Do More Agriculture executive director Megz Reynolds onstage at Canada’s Farm Show in Regina June 20.

Platform promises anonymous, farm-based mental health help

The AgTalk peer support platform has been unveiled by Do More Agriculture

Farmers who tap into a new mental health service will get relatable, anonymous support for their struggles, according to the organization behind the initiative. The Do More Agriculture Foundation has launched AgTalk, a platform for those in the Canadian agriculture industry. It is a partnership between the foundation, RBC, BASF and the McCain Foundation and

Forecast probability of temperatures above, below and/or near normal for the period from July through September 2023, based on three equiprobable categories from 1991-2020 climatology. (Weather.gc.ca)

Dry, hot Canadian summer expected

Normal precip expected for Ontario, Quebec

MarketsFarm — Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected across all of Canada for the next three months, with average precipitation in most of the agricultural areas of the Prairies. That’s according to the latest long-range seasonal forecast from Environment Canada, released Friday. The government department calls for a 50-70 per cent chance of above-normal temperatures from July


Mammatus-type clouds over Winnipeg on the evening of July 2, 2023. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairie Forecast Update: Low lingers in Manitoba

Issued July 2, covering July 3 to 5

The overall forecast remains on track across both Alberta and Saskatchewan, so only a small update is needed for Manitoba. Across Manitoba, the area of low pressure that has been tracking across the northern half of the Prairie provinces is now forecasted to take a little longer to exit this region. The two main impacts

Turkeys. (Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Canada books first month in 19 without bird flu outbreak

Eight commercial poultry farms remain active sites

June 2023 appears set to be Canada’s first month without a new highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in poultry or other domesticated birds since the disease returned to this country in late 2021. Canada has booked 322 outbreaks in domestic birds in the past 19 months, of which 31 were detected so far in 2023.


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Saskatchewan drainage work rebates expanded to farmers

Channel clearing, drain maintenance program shares eligible costs

A program to help rural Saskatchewan municipalities and local authorities cover costs of channel clearing and maintaining drains for flood prevention will now expand to include individual landowners. The province’s Water Security Agency (WSA) said Friday its $1 million cost-share rebate program will expand its eligibility beyond RMs, conservation and development area (C+D) authorities and

(Warchi/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Alberta low to bring bit of a cooldown

Issued June 28, covering June 28 to July 5

After a fairly active weather pattern over the last few days, at least across the eastern half of the Prairies, it looks like most regions will see much quieter few days to start off this forecast period. Weak upper-level ridging combine with a broad but weak area of surface high pressure should bring typical summer


File photo of chicks on a genetic map of a chicken. (Peggy Greb photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Scientists isolate human gene able to fend off most bird flu viruses

Finding may show which bird flu strains have human pandemic potential

London | Reuters — U.K. researchers have homed in on a human gene implicated in thwarting most bird flu viruses from infecting people. Bird flu chiefly spreads among wild birds such as ducks and gulls and can also infect farmed birds and domestic poultry such as chickens, turkeys and quails. Although the viruses largely affect



Photo: alisbalb/iStock/Getty Images

Feds lift ‘pause’ on increases in crop chemical MRLs

New set of rules also calls for 'cosmetic' pesticide use to be banned on federal lands

Proposals to increase a crop chemical’s maximum residue limits (MRLs) on foods and food crops in Canada can again seek federal approval, after being put on temporary hold two years ago. Among several other changes, a planned new package of federal regulatory amendments will put a gradual end to a “pause” imposed in August 2021

Ducklings on display at the Red River Ex in Winnipeg on June 20, 2023 stuck to the shady side of the waterer as daytime temperatures maxed out at nearly 36 C. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairie Forecast: Shift in the pattern

Issued June 21, covering June 21 to 28

The weather pattern that brought some record heat to the eastern Prairies, and some significant rains to parts of Alberta, looks like it will be undergoing a bit of change during this forecast period. The overall flow across the Prairies appears as though it will become predominantly northwesterly as an upper low sets up over