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Agricultural Service Board
ASB contact and department information...

Grazing School For Women

June 8 & 9, 2010
Hastings Lake Bible Camp, Sherwood Park, AB

This Years Topics Include:

·         Livestock Health

·         On Farm Insects

·         Growing Forward Update

·         Effective Grazing Management

·         Making Your Own Green Cleaner

·         Beef Market and Policy Update

·         Working with the Opposite Sex

Early Bird Registration $70 before May 21st, $85 after May 21st
Registrations will be accepted until June 1st

To register, contact Lindsey @ 780-384-4129
or lcatherwood@flagstaff.ab.ca

Coyote Predation in Livestock

Producing livestock in the Boreal Region has many challenges and coyote predation is one of them.  There are several management practices that agricultural producers can use to limit or eliminate the losses caused by predation.

There are a few cost effective management practices that can help to eliminate predation before it starts and thereby keeping more money in your pocket.  Dead livestock, still born young and afterbirth attract coyotes and other predators. It is important to have a management plan for the proper disposal of your waste materials. If an on farm bury pit is your choice of carcass disposal, it should be two meters deep, cover the dead animals with lime and then cover with soil. This should help deter the presence of some predators.

Cattle
There are management practices that can help control predation while calving your cows. Some of these are;

• Maintain regular surveillance during calving season, especially with first calf heifers, and animals known to have trouble birthing.
   
• Avoid placement of pregnant cows in bush pastures. Bringing the cattle close to home and keeping a close eye on them is one of the most effective tools in preventing coyote predation.
   
• Sick newborns are the most vulnerable, and healthy cows are more likely to produce healthy calves. Cows that are borderline deficient in copper, selenium and vitamins A and E can have weaker calves. Therefore, cows should have a complete trace mineral supplement that includes vitamins. Also, injecting the calves with vitamin A, D and E, as well as selenium will promote herd health.
• Maintain fences to prevent young calves from wandering outside of calving areas and away from the protection of their mothers.

Shooting and trapping are other options to use in your overall management plan. Landholders can shoot coyotes on their land or authorize a resident to do so throughout the year.  Keep in mind that Federal Gun Legislation must be followed at all times. During the fur season, a landholder may obtain a resident trapper’s license from Alberta Fish and Wildlife or provide written authority to another resident who holds a trappers license to trap or snare coyotes on his property. However first time trappers may have to successfully complete a trapping course.

For information on hunting and trapping regulations please contact your local fish and wildlife office.

For more information on livestock predation issues please contact the Smoky Lake County Agricultural Services Board @ (780) 656-3730.

2010 Emergency Registration for 2% Liquid Strychnine Concentrate

Emergency registration of 2% Liquid Strychnine Concentrate has once again been granted for control of Richardson Ground Squirrels on agricultural land.

1. This product is only available to producers with SEVERE infestations of Richardson Ground Squirrels. An infestation is considered severe if there are 50 mounds per 100m or 30% crop damage.
    
2. Producers must fill out and sign an “Acknowledgement of Purchase and use of Product” agreement at the time of purchase and must complete and return a product evaluation form after baiting has been completed.
    
3. the Agricultural Fieldman will supply labels for containers of mixed bait.  
    
4. Producers must follow all label instructions and Alberta Agriculture and PMRA regulations. Any misuse may result in prosecution.
    
5. Producers must phone ahead to arrange pick-up with qualified ASB staff.
    
6. The price of 2% Liquid Strychnine is $6.00 per bottle and a maximum of two cases will sold at a time.

For more information or to arrange pick up please contact the Smoky Lake County Agricultural Services Board @ (780) 656-3730.

2010 Vegetation Management Program

As spraying season approaches, ASB staff is preparing for the upcoming spray season. Starting this year the ASB will be implementing our Vegetation Management Plan as per County Policy 62-15-01. Spray operations will commence June 1st as long as weather and growing conditions permit. Spraying will be conducted for the purposes of brush and weed control.

Landowners who do not want spraying to be conducted along their property are requested to sign a Right-of-Way Vegetation Control Application (for chemical spray exemption) and pick up "DO NOT SPRAY" signs from the County Office. Signs must be posted far enough in advance to allow the operator time to react. Landowners posting these signs then assume all responsibility to control weeds and brush along the road right-of-way.

For more information on types of pesticides being used or any other program detail, please contact the Smoky Lake County Agricultural Services Board @ (780) 656-370.

Fusarium Head Blight

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum, and is a serious fungal disease of wheat, barley, oats and other small cereal grains and corn.

 Fusarium graminearum has been present at very low levels in Alberta since 1989. It has been increasing in incidence and severity in southern Alberta, where in 2009 it resulted in grade reductions due to the presence of FDK’s especially in highly susceptible wheat varieties grown under irrigation, but the pathogen remains relatively rare in the rest of the province at this time.  Although we have not had any major outbreaks in this area it is still important to know what to look for. Click on the link below to view some very important (FHB) information or contact the Smoky Lake County Agricultural Services Board @ (780) 656-3730 for more information.

