The carbon footprint of oats and barley grown in Saskatchewan is lower than the same crops grown elsewhere, according to new study from the Global Institute for Food Security. Photo: file

Barley, oats sustainability quantified by study

One tonne of oats produced in Saskatchewan has a carbon footprint 201 per cent lower than that produced across the country

The carbon footprint of oats and barley grown in Saskatchewan is lower than the same crops grown elsewhere, according to new study from the Global Institute for Food Security.




Importance placed on cow herd size questioned

Importance placed on cow herd size questioned

Some in the cattle sector don’t think policy should focus on expanding herd; others say fewer cows limit check-off revenue

The number of cows in the provincial herd is not necessarily the best measure of a successful industry, yet that is the focus of public policy, says the Sask. Stock Growers Assoc.



Leafy spurge outcompetes native grasses for light, water, nutrients and space, growing up to one metre tall. The weed has invaded millions of acres on the Prairies. 

Fertilizer to fight leafy spurge

Applying fertilizer could encourage soil fungi in Western Canadian pastures to become parasitic and sap resources from leafy spurge plants if the soil nutrients are rich enough —at least, that’s the idea behind recent research out of Saskatchewan

Leafy spurge is a tenacious, invasive pasture weed in Western Canada. New research suggests that fertilizer may have a role in how farmers can better beat back the threat and reclaim productivity on that grazing land.