Irrigating Alberta 2013

SOIL FERTILITY HOW TO PRODUCE A GREAT CROP THIS UPCOMING SEASON

INSIDE:

- BADGER HYDROVAC - OLIVER IRRIGATION - ASK THE PRO what’s happening with

A.I.P.A? volume seventeen • number one spring 2013 • price- $3.50 IRRIGATING ALBERTA Spring 2013 • 1

Alberta STORIES ON

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IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 2

volume 17 • number 1 spring 2013 HEAD OFFICE

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03 ................

TABLE OF CONTENT

TOLL FREE: 1-877-328-0048 PHONE: 403-328-5114 EMAIL: adsales@farmpressltd.com Reproduction or use of editorial content in any manner without written permission is strictly prohibited.

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PUBLISHER Jeff Sarich DESIGN & PRODUCTION Whitney Alvarez EDITOR Ric Swihart ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Al Such & Mel McDonald ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Sarah Still

EDITORS COLUMN - HAY FRAUD

06 - 07.......... BADGER HYDROVAC

OLIVER IRRIGATION

10 - 12 ...............

14 - 15 ........

CROP WATER USAGE

18 ....................

DAVID ANDREWS - IRRIGATION COUNCIL

20 ...........................

LEN RING

- IRRIGATING SYSTEMS

22 ..................

WATERSHED PLAN

23 .................................

LNID

- BUILDS NEW OFFICE

24 - 27 ........................

A.I.P.A.

- WHAT’S HAPPENING?

28 - 29 ................

30 .......................

view online at

SOIL FERTILITY

ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT ASK THE PRO - SAFETY

www.farmpressltd.com IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 3

EDITORS COLUMN - HAY FRAUD

H

ay remains a major cornerstone of Alberta’s extensive irrigation industry, and while producers here have won appreciation for many years of charitable donations to producers in drought-ravaged areas of Canada, regulatory and police officials have issued a Buyer and Seller Beware Warning.

Fraud is a new major worry in the industry.

The Canadian Forage and Grassland Association sums up the situation. “Our Canadian hay marketers are continuing to see a surge in demand for their products and unfortunately, some less than successful outcomes,” says an association official. It comes to a supply crisis the association feels the situation during tough drought conditions appears to be bringing out some less-than-ethical operators. “We have been advised of several situations whereby large deposits had been paid, but the hay was not delivered, and a couple of situations where the delivered hay was not of the quality that was agreed upon. We urge buyers and sellers to take steps to ensure that the buying and selling of their quality forage products is done in a fair and equitable manner benefitting both parties.”

If you have a fraud complaint and wish to report fraud regarding the purchasing or selling of forage products there are two avenues to pursue:

1. Contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, an armslength organization to the RCMP, (The Government of

Canada runs it), please visit the website to report fraud or to contact the Centre directly)

2. Contact the RCMP Commercial Fraud Unit in Calgary; it’s a logical contact for southern Alberta. The contact there is Corp. Sue Brazeau, who can be reached at 403-699-2790. Brazeau can refer a complaint from outside of southern Alberta to the jurisdiction in the appropriate Commercial Fraud Unit.

The association says if a producer is considering purchasing or selling hay there are a number of factors that you should take into consideration including:

While most producers are trusting, honorable men and women, there are some whose actions are questionable.

Check if you’re unsure when a buyer or seller lands on your porch. As much as one might like to make a sale or purchase, it must be right. The wrong move not only hits at the heart, it can hit the pocketbook pretty hard also.

• Have you purchased from or sold hay to this person before? If not, are you able to obtain at least two independent references for the company/individual to ensure that you are dealing with someone who is reputable? Remember the old wise saying “If it appears too good to be true - it probably is.”

GOOD HAY

So what should be done?

• Has the hay been analyzed, and is the analysis information available? Is the hay free of mold, and do you know the moisture content? Do you have some way to visually inspect the hay?

• Are you purchasing from a member of the CFGA who has agreed to the Code of Ethics of the association?

Here is the list of association members http://www.canadianfga.ca/about/members/ Like any legitimate farm organization, the association actively promotes and encourages the highest level of integrity within the forage and grassland industry. If you have concerns regarding the purchasing or selling of Canadian hay products please contact us through our CFGA website.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 4

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BADGER HYDROVAC

N

orth America’s largest HydroVac Company, Badger Daylighting Inc, continues to carve out a growing business in southern Alberta’s irrigation industry. Jamie Faulds, Lethbridge operations manager, got his feet wet in the industry working with Bob McMillan and is running the Lethbridge-Taber region. He has one young son who has expressed interest in the venture.

It was his past experience with Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District that spawned Badger’s foray into that business venture. He drew on his past relationship with LNID’s Bill Laycock to build a case for HydroVac services. That relationship paid dividends, he said. Underground pipeline water delivery in an increasingly complex buried utility network throughout irrigated lands are where Badger shines. When

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 6

making repairs to pipelines or installing new lines, irrigation districts must ensure safe passage. All utility lines must be exposed to allow safe installation of irrigation pipe.

The key is use of high-pressure water to open excavation zones regardless of even winter soil conditions. It can cut into frozen ground 400 feet from the truck, cut soil three feet square, four feet deep, and uses the vacuum to suck out the soil. Faulds said Badger has completed tolerance tests on a variety of utility pipes and cables, and its system of heated components produced hot water to liquefy frozen ground to be removed by the vacuum system.

Alan Harrold, general manager for LNID, said he tried other HydroVac firms, but has used Badger exclusively the past

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three years. The key is meeting requirements to locate utility lines before beginning any pipeline installations or making repairs where needed, said Harrold. He said the job seems simple – dig a hole with high-pressure water and suck out the soil surrounding utility lines to expose those lines so LNID crews can work safely.

“Badger’s HydroVac trucks are the answer,” says Harrold.

“All pipes and cables are exposed so there is no damage to them or danger to our staff and equipment. Today, this service is a necessity.”

Harrold pointed to one jobsite this winter. There were five utility lines – four natural gas and one domestic water – that had to be crossed with an irrigation pipeline, and one road to be cut through, all within 100 metres.

As utility services continue to expand in southern Alberta, and as irrigation pipeline installations continue, partly to meet expanding irrigated areas, use of HydroVac firms with a proven track record becomes more essential, he said.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 7

OLIVER IRRIGATION

C

onnie and Harold May have roots deep in the irrigation industry, and a gamble in 1992 to buy the Oliver Irrigation dealership in Medicine Hat has paid dividends in spades. Today, four Oliver dealerships operate in southern Alberta, and the Mays own Lethbridge, Taber and Medicine Hat. The fourth dealership is in Brooks.

Sales are increasing on advances on corner irrigation systems, he said. Longer corner arms allow producers to irrigated more acres. Some systems allow a producer to irrigate up to 155 acres of a quarter section that would cover only 135 acres without a standard corner system. And farmers can apply water more uniformly with advances in nozzles.

