Strathmore resident builds poppy displays around town

Several stores in Strathmore are adorned with crochet poppies thanks to one resident and her friends.

Marj Ireland had the idea of bringing crochet poppies to local businesses for years, and 2024 was the first year her idea came to life.

"It's been fun," said Ireland. "It's been lots of work, but not only by me. There's been lots of women that have done poppies."

Janet, Marion, and Pat are a group of local crocheters who created the 5,225 poppies by hand, which Ireland has placed around Strathmore.

Soil testing a key component in making sure farmland is outputting what's needed

With the ground about to freeze across the prairies, many farmers are getting soil sampling done before the end of the year.

Testing out just what's in many farmer's grounds is a key part of making sure you know what's under the surface and what might need to go in.

Warren Ward, an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, talks about the necessity of that testing.

The Canadian Country Showcase Podcast: Episode 26

The Canadian Country Showcase, hosted by Courtney Fielder, airs every weekend on Saturdays at 12 PM and Sundays at 4 PM. Courtney engages in conversations with emerging country music artists and the established stars we’ve come to love, celebrating their milestones and new releases. Episode 26 of the podcast, featuring Jeff Catto and Matt Martin, aired on the weekend of November 2nd and 3rd, 2024.

Alberta government asking residents to "Rat on Rats"

The Alberta government has launched a new campaign to keep rats out of Alberta.

The "Rat on Rats" program will fund billboards and outreach materials encouraging Albertans to report rat sightings. The total cost of the campaign is $110,000.

“Managing invasive species and pests, like rats, is an important part of keeping our food chain safe and productive," said Lawrence MacAulay, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food. "This campaign will help keep Alberta proudly rat-free, so our farmers can focus on what they do best - feeding Canadians and the world.” 

When is Chestermere switching to bi-weekly green cart pickup?

The City of Chestermere announced it will move to a bi-weekly green cart pickup schedule.

Staff with the city mentioned it will start on Sunday (Nov. 10).

The Town of Strathmore also moved to bi-weekly pickup of green bins on November 1 for the fall and winter seasons.

"Remember, green carts are for organics such as food scraps, pet waste, and grass clippings," wrote the city in a news release.

UN refugee chief says reducing refugee targets is wise if it prevents backlash

The head of the United Nations refugee agency says it is wise of Canada to scale back the number of new refugees it plans to resettle if that helps stabilize the housing market and prevents backlash against newcomers.

Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, met with the prime minister in Ottawa on Monday.

His visit comes a little more than a week after the federal government announced plans to cut overall immigration levels by 20 per cent for 2025 — a cut that includes refugees and protected persons.

'Be ready for both': Canadians prepare for any outcome as Americans head to the polls

Millions of Americans are heading to the polls Tuesday as a chaotic presidential campaign reaches its peak in a deeply divided United States, where voters in only a handful of battleground states will choose the country’s path forward.

Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump have presented starkly different visions for America's future, but polling shows the two remain in a dead heat. 

Exploring ag innovation and connections at farm women’s conferences across the prairies

Harvest is pretty much complete in the prairie provinces and we are entering the time of year when plans are starting for 2025. Over the next several months, many big events will be held from conferences to trade shows and more. Some of these events focus on woman and all they bring to the industry.