CASH IS KING IN DOWN CYCLES
GM ALFALFA NOT WANTED
Farm adviser says producers need a different approach now that commodity prices are down » PG 2
Municipal leaders ask province to keep controversial variety out of Alberta » PG 3
Publications Mail Agreement # 40069240
V o l u m e 1 3 , n u m b e r 7 M a r c h 2 8 , 2 0 1 6
CETA a household word on Canadian farms, in Europe not so much
Ecological services program catching fire in Alberta
Trade deal is a ‘non-story’ on the other side of the Atlantic
ALUS grew slowly after arriving in Alberta in 2010, but it’s taken off in the past year and now 10 counties are on board
BY SHANNON VANRAES
A Special Report by Glacier FarmMedia
T
he man on the other end of the phone is confused. “I have not heard of this before,” Marek Nowak says slowly. “I am of no help for this.” He’s been asked about the impact the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement — commonly called CETA — might have on Polish dairy farmers such as himself. But like most European dairy producers,
see CETA } page 6
Before and after: In the summer of 2012, cattle were still drinking from a drainage channel that ran through Tomahawk Cattle Ranch. Fencing off the area produced a dramatic change by September 2015. PHOTOS: PARKLAND COUNTY
BY GLENN CHEATER AF STAFF
T
he notice in the county newsletter about funding for environmental projects immediately caught the attention of Gerry Taillieu. “I thought, ‘This is something I need to look into’ because it was offering financial assistance to do something we were already going to do,” said the manager of
Tomahawk Cattle Ranch, a 14,000-acre operation in Parkland County. About 5,000 of those acres were once covered by a shallow lake, which was drained in the 1960s. Prior to seeing that notice in 2012, Taillieu hadn’t heard of ALUS (pronounced Alice and short for Alternative Land Use Services), but the prospect of getting free money was too good to pass up. While the amount was modest — $6,425, which was half the cost of fencing
the ‘creek’ — Taillieu has since become an enthusiastic proponent of a program that is catching fire in Alberta. “There are always things that need to be done and ALUS helps you target those environmentally sensitive areas that you know in your heart you want to protect and it moves them to the top of the list,” said Taillieu, who now sits on an ALUS advisory committee for Parkland
see ALUS } page 7
B:10.25” T:10.25” S:10.25”
cropscience.bayer.ca/Varro
1 888-283-6847
@Bayer4CropsCA
Always read and follow label directions. Varro is a registered trademark of Bayer Global. All other products are trademarks of their respective companies. Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada. ®
+10%
YIELD OVER LATE APPLICATION OF GROUP 2 HERBICIDES
C-78-02/16-10508448-E
T:3”
* 2015 Agronomic Development trials, 3 replicated trials, 6 different treatments: Varro® or Simplicity® or Everest® + Pixarro™ or Paradigm™
B:3”
To learn more watch the Early Weed Removal video at cropscience.bayer.ca/YieldGain and enter for a chance to WIN a spray performance kit.
S:3”
EARLY WEED REMOVAL 10% YIELD INCREASE*