Harold worked for the old Ireco Industries Ltd in 1971, moving to Oliver about five years later. He remembers the days when Oliver Irrigation was housed in the Atco Gas (Canadian Western Natural Gas) facility on North Mayor Magrath Drive.

Variable rate water application is a new science, for instance, it allows a producer to shut off part of a pivot that passes over a nest of honeybee hives, or to shut off eight to 10 or more nozzles passing over an area of a field that is already too wet.

When Oliver’s Medicine Hat operation came up for sale in 1992, “They wanted me to work as a live-in salesman, but that wouldn’t fly,” said May. We came up with an agreement and started C&H Irrigation, running the Oliver Valley irrigation equipment line as a division. Lethbridge and Taber dealerships were added to C&H in 2003.

May says the key on the dealership side is finding good people for sales, parts and service. A good computer system is also vital to control inventories and check on margins and pricing.

May has confidence in the future of the irrigation industry partly because of the business core of C&H. But he also likes the optimism in irrigated agriculture with sales potential driven by producer upgrading programs and the industry’s trend to take advantage of massive water use efficiencies to expand the irrigated land base within irrigation districts.

He loves the potato industry, as an example, because it has such high-valued crops and producers tend to ensure they have the most efficient and reliable irrigation equipment. They also buy the newest technologies to run systems via computer and telephone that reduces reliance on manpower needed in older systems.

He mentioned one customer near Medicine Hat who runs his irrigation system partly from data generated from a weather station in the Elkwater area. For instance, he can check the wind conditions from home and decide if he can spray for weeds miles away, potentially saving time and money.

May likes Oliver, partly because it is the only manufacturer which makes wheel-drive assemblies in-house, and any improvements in equipment will work on older equipment.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 8

“I often wonder what producers did before all these advances,” says May.

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S

oil fertility and fertilizer management is vital in agriculture, especially for irrigated crops, says Ross McKenzie of Lethbridge, a provincial crop nutrient specialist. High-yielding irrigated crops take up considerable amounts of various nutrients from soil. For farmers to achieve optimum crop yields, they need to ensure plants have adequate nutrient supply in the soils. Soil tests are very useful to assess soil nutrient status to develop an economical and environmentally responsible soil fertility program for irrigated crop production.

Producers must understand how the amounts and availability of soil nutrients can limit crop growth before management practices can be developed to improve crop production.

His work includes fertilizer management information and recommendations for irrigated grain and oilseed crops based on recent field research conducted by the Agronomy Section of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

Cereal and oilseed crops need 16 nutrients to grow properly.

Nutrients needed in larger amounts are called macronutrients.

Nutrients required in smaller amounts are known as micronutrients.

Plants need carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O), which typically comes from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and water taken up from the soil. The macronutrients include: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). In Alberta, nitrogen and phosphorus often are the two most limiting nutrients for irrigated crop

production. Potassium and sulphur are occasionally limiting, while calcium and magnesium have not been found to limit crop growth in Alberta.

McKenzie says the micronutrients, also called trace elements, include: chlorine (Cl), boron (B), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and molybdenum (Mo). Generally, these elements do not limit growth on most soils and crop conditions in Alberta. On irrigated land in southern Alberta, micronutrient fertilizer research has not identified irrigated grain or oilseed deficiencies. However, zinc deficiencies have been identified with irrigated dry beans primarily grown on sandy soils. Farmers are cautioned to use great care if using micronutrient fertilizers and to not over-fertilize because the range between deficient and toxic levels of some micronutrients is narrow.

McKenzie says the amount of each nutrient removed varies with crop cultivar, environmental conditions during the growing season, and the amount of nutrients available in the soil and the yield potential of the crop. Crops may take up some elements in greater quantities than required when there is an over-abundance of the element in the soil. To achieve optimum crop yields, plants must have access to optimum amounts of nutrient elements from the soil or from applied fertilizer.

In many crops, the majority of the nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, and molybdenum taken up by plants is found in the seed, while stalks and leaves contain the majority of the potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, boron

E L E M E N TS N E E D E D TO E N S U R E H EA LTH Y G RO W TH Ma cronutrients Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) Potass iu m (K) Su l ph u r (S) Ca lciu m (Ca) Mag nes iu m (Mg)

Ca rbon (C) Hyrdrogen (H) Oxygen (O)

K, Ca, Kg, Zn, Fe, Mn, B, & Cu

Micronutrients “Tra ce Elem ents�

Ch lorine (Cl) Boron (B) Iron (Fe) Ma nga nese (Mn) Zinc (Zn) Copper (Cu) Molybdenu m

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 10

N, P, S, & Mo

SOIL FERTILITY and copper. At early plant growth for most cereal and oilseeds, nutrient uptake is greater than growth. For example, when a crop reaches 40 per cent of its final dry weight, 60 to 75 per cent of the total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium have accumulated within the plant. For instance, plants continuously take up nitrogen. As plants shift from vegetative to reproductive growth, they translocate nitrogen from the older leaves, to new leaves, then to stems and developing seed. By maturity, the seed will contains 60 to 75 per cent of nitrogen taken up by the plant, depending on crop type and environmental conditions.

Phosphorus is also taken up continuously during the growing season. However, often within 40 days of emergence, grain crops can take up as much as 70 per cent of their phosphorus requirement. Much of the phosphorus accumulated by the leaves and stems is translocated to the grain by crop maturity.

Ideally, an excellent fertilizer program should be based on soil tests to determine the nutrient status of the soil, coupled with knowledge of the nutrient requirements of the crops to be grown, target yield, previous cropping history, fertilizer prices, estimated value of the crop at harvest and the management level of the farmer.

Soil tests are very useful to determine the type and amount of fertilizers needed to ensure optimum nutrient levels for irrigated crop production. On uniform fields, soil samples can be taken randomly at 15 to 20 locations in each field. Sample large fields over 160 acres separately. Samples should be shipped in a cooler for overnight delivery to a soil testing lab. If samples can’t be shipped the same day as being taken, then samples must be air dried before they are sent to a soil testing laboratory for analysis. Contact a soil specialist or see the department’s library for its Soil Sampling Guide for detailed information on soil sampling and handling.

McKenzie says plant tissue tests may be somewhat helpful for determining which nutrients are potentially responsible for poor crop growth and, may assist with choosing a fertilizer program to correct a problem. Tests involving plant tissue must be calibrated with field fertilizer trials. Calibration of tissue tests is complex because the measured nutrient concentration, which is the basis of the tests, varies with the stage of plant development, environmental conditions, crop variety and the portion of the plant sampled. Very little plant tissue research has been conducted with irrigated grain and oilseed crops in Alberta. Take representative plant tissue samples early in the growing season to assist with interpretation of soil tests. Take plant tissue samples from both a normal crop growth area and the poor growth area in a field, to ensure a useful comparison between affected and unaffected areas.

