Farmer Rancher November 19, 2020

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Serving the producers of the Northwest

FARMER North Battleford, Saskatchewan

RancheR

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Pollinators key to sustainability, says 2020 Volvo Environment Prize winner By Marc Fawcett-Atkinson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter National Observer

Forget lions, tigers and bears: For Claire Kremen, conserving insects is more important. Around the world, forests, meadows and wild spaces are being rapidly transformed into farmland, pushing wildlife into steep decline and threatening our food security. It’s a crisis that Kremen, professor of zoology, con-

servation biologist and recipient of the 2020 Volvo Environment Prize, has dedicated a lifetime to solve. The annual prize is among the world’s most respected environmental honours and includes a cash award of $210,000. “Over time, our farms have gotten larger, they’ve tended to get more simplified,” said Kremen. That change has made it increasingly difficult for pollinators like bees and flies — responsible for about 75 per cent of the

world’s crops — to survive. Fortunately, reversing the catastrophe is possible, she said, by making working lands like farms and ranches more ecologically diverse. Between 60 and 70 per cent of the Earth’s terrestrial surface is used by people for farming, forestry or ranching. They’re the lands that feed us; however, many of the management practices used on them to maximize food or timber production Continued on Page 2

Claire Kremen is a conservation biologist, a professor of zoology at UBC and this year’s recipient of the Volvo Environment Prize for her work on pollinator habitats and agriculture. Photo by Volvo Environment Prize

APAS launches Saskatchewan’s first Internet Speed Test Agriculture group highlights poor rural internet by challenging rural residents to test their speed The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) has launched an Internet Speed Test for Saskatchewan. The test gives people living anywhere in Saskatchewan the chance to test their internet speeds against what their internet contracts promise. The project is a partnership between APAS, Saskatchewan’s agricultural policy and advocacy organization, and the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), which

works to improve the safety and accessibility of the internet for Canadians. The APAS Internet Speed Test is the first such partnership between CIRA and a Saskatchewan organization. The data collected will help establish a baseline for internet service levels in the province. APAS hopes the research will help ensure that the federal government’s enhanced Universal Broadband Fund supports projects in the areas that need it most.

“The investment in the Universal Broadband Fund is an important step, and our Internet Speed Test is a great complement to it,” says farmer Jeremy Welter, Chair of the APAS Rural Connectivity Task Force, which launched in September to focus on rural internet and cellular service. “This Speed Test lets us put numbers to people’s experiences and see what internet service levels look like in specific areas around the province.”

Why would you include ALPINE G22® in your seeding operation?

The Internet Speed Test, which takes only a minute to complete, gives the user detailed information about their download and upload speeds. Speeds that meet the CRTC’s service standards for Canadian internet are given a blue dot on the Saskatchewan map, while substandard internet is marked in red. “Not only does it give us a really compelling picture of internet speed across the province,” says Welter, “but it also gives people an

exact picture of their own internet. They can compare their speed to what their contract promises and let their service provider know if they’re not getting the speeds they’re paying for.” APAS is calling on rural Saskatchewan residents living on farms, in towns and villages, and on First Nations, to complete the Internet Speed Test. The data will help APAS understand actual internet service levels in the province and advocate for im-

provements. People can take the Internet Speed Test at apas. ca/speed-test. Launched in September 2020, the APAS Rural Connectivity Task Force is currently meeting with industry experts and service providers to find out why connectivity is still so bad in rural Saskatchewan, plus identify ways to fix the problem. The Task Force will release its findings in early 2021. Visit apas.ca/connectivity for more information.

Call your local ALPINE representative or ALPINE retailer for further information:

Saskatchewan manufactured ALPINE G22: an integral part of the Maximizing Fertilizer Efficiency Program ALPINE G22 precision seed placed liquid phosphate • Is readily available to the plant in cold soils • Promotes a quicker, more even emergence • Increases root mass ALPINE G22 makes seeding simpler • Less storage and handling • Increases air cart efficiency • Easily add and uniformly place additional micronutrients ALPINE G22 contributes to your bottom line • Earlier maturity and higher yields • Seed more acres per day • Fall pricing program

Jamie Bugg, DSM North Battleford (306) 480-6979 jbugg@alpinepfl.com www.alpinepfl.com

Biggar: (306) 948-1800 Broderick: (306) 867-8371 Luseland: (306) 372-4411 N. Battleford: (306) 937-1800 Perdue: (306) 237-1800 Rosetown: (306) 882-1800 Swift Current: (306) 773-7233 Unity: (306) 228-1800 Wilkie: (306) 843-1800 therackonline.com


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Farmer Rancher November 19, 2020 by Battlefords News Optimist - Issuu