Spring Seeding is not that far away

Seeds turn into plants, plants make grain and grain in the bin turns into money. The rate you seed your crop establishes your overall plant population in the field. Plant population in the field establishes the tone for your yield in the subsequent harvest. Combined with your seed’s thousand kernel weight (TKW) and expected seedling survival rate, your seeding rate can be determined through a simple equation.

Asphalt scammer reported in Fort Saskatchewan

An asphalt scam has been reported in Fort Saskatchewan.

Police are alerting residents to this active scam, which involves someone offering to pave driveways for a cheap price with money upfront.

Once the money is given to the suspect, they take pocket it and cut contact. 

Similar reports have been made in Morinville, Edmonton, and the surrounding area. Police believe that a rental vehicle is being used by the suspect to escape detection.

Fort Saskatchewan RCMP is asking anyone who encounters this scam to contact their local detachment.

'Very difficult situation:' Canadians in Khartoum take shelter amid violence

Abdelgadir Eltayeb and his family have no electricity, dwindling food and water, and haven't been able to venture far from the home in Khartoum where they took shelter after violence exploded in Sudan's capital this week. 

The Canadian, who is visiting relatives in Sudan with his wife and two children, says fighting between the country's army and its rival paramilitary force has unleashed chaos.

"It’s a very difficult situation," the 68-year-old said in a phone interview from Khartoum on Friday.

Hare gives birth on busy Fort Saskatchewan street

Sean Reilly was in downtown Fort Saskatchewan when he caught an amazing sight - a hare giving birth.

Reilly was on 100 Avenue on Friday (Apr. 21) afternoon to get a haircut when he was told that he would need to wait about 15 minutes. In the meantime, he went to get a snack.

"I walked by and saw this hare sitting there. It was looking pretty big, and it's not really afraid of me at all," said Reilly. "The convenience store was closed, and I still had 15 minutes to kill, so I said, 'Alright, I'll just stand on the corner and see if it does anything.'"

This week marked National Soil Conservation Week

You may not realize it, but tsoil is a big deal!

Whether you're a farmer or a backyard gardener soil is key for food production from the crops and vegetables grown to the grass and forage needed for livestock.

Research has shown that Canadian soil has been severely degraded in recent decades, a major aspect of soil degradation is the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the soil. 

Flood shuts down portion of Fort Saskatchewan school

Unexpected flooding shut down portions of a Fort Saskatchewan school.

On Wednesday (Apr. 19) morning, a sprinkler began to rain down on a classroom, quickly creating a puddle that spread out into the hallway.

"Fortunately, there weren't any students in the classroom, so nobody got wet," said Ken Marshman, facilities foreman at the school. "Minimal damage in that regard."

Marshman added that they had to evacuate several classrooms from the area.

Railways are starting to see a seasonal decline in grain movement

CN's weekly grain movement report for Week 37 shows 551 thousand metric tonnes of grain and processed grain products were moved.

That number is on par with average levels but under CN's target guidance of 744 thousand metric tonnes mainly due to lower net customer demand.

CN's Assistant Vice President David Przednowek says with spring weight restrictions coming on, we're getting deeper into the crop year with less grain left to move.

A new partnership will focus on supporting protein transition

Representatives from Protein Industries Canada and Wageningen University in The Netherlands met in Vancouver this week.

The two agreed that protein transition is an indispensable step towards a sustainable future, both countries have a considerable agriculture base that could contribute to a more plant-based future. 

The initiative, "Economically-Powered Protein Transition through Innovation in Chains" (EPPIC) involves 86 participating partners including Protein Industries Canada, and will begin its work in early 2024. 

Fort Saskatchewan football player commits to CJFL team

A Fort Saskatchewan football player has committed to a Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) team. 

18-year-old Parker Kellington, a former Bev Facey Falcon, will be taking his talents to B.C. to play for the Okanagan Sun.

"It's definitely one of those things where not everyone really gets a chance, and it's nice to reap the rewards of the work that I put in," said Kellington. "It's a nice feeling to be able to have a chance to keep going with my dreams."

Federal Agriculture Minister travels to Japan for G7 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is promoting world food security and agricultural trade as part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy.

During her visit, Bibeau will meet with Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to discuss the Canada-Japan trade relationship, and will emphasize Canada's priority to be a trading partner of choice for Japan in agriculture.