Recent research with irrigated cereal crops examined fall versus spring banded and broadcast-incorporated nitrogen fertilizer.

Results showed that banded nitrogen is generally more effective by up to 20 per cent, versus broadcast incorporated

fertilizer. Further, nitrogen fertilizer applied in spring is generally about 10 per cent more effective versus fertilizing in late fall.

However, variable environmental conditions can result is smaller or greater per cent differences. Recent research results showed that fall banded ESN (a controlled release nitrogen fertilizer), or a 50:50 blend of urea + ESN was occasionally superior to urea fertilizer. However, results were not consistent every year due to different environmental conditions.

Generally, all spring-applied nitrogen fertilizers perform equally well when banded at a depth of three to four inches and with a shank spacing of not more than 12 inches wide. If urea (460-0) is broadcast and incorporated into the soil, increase the application rate by 10 to 15 per cent due to reduced efficiency of broadcast versus banded application and potential loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere. It is very important to incorporate urea fertilizer immediately after broadcasting to minimize volatilization losses. In all cases, spring-banded nitrogen is superior to spring- broadcast nitrogen, but the differences at times are relatively small. Fall-broadcast nitrogen is the least effective method of application and its efficiency declines with the length of time a soil is very wet in spring. Finally, fall-banded nitrogen is often just as effective as spring-banded nitrogen, except when nitrogen is applied early in the fall or if soils are saturated with water for an extended period in early spring.

Ideally, for maximum nitrogen fertilizer use and efficiency, nitrogen fertilizer should be side or mid-row banded at the time of seeding cereal and oilseed crops.

McKenzie says fertigation is another option. It is the application of fertilizer through an irrigation system. It can be an excellent method of making in-season adjustments on soil nitrogen levels. Under normal fertilizer management, fertigation is not necessary on medium and fine textured soils. On these soil types, where leaching is not a problem, all nitrogen fertilizer can be applied before seeding to allow the crop to take up nitrogen as it is required. However, on sandy soils where leaching and downward movement of nitrate is a potential problem, fertigation of nitrogen fertilizer may be beneficial. Fertigation works best with pivot irrigation systems, which can apply water lightly and frequently to avoid leaching water below the crop root zone. Even then, not more than 20 to 30 per cent of required nitrogen should be applied by fertigation. Generally, all fertigation applications of nitrogen should be completed by late June depending on crop growth stages. If fertigation is part of a fertilizer management plan and field conditions in June are excessively wet preventing fertigation, a nitrogen deficiency could potentially occur. If a nitrogen deficiency develops in early July, it takes time to apply the fertilizer and up to seven to 10 days for the majority of the urea and ammonium nitrogen in the liquid fertilizer (28-0-0) to be converted to nitrate-nitrogen form that crops can use. This delay could substantially reduce potential yields.

McKenzie says irrigation farmers in Alberta can take advantage of

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 11

SOIL FERTILITY continued... a computer program called Alberta Farm Fertilizer Information Recommendation Manager (AFFIRM), which was developed to assist farmers and industry agronomists with determining optimum economic fertilizer recommendations. The program can be downloaded from the Alberta Agriculture web site free of charge. A user simply has to input soil analysis results, previous crop, crop to be grown, irrigation level, fertilizer price and estimated crop value at harvest. With this information, the program will calculate prices. This will assist with selection of the most economic nitrogen fertilizer level for each crop.

Recommendations are also made for phosphorus, potassium and sulphur. Producers are encouraged to make use of this program when developing their fertilizer management plans for irrigated crops.

McKenzie

says

nitrogen fertilizer

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 12

can

dramatically increase crop production when soil nitrogen levels are low to medium. Yield increase charts can be used to assist with determining economic nitrogen rates.

McKenzie’s highlight information includes: • Crops respond to phosphorus fertilizer, but responses are not always well predicted by soil tests. A maintenance application of phosphate fertilizer annually is useful in maintaining good levels of soil phosphorus.

• Potassium and sulphur normally are not usually limiting factors in yield of irrigated cereal and oilseed crops. The naturally high levels of these elements in most southern Alberta soils are generally sufficient for optimum crop production.

• Irrigated grain and oilseed crops rarely need additional micronutrients.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 13

M

other Nature hasn’t been too generous with rain in southern Alberta in many years, allowing irrigation to capture magical proportions of producer confidence in this semi-arid region. Bur irrigation is only as good as the irrigation farmers whose job is to apply the right amount of water in a timely fashion to boost crop yields and quality.

Ross McKenzie, a provincial agronomist specializing in plant nutrition, says crop water use is the amount of water used by a crop for growth and cooling.

The amount of water used by a crop is affected by a number of factors including the availability of soil water, precipitation during the growing season, stages of crop growth, crop rooting depths and environmental factors including amount of solar radiation, humidity, temperature and wind. A prolonged water deficit will have a significant adverse effect on a crop. Crop water use is referred to as “evapotranspiration”.

Evapotranspiration is the combination of water evaporation from soil and plant surfaces as well as water used by plants for growth and transpiration. Transpiration refers to the water lost to the atmosphere through the stomata, which are small pores on the surface of plant

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 14

leaves, as the plants work to avoid heat stress.

McKenzie said evaporation is usually only significant when the soil surface is moist or when the crop canopy is wet, which is typical after precipitation or irrigation events. After the top two to four centimeters of surface soil have dried, evaporation of water from soil is usually minimal. Evaporation from the soil surface is also greatly reduced as the crop canopy closes to completely shade the soil surface. At full crop canopy, almost all the evapotranspiration is from transpiration by the crop. The maximum evaporation rate occurs when soil water is not a limiting factor.

Crops use their root system to extract water from the soil. The rate and amount of water taken up by a crop is affected by the soil water content, stage of plant growth and effective rooting depth.

For annual crops such as wheat, barley or canola, a certain amount of moisture is needed to not only initiate germination, but to take the crop through the vegetative growth stages, to the stage where seed can be produced.

For wheat, barley and canola, at least four inches and often closer to five inches of water are needed to get a crop from germination to the reproductive growth stage where it can produce grain. The amount of moisture needed during

CROP WATER USAGE vegetative growth varies because crops do not need as much moisture for transpiration in a cool spring compared to a warm, dry spring. For cool season crops, daytime high temperatures in the range of 20 degrees are ideal for growth as crops are able to use more of the available soil moisture for vegetative crop growth than for transpiration to keep cool.

Cereal crops at the tilling stage use about two to three mm/day of water, and at the stem elongation stage they need about three to five mm of water a day. When temperatures are above 25 degrees, about five mm a day is needed. On warm days at the stem elongation growth stage, a cereal crop will use about 20 to 35 mm of water in one week, depending on environmental conditions such as solar radiation, temperature, humidity and wind.