Fusarium Head Information Poster

Growers encouraged to check bins, even if canola went in dry

With the warmer than usual April, air circulation patterns in your stored canola have changed, which could mean hot spots and an elevated spoilage risk. It’s time to check your bins.

"All bins should be checked, but especially large steel bins of 5,000 bushels or more," says Jim Bessel, senior agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada. "With the intensity of the sun and with 20°C days, we are starting to see some issues with spoilage — even for canola that went into the bin dry."

For big bins, the issue is increased compaction. That pressure reduces air flow, and with less air flow, molds can grow. Mold growth generates heat, which triggers the canola to heat and spoil.

Growers who put tough canola in the bin last fall must be extra vigilant. "It may have been the cold winter temperatures that kept that tough canola stable. Now with the warm temperatures, it’s at risk," Bessel says.

The Canola Council of Canada agronomists report that surface temperatures on some stored canola have reached 20°C already this year. "If that grain isn’t dry, it will likely spoil in a hurry," Bessel says.

When the sun warms the outside of the bin, warm air moves up near the outside wall and down through the centre of the grain mass. The cooler canola in the centre of the bin reabsorbs moisture, creating an area of higher moisture and temperature that is prone to rapid spoilage.

For bins without aeration and temperature monitoring cables, growers are encouraged to turn the grain by augering one third of the canola out of the bin. With this method, growers get a look at the condition of the stored product, and it interrupts any increase in temperature and moisture in the central core.

At this time of year, growers should stabilize bin temperature between 10 to 15°C. If stored properly, canola can maintain its quality for two to three years.

For more information contact your Canola Council of Canada Agronomist

This media release is supported regionally by:
Alberta Canola Producers Commission; SaskCanola; Manitoba Canola Growers Association; Canola Council of Canada; Peace River Agriculture Development Fund; B.C. Ministry of Agriculture & Lands.

Tax Deferral for Cattle Producers

On September 8, 2009 the Federal Government released an expanded list of municipalities eligible for Tax Deferral on breeding stock which includes Smoky Lake County.

The tax deferral allows eligible producers in designated areas to defer income tax on the sale of breeding livestock for one year to help replenish breeding stock in the following year. In the case of consecutive years of drought designation, producers may defer sales income to the first year in which the area is no longer designated.

For more information follow the link to the Agriculture and Agri-Food website or contact Scott or Kurt at (780) 656-3730.

http://www.agr.gc.ca/cb/index_e.php?s1=n&s2=2009&page=n90908

New Cattle Insurance Program for Feedlot Operators

The Alberta government is offering feedlot operators a new form of risk management with the introduction of Cattle Price Insurance Program (CPIP). This program will be administered by AFSC and is available for purchase.

The Cattle Price Insurance Program (CPIP) is a voluntary, producer-funded insurance product that protects against significant declines in Alberta fed-cattle prices.  CPIP offers feedlot operators two types of insurance: one for price risk and the other for basis risk.  Basis-only insurance protects against the difference between U.S. and Canadian cattle prices while price insurance covers all three components of price risk - the futures price risk, currency exchange risk, and basis risk.  CPIP is designed to be an effective price risk management tool reflective of the risk to producers feeding cattle in Alberta.

Work is currently underway by Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) and the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) to develop a feeder and calf insurance program as well.

For more information please see www.afsc.ca, or contact your local AFSC office.

2009 Agricultural Chairperson's Report

 In 2009 the Agricultural Service Board was very busy. Kurt Holdis was hired as the Assistant Agricultural Feldman. The Agricultural Service Board (ASB) staff this summer completed weed inspections, road side spraying and mowing programs. We also dealt with numerous water and beaver complaints and wildlife problems. The ASB is continuing to improve the way programs operate by reviewing policies and writing new policies and guidelines for ASB staff. We look forward to another busy year and being able to keep working with the public and the farmers to resolve all issues that arise.

The Agricultural Service Board continued its regular work programs as well as adding some new projects.

Roadside Spray Program

Approximately 244 miles were sprayed for weed and brush control. Hamlets and resorts were also sprayed.

Problem Wildlife

Control continues to be a major activity for the ASB. Approximately 41 control devices were issued.

Beaver Control Program: approximately 88 problem beavers were removed from areas where agricultural land or County roads were being flooded.  As well, approximately 102 beaver dams were removed to restore the natural flow.

Pocket Gophers Program: approximately 2006 gopher tails turned in.

Coyote Control Program: 15 farm calls to verify predation or harassment of livestock by problem coyotes.

Insect and Disease Inspections

ASB staff was also extremely busy conducting various surveys for the following pests and diseases:

Wheat Midge - no positive tests

Birtha Army Worms - none observed

Grasshoppers - limited amounts

Club Root - no positive tests

Ron Bobocel
ASB Chairman

Alberta Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture (AESA) Program

The AESA Program is delivered by a full-time Conservation Technologist who works in partnership with Smoky Lake County and the County of St. Paul. The Technologist is provides information to farmers and ranchers including on-farm consultations on a wide range of agricultural issues. Activities include:

Classroom and School Activities – presentations and field days for classes on a variety of topics to fit with curriculum including wetlands, water quality, agriculture and wildlife.

