Okotoks

Prairie farmers may have to contend with rust this year, a disease that can significantly impact crop yields.

Dr. Kelly Turkington, a research scientist in plant pathology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lacombe, explains that rust spores typically originate from the Pacific Northwest and the Texas-to-Nebraska corridor in the U.S. These spores, which include stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust, and crown rust in oats, are carried by the wind and usually start appearing in the prairies in June.

The Town of High River released another Highwood River water update on Friday (May 30).

Currently, the snowpack is at 38 mm of snow water equivalent, but a week earlier on May 23, the snowpack was sitting at 198 mm of snow water equivalent.

As of June, 7 2024, the snowpack was sitting at 277 mm of snow water equivalent.

Almost no rain has fallen since April 1 in Nipawin and Prince Albert 

Rain has become a rarity in Nipawin, Sask.

In the 30 days of April, Nipawin received one millimetre of precipitation. In the first 27 days of May, the Environment Canada weather station in Nipawin recorded 1.5 mm of rain and snow.

It’s a similar story across the northern agricultural region of Saskatchewan. There’s been almost no rain this spring in Hudson Bay, Carrot River and Prince Albert.

Alberta students from 11 schools recently worked on projects that make a difference in their communities.

Through the Environmental Student Action Challenge Grant, the provincial government is investing in the youth in the province, as well as helping them to complete school-based projects that address and offer solutions for a student-identified need in their community.

Students in this program learn about improving their environment and document the lessons they learned.

The department says producer engagement, field demonstrations and making data available online are expected of its researchers

Agriculture Canada employs about 380 scientists at its 20 research centres across the country.

Their job?

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The heatwave this week broke a few temperature records in the Southern Alberta region.  

Earlier in the week, Environment Canada issued a heat warning as daytime temperatures reached the high 20s and low 30s by mid-week.  

On Thursday (May 29), the Claresholm area set a new record of 32.7 C, breaking the 31.5 C record that was set in 1986.  

A local horse rescue group is helping to save horses from going to slaughterhouses.

Not only that, but Heel and Hoof Horse Rescue is wanting to help raise awareness about how horses are slaughtered in Alberta and Canada.

"A lot of people don't realize that in Alberta we slaughter a lot of horses, and they're sent overseas for meat," explains Heel and Hoof owner, Ruth McDonald. "They're also shipped live to Japan, because they eat it raw, so they want them fresh. 28 hours, no food, no water, cramped in a crate. And we want awareness that this isn't right."

This week has seen significant fluctuations in the commodity markets, particularly in wheat and canola prices. Following the U.S. Memorial Day long weekend, wheat prices dropped sharply on Tuesday, falling by $10 to $15 per tonne.

Farmers have been making good progress in the field; so far 88 per cent of the provincial crop in the ground. 

According to Saskatchewan's weekly crop report seeding is most advanced in the southwest at 95 per cent, followed by the west-central region at 94 per cent, the northwest at 93, the northeast at 92, the east central at 81, and the southeast at 80 per cent seeded.

After securing the second three-peat in franchise history last year, the Okotoks Dawgs are feeling confident for the 2025 season. 

The Dawgs home opener game is tomorrow (May 31), with the first pitch flying at 7:05 p.m., at Seaman Stadium. 

William Gardner, VP of Promotions said topping the 2024 season will take some doing, but the organization has the coaching staff and the athletes to make it happen.