McKenzie says when cereal crops are at the heading stage, often by early July, water use is seven to eight mm a day under ideal conditions. This situation means that peak water use is substantial from mid-June to late July or early August for cereal crops grown in Alberta. If moisture is lacking during this period, significant yield reduction can occur.

Once a crop shifts from vegetative to reproductive growth, water use remains high, he says. Cereal crops after heading and canola at the flowering growth stage will continue to use seven to eight mm a day of water from heading to flowering and to grain filling, under optimum growth conditions. As grain filling nears completion, crop water use declines and drops off rapidly as plants approach maturity. McKenzie says Alberta research shows that under good environmental conditions,

for each 25 mm of water used, wheat produces five to seven bushels an acre, barley produces seven to nine bushels an acre and canola produces 3.5 to four bushels an acre.

Irrigators should avoid crop moisture. When a crop is in a moisture deficit condition during vegetative growth, the first effect is a reduction in the growth rate of leaves and stems, says McKenzie. When soil moisture availability is limited, cell expansion and division within the plant slow down. The effect is that plants reduce the production of enzymes and proteins needed for growth. As the soil moisture deficiency increases, plant roots cannot take up enough water to meet transpiration needs. Crops respond by closing their stomata. Plant leaves become less rigid, and leaves exhibit wilting in mid-day heat.

As air temperatures cool and solar radiation decreases later in the day and into the evening, plants recover from wilting as stomata open to meet transpiration needs.

When cereal crops begin wilting, older leaves and tillers are aborted, and stem elongation is reduced.

When oilseed crops wilt, plants respond by abortion of older leaves, reduced stem elongation and reduced branching, which will reduce crop yield potential.

McKenzie says that if the moisture deficit becomes more advanced, wilting becomes more prolonged each day until plants reach a condition where recovery overnight does not occur, and plants completely die.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 15

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DAVID ANDREWS- IRRIGATION COUNCIL

D

avid Andrews knows his way around agriculture in his realm; he also knows intimately the value of service to the industry. He lives and works as a third-generation irrigation and cattle producer at Bow City, land straddling the Bow River in the Eastern Irrigation District (EID) and Bow River Irrigation District (BRID). His grandfather broke the irrigation barrier when he acquired some of the first land in the EID in 1936. True to the nature of agriculture, the Andrews added land over time, eventually stretching south into the BRID. David took over from his father in 1971, and now watches earnestly with his wife, Cheryl, as son Ryan and daughter-inlaw Shannon take over the reins.

His public profile got a major boost when he worked through the delegate and director roles for the Alberta Beef Producers when it was still the commission, and then through the executive positions to chairman. His newest venture into service to agriculture is his appointment to the Alberta Irrigation Council. Andrews has learned the key role – advisors to the Alberta agriculture minister.

“I really didn’t understand council’s role until I got here,” he said. “And even now, it is redefining its mandate as advisor to the minister. I think council is seeing itself increasingly as an advocate to government for the irrigation industry.”

He also realizes that if one isn’t from southern Alberta they likely doesn’t understand the irrigation industry.

Firstly, they don’t understand how big the irrigation industry is, or the tremendous potential of irrigation, especially with the trend to higher valued crop production, he said. That value is continuing to climb because the spin-off impacts of irrigation are huge. For instance, Alberta’s natural advantage for feed cattle to market weight is in central Alberta when considering the cost of cattle feed and feeder cattle, said Andrews. That industry was looking for expansion areas, recognizing southern Alberta’s irrigated land could produce consistent in The South, farmers he calls “great risk takers.”

He likes the mix on council – Chairman: Peter Schuld of Lethbridge, Vice-Chairman: Ric Stamp of Enchant, Producer: Casey Gouw Jr., and new Taber-Warner-Cardston Tory Candidate: Pat Shimbashi of Taber – who work with government officials David Ardell from Alberta Environment and Water, and Brent Paterson from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Andrews knows it is a working council, and while he hasn’t seen any head butting yet, “we may get to it”.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 18

Opening eyes for more potential for irrigation and helping to find even better ways to manage water are firm goals. Getting rid of open water canals, working with the 13 Irrigation Districts in southern Alberta as they complete rehabilitation of the irrigation works, and with farmers as they continue to move forward with low-pressure sprinkler systems to save water and energy, all come in a day’s work.

Andrews admits he has seen advances in the irrigation industry in his days of feeding cattle, raising hogs and farming, but it can’t compare to the progress in the past 10 years, a rate he estimates four times, if not more, than all his time farming. Total water supplies and irrigation’s access and use of it remain a vital concern for industry relative to the total needs of people.

“The irrigation infrastructure is set up to make the best use of water,” he said. “The whole system from early times was farsighted. And the government of the day continues to help improve management of the water resource.”

HORSCH ANDERSON Farming with passion

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LEN RING - IRRIGATING SYSTEMS

A

lberta’s irrigation system still has an important role in supplying water for many types of water users, says a former industry spokesman, Len Ring, who worked many years for Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and later as irrigation secretariat for Alberta Irrigation Council.

History is very clear that irrigation came about because it was the best way to encourage rural development in southern Alberta.

The people constructing the first irrigation systems saw them as a way to supply water for crops, livestock, homes, businesses and for growing trees, flowers and gardens. For example, when irrigation water arrived in Lethbridge, one of the first things the mayor and other citizens did was plant 1,000 trees to help beautify the city and make it a more pleasant place to live.

Today, the irrigation system in southern Alberta still meets many water needs in this semi-arid climate.

In recent years, opposition has grown to irrigation districts supplying water for uses other than for watering crops.

As well, new rules changed how water licences were amended to include any purpose over-and-above that of supplying water for irrigation of crops. Ring says some districts were able to amend their licence to include other uses, but some districts encountered public opposition along with official appeals trying to stop the amendments that would see districts deliver water to communities, livestock operations, businesses, and wetlands.

Among others, Ring, who runs Ring Irrigation Engineering, knows the role irrigation districts play in supplying water to users other than irrigators. Ring says irrigation district water distribution systems will continue to be an important driver of rural development in Alberta, making food production and processing possible, while delivering municipal water for communities and farm families, water for livestock, water for businesses, water for recreation, water for beautification, and water for wetlands and other habitat.

Along with many other important points, Ring quotes Hansard (2002) where the discussion at the Alberta Legislature included:

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 20

“The amendments will make it clear that users of small volumes of water can receive water from an irrigation district for purposes other than irrigation, as they have in the past, and they will not require a separate water licence to do so under the Water Act.” Another MLA quoted in Hansard and cited by Ring stated: “In my riding . . . it is readily apparent that an irrigation district does much more than just deliver water to irrigation farmers. But there are many rural residents and other users of small volumes of water that rely solely on irrigation districts for their water supply. Recreation and wildlife habitat projects also benefit from the availability of water in these dry areas of southern Alberta, and it is imperative that we continue to serve these types of projects.

