberta’s governing United Conservatives (UCP) on Oct. 6 to replace outgoing premier Jason Kenney, Smith on Friday announced Kenney’s incumbent minister of […] Read more
A soil infiltration demonstration provides a good visual of how coarse and fine root channels help move water through the soil. Cover crops with coarse roots (e.g. daikon radish) and those with very dense root systems (e.g. cereal rye) provide the most benefit.
Crops

Managing to get the most from available water

Tips for keeping it in the ground to make it accessible to crop roots

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Water is the most important limiting input for crop production. In more than a couple of the past years, producers across the province have been forced to watch while their crops suffer from dry conditions in the heat of summer. Other than irrigation (which is rare for field crops in Ontario), there’s really nothing we […] Read more
Canada is a land of abundance. Food security is based more on transportation and distribution than storage.
News

Canadian food security doesn’t look like it does in other countries

Accessibility to food is one thing — but resilience in production and processing is another

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As some countries stockpile agricultural products, Canada continues to ship them out despite feed affordability concerns in parts of the country. Would investments in a stockpiled grain supply have helped what appears to be a developing food production crisis? As a leading exporter, however, the question for Canada should be different. A true food security […] Read more
(MyLand.ag)
Crops, Machinery

AGI to buy into soil microbe breeding firm

Machinery maker to take minority stake in MyLand

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A U.S. company ramping up a system to harvest, reproduce and restore beneficial microbes from a field’s own soils, as a way to restore peak fertility, expects to get backing soon from a Canadian farm equipment maker. Winnipeg-based Ag Growth International (AGI) said Monday it has signed a conditional letter of intent with Phoenix-based MyLand […] Read more
Control gates along one of the contour-tiled fields will allow study into the value of being able to maintain water in tiles when needed during dry periods.
Crops, News

Drainage demo farm sets baselines

The ambitious project features standard, contour, controlled and terrace drainage

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The Huronview Demo Farm looks much different than it did a year ago when tile machines from several companies were busy installing the numerous drainage systems showcased at the farm. Soybeans were harvested at the farm in late September and wheat planted shortly after. Why it matters: The Huronview Demo Farm is a rare place […] Read more
(Video screengrab from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry via YouTube)
Crops

Federal fund, Alberta government back irrigation upgrades

Infrastructure Bank lends cash for system improvements

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Eight irrigation districts in Alberta are set to tap into the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s new $1.5 billion pool of funding earmarked for irrigation, to receive loans worth about $407.5 million. The Alberta and federal governments on Friday announced a total investment of $815 million — including repayable CIB funds, provincial support and irrigation district contributions […] Read more
File photo of Diefenbaker Lake in southern Saskatchewan. (IanChrisGraham/iStock/Getty Images)
Crops, Machinery

Federal irrigation pledge seen flowing mainly to Prairies

Infrastructure plan also includes promised broadband support

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Prairie provinces will receive the bulk of Ottawa’s $1.5 billion commitment to support irrigation projects, according to federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday launched a three-year, $10 billion infrastructure plan aimed at five different sectors, including agriculture. The $1.5 billion is expected to result in 700,000 acres of irrigated land. […] Read more

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