Environmental Farm Plan Workshops – Many producers in the County have attended workshops to develop an environmental plan for their farm.  This program is free for producers to attend and, upon completion, participants are eligible for funding through the Canada Alberta Farm Stewardship Program to make changes on their farm.

Workshops and Field Days – Include events such as the Women’s Grazing Management Workshop held in June each year and the Grassroots Cattle Conference held annually the last week of October.  Watch your local paper for additional events throughout the year.

Research and demonstration sites – Entering 4^th year of data collection on a Riparian Grazing Site.  This study is looking at the economics of dormant season grazing on riparian areas, as well as species composition changes, and forage productivity.

Watershed Initiatives – Water quality and quantity continue to be a concern for many residents.  Through workshops, newsletter articles, information sessions, and many other activities, the AESA program can help watershed groups and/or individuals find solutions that will preserve and enhance water quality.

If you are interested in more information on these activities or would like input for a project or management technique on your farm, call @ 656-3730.

Evonne Zukiwski
Conservation Technologist  
evonne.zukiwski@smokylakecounty.ab.ca

SHATTERING COMMON MYTHS

 “I own my property right to the water’s edge”
The vast majority of lake front property owners in Alberta do NOT own their land right to the water’s edge.  In fact, if a Municipal or  Environmental Reserve doesn’t separate your lot from the lake, the most lakeward extent of your property is usually the bank of the water body.  Very few exceptions exist.  In Alberta, cottage properties are legally defined by their title and the registered survey plan of the  subdivision.  It doesn’t matter what the real estate agent or seller said, the land title will tell you what you own and the survey plan will show you visually the dimensions and extent of your property.

“A septic field is good enough for getting rid of sewage and grey water”
This may have been true with limited development and when a lake property was only a weekend cabin receiving occasional use, but today we are living at the lake year round and in permanent homes. Septic fields can be effective in dealing with limited amounts of solid waste but are less effective at containing liquid wastes.  Highly    nutrient liquid wastes can move through soil and into our lakes.  It is recommended, at the very least, that pump-out holding tanks be used instead.

“As a lakefront property owner, I can keep people off ‘my’ lakeshore & restrict others from using my dock”
The beds and shores of most lakes are Crown owned and therefore public land for everyone to use.  You cannot prevent the public from using the shore or a municipal reserve in front of your property.   Seasonal piers and boat lifts located on a lake bed without a permit are technically (legally) a trespass on Crown land.  Any structure left on public land without authority could be assumed by the pubic as an invitation for use. Although a private structure, it would be difficult for a owner to initiate a civil action against someone else for using their pier.  NOTE:  The owner of such a structure is however liable for it and its use by others.

“I can do what I want with my property”
Just like in the city, bylaws and development restrictions limit what can and cannot be done on private property.  A permit from the County is required for all structural improvements and for permission to occupy or develop within reserve lands.

“Weeds decrease the quality of my lake and value of property!”
Many people consider aquatic plants like cattails and reeds as “weeds”.  These plants however play an important role in maintaining the health of our lakes.  They stabilize the bed and shore, reduce soil movement and erosion and are important habitat areas for fish, waterfowl and other wildlife.  Aquatic plants also make use of nutrients in lakes that would otherwise  contribute to unwanted algae growth.  Too much growth however, limits boat access to open water.  In such cases, a boat lane may be cut through heavy stands of aquatic plants, however an approval is required.

“A lake or stream is a convenient place to dispose of sewage and waste water - because it’s diluted, it won’t hurt anything!”
Streams link surface runoff within a watershed directly to some collection point like a lake. Waste diluted by water in a stream will enter a lake and any nutrients dissolved in the water is then available for algae growth.  Wastes from cottage use can result in a considerable input to the nutrient load within a lake.

“My property needs a sand beach to add value”
If time and geology didn’t create a sand beach naturally, it’s unlikely an  artificial sand beach will remain where you put it.  Don’t waste your money on replacing lost sand year after year - use the public beach (it is safer for swimming and protected from boating).

Common Bed & Shore Activities Requiring
Approvals / Permits

Aquatic Plant Control

·        Temporary Field Authority (Public Lands Division)

·        Approval (Water Management)

·        Special Permit - Chemical Control (Pollution Control Division)

Boat Launch / Pad

·        License of Occupation (Public Lands Division)

·        Development Permit (Smoky Lake County)

Sand / Earth (fill, removal or dredging)

·        Letter of Authority (Public Land Services)

·        Approval (Water Management)

CONTACT

Agriculture Fieldman / Fire Chief
Scott Franchuk
 

CONTACT

Assistant Agriculture Fieldman
Kurt Holdis
 

CONTACT

Municipal Conservation Technologist
Evonne Zukiwski
 

ASB Chair Report

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Coyote Predation in
Livestock

2% Liquid Strychnine Concentrate

Vegetation Management Program

Fusarium Head Blight