The amendments proposed in this legislation are important to all end users even though the total amount of water supplied to them is minimal. Ask a hamlet about water for fire protection or talk to an acreage owner who needs water for their shelterbelt or their horses or visit a small livestock operation that needs water for their cattle, and you’ll soon see the value to them of having an irrigation district in their area. Mr. Speaker, we aren’t changing the intent of the legislation that we passed in 1999. In fact, we are strengthening the spirit of the Irrigation Districts Act after working with it for the last two years. These amendments are empowering; that is, they allow each district to deliver water to users in their area and to do so in a manner that meets the needs of that particular region.”

Although most southern of Alberta’s river basins are closed to new applications for water licences, that does not mean southern Alberta is closed to development. He says new developments can receive water by being served by existing water licence holders such as irrigation districts, towns, villages or cities. In addition, in some cases, they have obtained their own water licence by a water allocation transfer with an existing water licence holder.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 21

WATERSHED PLAN ANNOUNCED

T

he Oldman Watershed Council, a local non-profit organization, is working on an action plan to protect the headwaters in southern Alberta, and an unveil will be developed at its annual General Meeting, June 8 at the Lethbridge Galt Museum and Archives. Action begins 3:30 p.m. with dinner and an auction to follow at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Shannon Frank of Lethbridge, executive director for the Oldman Watershed Council, said the event is themed around the headwaters and will include keynote speeches from the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Diane McQueen, and local biologist Lorne Fitch.

The headwaters for southern Alberta are on the Eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains where rain and snowfall is very high.

They are the source of water for this area and for all people downstream, all the way to Lake Winnipeg.

“Our goal is to protect the integrity of the headwaters by working with government, industry, recreational users – everyone who has an interest in the area,” says Frank, “People care about the mountains and the forest reserve and the only way we’re going to find solutions is by working together.”

Public concern is increasing over how the headwaters are managed after reports of damage from all-terrain vehicles and protest against logging have been in the spotlight.

“There is a lot of activity in the headwaters right now and it will most likely only increase as our population and demand for natural resources increases,” says Frank, “So the time has come where we must ask ourselves what we want for the headwaters and set targets to achieve those goals through an action plan.”

The action plan will be developed with a Partner Advisory Network, a group of people representing all levels of government with jurisdiction in the headwaters area, industry users, recreational users, agricultural users and other non-profits who have done work in the region.

The Partner Advisory Network, along with scientific experts, will help the Council set specific targets for water quality and quantity, invasive species and wildlife habitat so that ‘headwaters integrity’ can be measured and tracked over time. The action plan will identify actions needed to reach the targets, and the Council and its partners will take those actions.

This action plan for the headwaters is one of eight action plans the Council will be developing as part of an Integrated Watershed Management Plan for the Oldman River watershed.

“ IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 22

Our goal is to protect the integrity of the headwaters by working with government, industry, recreational users – everyone who has an interest in the area,” says Frank, “People care about the mountains and the forest reserve and the only way we’re going to find solutions is by working together.

LNID Builds New Office

I

t took 12 years of debate and planning, but Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District will move into its new office building this spring.

From the air, the structure located between Hostess FritoLay and River of Life Community Church along 28th Street N. has the sign of Zorro – a Z-shape to accommodate the city-owned green strip adjacent to the 1.5 acre parcel.

The south shorter arm of the Z will be the front entrance and board room while the north arm will become the new home for the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association. The administrative home for LNID will be housed in the middle portion above a functional basement.

Harrold said the 16-foot ceilings in the entrance will welcome staff and visitors, and large windows in every office will enhance work atmosphere. “We feel this new building will enhance employee attraction.”

The building has been designed for low maintenance, including concrete tile roofing and rock and slate siding, a perfect bridge between the residential area to the west and the industrial area to the east.

While finishing touches are being applied, landscaping and paving will be done in the spring. The district will move into the offices early this year with an official opening to be announced.

John Vandenberg, LNID chairman, said the board debated long, but with the former Alberta Liquor Control Board building along 13th Street N. facing major renovations, complete agreement from all board members signaled the new construction.

Vandenberg said location has been a stumbling block to construction over the years. The preferred location was west Lethbridge along the edge of the district lands. South Lethbridge was too pricey. The district’s country operations adjacent to Park Lake were also considered.

LNID was formed in 1921 and has been on 13th Street since the 1960s. Alan Harrold, LNID general manager, ponders potential confusion early in the transition – he has been driving to the 13th Street location for 35 years – but just for a moment.

The new building has 9,805 square feet of main-floor space.

AIPA will use 1,463 square feet with its own entrance. The basement has 3,000 square feet and accommodates the building’s heating system often placed on the roof. A vital part will be a fire-rated storage room for long-term storage of files.

Both agree Alvin Reinhard Fritz Architect Inc. has done a masterful job of incorporating all district needs into the new building for efficient communication flow and ease of use by district irrigators.

Vandenberg said new construction techniques, especially basement to ceiling concrete walls, were used.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 23

T

he Alberta Irrigation Projects Association (AIPA) is a facilitating umbrella organization of the 13 irrigation districts in Alberta, which helps the districts achieve the goal: “We seek after the highest standards of water management in support of the economic and social well-being of Alberta’s people and the health of its landscapes and water resources”; duly constituted under the Irrigation Districts Act.

BRENT PATERSON

Paterson said Alberta’s agriculture industry is well positioned to economically benefit and help meet future world food needs.

Translating opportunity into reality will not be easy. It has a large, well-managed agricultural land base of about 20 million hectares, relatively abundant, good quality water supply and a small population, and features a strong dryland agriculture base with world-class irrigation.

Paterson said demand for food will continue to increase at a rate greater than population increase alone. Demand for higher quality processed food is also increasing. World food prices are likely to remain relatively high. “Opportunity exists for Alberta and Canada to become a food production powerhouse,” said Paterson. “However, these opportunities will not translate into reality without a new strategic direction. Better integration of our agriculture industry is required – provincially, regionally and nationally.”

OUR GROWING WORLD Irrigation will be the security for global food supplies in the future, says the head of Alberta Agriculture’s irrigation and farm water division Brent Paterson of Lethbridge. Irrigation makes up nearly 20 per cent of the world’s agriculture land base, but produces nearly 50 per cent of the world’s food. He told the recent AIPA conference that up to 80 per cent of future food requirements might need to be met by irrigation. Global population could reach nine billion by 2050.

BIOFUELS -

The long-term ability to feed the world’s growing population will increasingly depend on increased competition for limited water supplies, said Paterson. An ever-shrinking land base will compound it.

Biofuels have become a growth industry with rapid expansion of ethanol in the United States and Brazil and a quickening pace of biodiesel production in western Europe, says a University of Lethbridge agricultural economist.

About 60 per cent of the world’s food is produced on rain fed farmed lands. Food production on those lands is not expected to increase significantly. Many countries will be forced to abandon their policy of food self-sufficiency because of water shortages, he said.

Kurt Klein told the recent annual AIPA conference governments have greatly assisted the growth of the biofuels industry, mostly with policies designed to increase energy security, reduce greenhouse gases, increasing and stabilizing farm incomes, promoting diversification and rural development. The main effects of these policies have made a small increase in energy security at a high price, a small reduction in greenhouse gases also at high cost, short run increases in net farm income where grain and oilseed producers have gained while livestock producers have lost, and the principal gainers - farm land owners. He said there has been a small impact on rural diversification. Some communities have even gained.

During the next 10 years, many countries important to the U.S. will experience water problems that will lead to instability and state failure, increase regional tensions, and distract them from working with the U.S. on important policy objectives. Paterson said it is important for developing countries to improve their irrigation efficiency and crop yields, partly so irrigation expansion can be avoided. That will require increased international investment for the construction of water infrastructure and management of water systems in developing countries.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 24

KURT KLEIN

Biodiesel production in the world increased from less than one billion litres in 2000 to about 15 billion litres in 2009 and over

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH A.I.P.A.?

20 billion by 2011. Most of the biodiesel production occurs in European countries. In Canada, ethanol production grew very slowly, rising from only 60 million litres in 1995 to about one quarter of a billion litres in 2004 (which was less than two per cent of the ethanol production in the United States at that time).

After a lot of lobbying, the Canadian government announced a mandate for biofuel content in gasoline, diesel and heating fuels in July of 2006. By 2010, all gasoline in Canada was to contain five per cent or more ethanol, while all biodiesel and heating fuel was to contain two per cent biodiesel by 2012. According to the government ministers of the day, this would create a market for three billion litres of biofuel, which would require about eight million tonnes of grains and oilseeds annually.

Klein raises the issue of biofuel production and food security.

The rapid expansion of biofuel production has corresponded with a dramatic drawdown in stocks of grains and oilseeds.

The total harvest of grains in the world in 2011 was only 15 million tons more than consumption. In seven out of the last twelve years, world grain production has been lower than consumption. World grain stocks have fallen since 2000.

This severe drawdown of stocks has been one of the most important reasons for the spike in grain and oilseed prices in 2008 and again recently. Big harvests in the U.S. in 2008 and 2009 helped but poor crops in Russia and the Ukraine in 2010 and the severe drought across a wide area of the United States in 2012 brought prices up again. “This is creating a moral dilemma,” he said. “Do we want to produce crops to feed people or to produce fuel that powers our vehicles? It is one thing when crop failures in key grain producing areas lead to food shortages and hunger. It is quite another when food shortages are the result of the deliberate use of food to produce fuel for our large cars and SUVs.” The much higher prices for food affects everyone but especially those on lower incomes. People in the developing world, many of whom live on extremely low incomes, have to compete for their daily subsistence in a world where food prices have risen.

Many feel use of biofuels can help reduce greenhouse gases.

Klein isn’t in that camp. He said that while the reduction of greenhouse gases is an admirable objective, it seems that production and use of biofuels to achieve this objective is very costly – several hundred dollars per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent as compared to only $30 or so per tonne by using the most efficient ways of reducing greenhouse gases. From

an economic perspective, there are less expensive ways to reduce greenhouse gases than to use agricultural land to produce feedstock for ethanol.

In response to rising feed grain prices, the profitability and size of the livestock sector has been reduced, reducing the livestock transportation and processing sectors. The gross benefits are reduced by the losses in employment and income in other sectors. “For this reason, net gains in employment generally are much smaller than the gross gains,” he said. Despite the woes in the livestock sector, it is unlikely that higher grain and oilseed prices will lead to higher net farm incomes. What are important are net incomes, not gross incomes. Because of increased prices of grains and oilseeds, prices are also rising for inputs necessary for crop production, such as fertilizer, equipment and storage. Due to the competitive market structure of the grains and oilseeds sector, higher commodity prices always result in higher prices for land with little or no improvement in the net returns to agricultural labour. “This means that the “winners” of the biofuel boom are the owners of farmland,” said Klein. And the persistence of low net farm incomes will not be relieved.

RICHARD PHILLIPS IRRIGATION GROWTH Irrigation is the largest water user in Alberta, and it is achieving greater overall efficiency and productivity for that use, says the manager of the Bow River Irrigation District Richard Phillips of Vauxhall, Irrigation-sector water use is influenced by the weather more than other sectors, but the industry maintains aggressive targets.

Phillips told the recent AIPA conference in Calgary that by 2015 70 per cent of irrigated lands in districts would be under best management practices, namely low pressure drop-tube centre pivots, an increase from the 47 per cent in 2005. On a 10-year rolling average, the irrigation districts will keep diversions at or below the year 2005 reference benchmark of 2.186 billion cubic metres per year.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 25

A.I.P.A. ...

Phillips said that within regulations and utilizing water conserved through efficiency gains anticipated through these conservation efforts in the irrigation system, the irrigation sector would make additional water available for other uses such as food processing, environmental objectives, rural water networks, agribusiness, and other water sharing.

Growth in irrigation districts will occur using saved water. Eight of 13 irrigation districts have increased their area expansion limits since 2002. That combined expansion limit has increased by 14 per cent to 1,512,850 acres from 1,325,680 acres. On a 10-year rolling average through 2015, irrigation districts will reduce the volume of water diverted from Alberta’s rivers, lakes and streams per unit of irrigated area to a level below the 2005 benchmark. The irrigation sector will achieve a 15 per cent increase in efficiency, relative to 2005 levels, by the end of 2015. Currently, efficiency is up over 20 per cent and productivity is up over 15 per cent using a 10-year rolling average.

Phillips said both factors would fluctuate with weather. “We have come a long way, and are on track to meet our targets,” said Phillips. It is already working. The irrigation sector will increase its productivity by 15 per cent from the reference yield of 2005, based on the indicator crops of sugar beets, potatoes, and soft white wheat.

When citizens make an effort to reduce their use of water on a long-term basis, that water can be made available to the stream through the trust. If the water is not dedicated for the stream, it is available for further use by existing and new licensees negating the conservation efforts. The trust will also reward those who have a good water conservation strategy; a contribution to the trust will be publicly recognized in the appropriate forums.

Bell is seeking a water trust in Alberta, and points quickly at Montana for support. That state has created a marketled solution to protect and conserve water. It is based on collaboration among stakeholders — irrigators, the industry, the rivers and community.

She told participants at the recent AIPA conference in Calgary, irrigation districts can work with a water trust in this province to help find solutions to water issues. Bell spelled out a trust mission – to improve social, economic and environmental outcomes by acquiring water entitlements for instream flow.

The goal is to establish and maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems, work within the water transfer system using market tools, communicate to the public successful.

“There is no single “right way” for water conservation,” she said. “There are gaps in our water knowledge.”

Bell said measuring and monitoring is just beginning while regulations are evolving, although priorities changing as awareness increases.

MAUREEN BELL PROTECTING STREAM FLOWS Protecting and conserving water as a resource is gaining momentum through the Water Conservation Trust of Canada, and a key spokesman for the movement wants to hold water interests in trust for recreation, water management and fish habitat. Maureen Bell of Calgary says the ultimate goal is to protect stream flows.

It is our intention to encourage those who conserve water to donate their water to the trust, including those municipalities whose citizens have collectively conserved water, she says.

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 26

Bell said demands on the water resources continue to increase through development pressures, industry and municipal growth, and climate change is causing increasing uncertainty.

A trust in Alberta will need a viable mechanism for recovering instream flow, starting with filling gaps in the current system which focuses on water for use. Finding ways to contribute conserved water to a trust is important.

Bell said there are challenges for Alberta, including regulatory restraints and government management. Water transfers are subject to a director’s decision. A licensee cannot decide who can use the water.

Bell said Montana unequivocally recognizes instream flow as a beneficial use. She suggested a need to develop opportunities for market-based tools and alternatives to regulations in Alberta.

Significant public education is essential “so we can have adult conversations about water.” A trust will want to work with

irrigators. “We have some ideas,” she said. The focus should be on place-based solutions, working with communities. All must recognize the value of ecosystem services which can in some cases reduce other costs such as those affecting water quality. It must include the best market tools for restorative use of water.

RON McMULLIN

Manure Impact on Nitrate Content in Groundwater, he said.

Alberta Agriculture and the University of Saskatchewan are collaborating.

Proudly Serving

Alberta’s Irrigation Industry

SOUTHGROW REGIONAL Southern Alberta’s irrigation districts have thrown their weight behind SouthGrow Regional Initiative’s water for economic development initiative. Ron McMullin of Lethbridge, executive director for AIPA, said SouthGrow’s 22 member communities know where they can secure water to enhance their communities and increase business and industry.

AIPA confirmed to SouthGrow that water is available for development in southern Alberta.

“Districts individually have set aside specific volumes of water for a number of purposes, including water for economic development and communities,” said McMullin. “Historically, districts have played a vital role in southern Alberta in delivering water to communities, businesses, livestock operations and habitat projects, and will continue within the bounds of legislation and government policy.”

AIPA continues an active role in research projects involving water. One operates with University of Alberta Professor Stuart Rood in several irrigation districts. It involves districts working to help attain functional river flows by sharing risks to augment river flows at the right rimes to help establish millions of seedlings in the riparian areas of the Oldman and Waterton rivers.

AIPA has several representatives on the Irrigation Water Quality Study Steering Committee working on the provincial surface water quality study. Another major project is Livestock

Made in Alberta www.ipexinc.com Phone: (403) 236-8333

Taber Irrigation District

TID

Specialty Crop Country

(Established in 1915) Taber is the centre of specialty crop production and value added processing in Alberta including sugar beets, hay, potatoes, corn and many other vegetable crops.

4420 - 44 Street, Taber, Alberta T1G 2J6 Telephone: (403) 223-2148 • Fax: (403) 223-2924 Email: tid@telusplanet.net

TABER IRRIGATION DISTRICT Serving over 82,000 acres and 750 water users in the Taber area

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 27

ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT

A

griculture is an economic mainstay for the City of Lethbridge, says the head of Economic Development Lethbridge.

Cheryl Dick, EDL chief executive officer, said the 2006 federal statistics indicate just under10 per cent of the city workforce is employed in the agricultural or agri-food industries. The 2011 figures will be released May 10.

“It is anticipated that spin-off employment linked directly to agriculture is significantly higher,” said Dick. “Irrigation plays a big role in that strength.”

Agriculture is strong across the Alberta region. That region stretching north to Red Deer accounts for 73 per cent of provincial agricultural sales and 66.2 per cent of the province’s agricultural labour force. Lethbridge census figures show 10.4 per cent of the labour force in the city and County of Lethbridge are employed on farms alone. Dick said agriculture’s contribution to the local economy comes in various ways. Crops, and processing of agricultural products, are significant, she said. Every year farmers reinvest hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy with capital investments in land, buildings and machinery; through wages and salaries, fuel, maintenance and repairs, livestock, poultry, feed and veterinary services and purchases of fertilizers, pesticides and seed.

Agricultural processors are a big part of the local economy.

Dick said Lethbridge is home to 38 agricultural processing firms, making it the third largest in Alberta behind only Edmonton and Calgary. In addition, Coaldale has four processors, Picture Butte and Coalhurst have two each and Diamond City has one.

Dick credits the education infrastructure combined with a well-educated and trainable workforce in southern Alberta for making the region attractive to processors. One of the big contributors to ongoing agriculture development here is the long-time commitment of Lethbridge College to training and education in this field, she said. Agriculture continues to evolve rapidly and it is becoming more complex with the addition of technology so having quality education is a plus.

Key processors include Sunrise Poultry, the largest agri-food employer with 420 workers. Maple Leaf Meats has 319 workers followed by PepsiCo Foods Canada with 250 workers, and Richardson Seeds (formerly Canbra Foods) with 190 workers. Other key companies include McCain Foods Canada east of Coaldale, Bayer Crop

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 28

Science, Black Velvet, Green Prairie Hay, Let’s Pasta Food Services, Lethbridge Hatchery, Lucerne Foods, Maple Leaf Potatoes, P&H Milling, Parmalat Canada, Sakai Spice, Sandberg Laboratories, Sunnyrose Cheese and Sunrise Berry Farms. Agricultural research is also important in Lethbridge with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research Centre. It is the agriculture sector’s major employer with 463 workers. It is also the area’s major public sector employer.

Figure D.34.a

County of Lethbridge Employment by Industry Division Industry by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Accommodation & Food Services Business Services Construction Education Services Finance, Insurance, Real Estate Health & Social Services Information & Cultural Manufacturing & Processing Primary Industries (Farming, Fishing, Mining, Oil)

Number Employed

Public Administration Trade - Retail & Wholesale Transportation & Warehousing Other Services Not Applicable

50 230 85 170 25 80 10 320 1,520 535 485 220 120 45

Total Employed Labour Force 15 years & Over

3,650

Source: Statistics Canada, Industry - North American Industry Classification System 2002, Occupation - National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006, Work Activity in 2005 and sex for the Employed Labour Force 15 Years and Over Having a Usual Place of Work or Working at Home.

2006 Census - 20% Sample Data

Dick said renewable energy is the emerging industry in the region. Biofuel production and development uses southern Alberta’s crops to feed the world’s energy demand. In Lethbridge, Kyoto Fuel operates a biodieselprocessing plant with capacity to produce 66 million litres with its expansion project expected to open early this year. Lethbridge Biogas LP, headed by Thane Hurlburt of Fort Macleod, started construction on a 2.85 megawatt cogeneration plant last summer. It will use organic residues. Once operational, the plant will offset the carbon dioxide equivalent of more than 45,000 tonnes every year and create energy to power more than 2,500 homes.

Figure D.33

There is a convergence of agriculture and technology happening that is very fascinating, said Dick. Precision agriculture, the use of mobile technologies and other ideas like the bio-energy Growtec project to use farm cull products to produce electricity, led by Chris Perry at Cranford, are having an impact in agriculture and food development.

Figure D.35.a

Number of Licensed Businesses

Lethbridge Licensed Businesses 7,000 6,000

Lethbridge Employment by Industry Division Industry by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Accommodation & Food Services Business Services Construction Education Services Finance, Insurance, Real Estate Health & Social Services Information & Cultural Manufacturing & Processing Primary Industries (Farming, Fishing, Mining, Oil) Public Administration Trade - Retail & Wholesale Transportation & Warehousing Other Services Not Applicable

5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000

Total Employed Labour Force 15 years & Over

1,000 2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Source: City of Lethbridge, Business License List

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

1991

1996

2001

2006

2,765 1,240 2,035 3,005 1,355 3,520 1,135 3,080 990 2,650 6,270 1,170 2,340 485

3,020 1,280 2,135 3,200 1,400 3,970 905 2,910 1,040 2,035 6,910 1,135 2,680 600

3,485 2,895 2,595 3,565 1,670 4,485 760 3,575 945 1,765 6,300 1,725 2,045 315

3,480 3,365 1,595 3,485 1,990 5,625 700 3,760 705 1,830 7,380 1,100 2,250 1,085

32,030

33,450

37,015

38,360

Source: Statistics Canada, Industry - North American Industry Classification System 2002, Occupation - National Occupational Classification for Statistics 2006, Work Activity in 2005 and sex for the Employed Labour Force 15 Years and Over Having a Usual Place of Work or Working at Home. 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data

http://www.chooselethbridge.ca/business/employers

Parrish & Heimbecker, Ltd. Lethbridge...........403.320.9440 Bassano................403.633.0297 Bow Island..........403.545.2748 Medicine Hat......403.526.2831 Milk River...........403.647.3633 Mossleigh............403.534.3961 Vulcan.................403.485.2727 Wilson Siding.....403.381.8710 IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 29

ASK THE PRO

W

e made it! Another winter has come and gone, and a new irrigation season is staring us right in the face.

To take a partial line from a Christmas carol -- are you ready to face un-afraid the plans that you’ve made! Well, let’s see what we can do to assist you in that.

Your pivot and irrigation equipment has sat there patiently all winter waiting for the next season and soon it will be its time to shine on the farm and help you make the difference between a good crop and a great crop.

As you ready it for the season here are a few tips that might save you some down time when you need it the most.

1. Give your machine a complete visual inspection.

2. Check the tires that none have gone flat over the winter.

3. Check the cable connections at each tower, pivot point and pump site especially if you have run livestock in the field since you last used it.

4. Check for broken and missing sprinklers or drop tubes that may have been damaged in the winds.

5. Reinstall any plugs that may have been removed from control valves or pumps for winterization.

6. Grease your pivot point!

7. Grease your pump motor bearing -- follow the manufacturer’s recommendation as not all are the same. Use the right kind of grease!

8. Plug any open holes in panels and tower boxes.

9. Check tubing on any shut-off valves at the pivot points or pumps.

10. Make sure that all safety guards are in place and properly attached.

11. Start and test your equipment as soon as possible even before you need it so that it is ready to go when you need it.

Safety should rule the day no matter what it is that you are doing!

Technology has come a long way over the past several years and more and more equipment is being remotely controlled.

It is paramount that you have a staff safety meeting with everyone. Don’t exclude anyone that is on the farm regardless of how much or how little they are involved with the day-today operation. This may very well be the most important part of this whole article. I cannot stress this enough, be safe, be safe, be safe!

Key safety messages include: 1. Don’t assume anything.

2. You are responsible for your own safety, while others can only assist.

3. Never park any equipment inside the total machine length of the pivot.

4. Always lock the equipment disconnect off when working on it.

5. When working with power make sure your meter it out so that you know it is dead and off.

6. If working on remotely controlled equipment make sure it is disabled so that it cannot be remotely started.

7. Never restart a piece of equipment until you have checked why it went off and know that it is safe to restart it.

8. Have a partner with you if the job warrants it.

9. Let others know where you are and an approximate time you expect to be back.

10. If you don’t feel comfortable doing something DON’T, get help, it will be a lot cheaper in the long run and way safer. Listen to those feelings that you are having, it could save you more than you think!

One last thing. Any job should be fun. So be patient, relax and enjoy what you do. Take pride in your work and do it right the first time. You can get a burger in five minutes and most times it tastes like it. Be patient with yourself and your service people, in the real world some things take a little longer but are usually worth the wait.

Live long and prosper!

IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 30

-Delon Crapo

Since its introduction, the Rubin has proven to be the No. 1 for Compact Discs Harrows. The combination of full surface cultivation even at shallow depth, excellent mixing quality and high durability has convinced farmers around the world. That is the quality of LEMKEN. Or, as we call it : The No. 1 in blue. Contact your LEMKEN dealer to arrange a demonstration.

www.lemken.com

3005 – 18th Ave. N., Lethbridge, Alberta

PHONE: 403-329-8686 Daytime & After Hours: Call Toll Free 1-800-461-5356 email: hanloneq@telus.net www.hanlonag.com IRRIGATING ALBERTA - Spring 2013 • 31

CALL US FOR ZIMMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS THE STRENGTH AND TRACTION YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR CORNER SYSTEM RUNNING SMOOTHLY Model 8500

9500CC Custom Corner

Why Precision VRI? This technology allows you to apply exactly the right amount of water or fertilizer to each area of your field – giving you full control over each square foot to maximize yields and profitability. Zimmatic VRI does not limit you to squares like other VRI systems do.

Call Us for more information today.

All Call Us for FieldNET updated to FieldNET FieldNET 3

TABER

LETHBRIDGE

1-800-561-4608 BROOKS

STRATHMORE

BOW ISLAND

403-223-3591 LETHBRIDGE 403-328-3777 403-362-4087 STRATHMORE 403-934-3570 BOW ISLAND 403-545-2510 TABER BROOKS 403-223-3591 403-328-3777 403-362-4087 403-934-3570 403-545-2510