AGRICULTURE

Seasonal Crop & Insect Inspections

Each year the Agricultural Services Department completes seasonal crop disease and insect surveys. Surveillance and monitoring allows information to be collected and analyzed by the province. This information is used to determine if there may be risks to the agriculture industry and to generate forecast maps for the upcoming growing season.

Insect surveys are completed for bertha armyworms and grasshoppers. Bertha armyworm pheromone traps are set up in late May and run for a six-week surveillance period. Two fields are selected with two traps set up at each location. Survey results are updated weekly on the Alberta Pest Monitoring Network.

Grasshopper surveys are completed in August. The survey counts the number of adult grasshoppers who have the potential to lay eggs. This information is used to forecast the following year. Environmental factors can result in higher or lower numbers than predicted. Approximately one field is selected in every township for the survey.

The Alberta Pest Monitoring Network is a great resource for producers to access live feed maps as well as annual surveys and forecast maps. You can find information on bertha armyworms, cutworms, wheat midge, grasshoppers, and more by visiting alberta.ca/alberta-insect-pest-monitoring-network.aspx

Crops are surveyed for clubroot and blackleg. Clubroot is a serious soil-borne disease of canola. Blackleg is another disease of canola caused by a fungus. Both clubroot and blackleg have the ability to cause significant yield losses. Ten fields are inspected annually for both clubroot and blackleg. If any plants exhibit signs of clubroot, they are sent off for testing to confirm a diagnosis. Blackleg samples and results are sent to Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Survey results and positively identified locations can be found on our website in the fall. We also provide additional information on clubroot and how to prevent its establishment and spread at md.bonnyville.ab.ca/123/Agricultural-Services

If you have any questions regarding our seasonal crop and insect surveys, please contact the Agricultural Services Department at 780-826-3951

The Rise of Burdock

Back in May, you read about our Weed Inspectors and how vital they are to our Agricultural Services team in preventing the establishment of noxious weeds. They have been busy inspecting properties as there have been an increasing number of infestations of lesser burdock. Burdock is listed under Schedule 2 – Noxious Weeds in the Weed Control Act. Two other types of burdocks listed under the Weed Control Act are woolly and great burdock.

Burdock is a biennial invasive species native to Eurasia. Being a biennial, burdock lives for two growing seasons. In the first year, it grows leaves and accumulates food reserves in its roots. The second year, it grows a long, deep taproot (up to one metre long), a tall stalk, and flowers that become burs. An individual plant can produce between 6,000 and 16,000 seeds during its lifespan. Seeds can stay viable in the soil for up to 10 years. The seeds are spread by the burs, attaching themselves to livestock and other animals. Contaminated hay is another way burdock can spread across and between provinces. Burs can cause problems for livestock and other animals if they get under their eyelids. In addition, birds and bats can get tangled in the old burs.

Burdock thrives in undisturbed areas such as grazing reserves, forested areas, and riparian areas. Because of its biennial characteristics, you will normally not see burdock growing in areas such as cropland, which is tilled on an annual basis.

There are control options available for burdock. A label-approved broadleaf herbicide can be used to control burdock in areas that are not near a body of water or a riparian zone. It is important to read the label to familiarize yourself with the herbicide you are applying and any restrictions. Burdock can be mechanically controlled by cutting or pulling the plant. Pulling plants with the root is more effective, as a new plant can grow from the root. But, if anything, cutting the plant before it goes to flower will still give you some control. If you are purchasing hay, do your best to guarantee that it is weed-free and that you are not transporting unwanted noxious weeds onto your property.

If you have any questions regarding burdock and control, contact the Agricultural Services Department at 780-826-3951

BREAKING NEWS! – M.D. residents can now register for their Ardmore Landfill Account!

We’re sure you’re asking yourself two questions – why do I need an account to access the Ardmore Landfill and how much is this going to cost me?

We’ve got some answers for you!

Why do I need an account?

M.D. residents will be required to have an account to access the Ardmore Landfill for a few reasons, but most importantly, accountability. Accountability on the users to help ensure they understand their requirements, but also accountability on our part to help ensure we are handling waste and recycling generated in the M.D. of Bonnyville. It is important that the landfill and transfer station service that is provided to M.D. ratepayers remains low-cost.

What is the cost of getting an account?

There are no fees to register for an account. M.D. residents can register for an M.D. waste utility account to provide access to the Ardmore Landfill and receive either a proximity card or a smartphone app access account. Either option will work at the access gates. Residents can choose the option that best suits their needs.

Construction for this project will begin in late August, with some testing of the system taking place in September. The projected start date for the operational changes is Tuesday, October 3 when Ardmore will move to the new hours of operation – Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Fort Kent landfill will transition to a bin site for household waste and recycling drop-off.

Have questions about this project and or any waste or recycling projects? Call our Waste Services Department at 780-826-3171

DID YOU KNOW?

Does your rural address sign need a replacement?

Take a look at your blue address sign. Is it faded or damaged? Do you need a new one? Take a look at the picture above. Does it look like the one on the left? If so, you probably need a new one.

The M.D. has a new online program which allows property owners to request a new or replacement sign online. Simply fill out the form here bit.ly/MapsAddressing, and your sign will be ordered.

You will be contacted via phone when your sign is ready to be picked up from the M.D.’s Main Administration Office (4905-50 Ave.). Once you have picked up your sign from our office, you can also upload a photo of it to through the form, which lets us know you’ve installed it.

Please call the Planning and Development Department at 780-826-3171 with any questions.

NOTE IT!

Did you know you can receive a voicemail with emergency alerts from the M.D.?

If you sign up for an account at bit.ly/MDVoyentAlert you can choose how you receive information – by downloading an app, via email, through a text message, and even an automatic call to your phone number. You can even choose to get information from all four sources.

You can also find a map which shows where active alerts are currently in place, find out more information on the Voyent system, and submit information to be sent out via Voyent (for example if you have a lost pet) at bit.ly/MDVoyentAlert

Have questions? Contact our Public Safety Department at 780-812-3332 or via email at voyent@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

Rebranding Open Houses

Tax and assessment notices in the mail!

M.D. property owners should have received their 2023 Tax and Assessment Notices in their mailbox.

If you have not received your tax notice or if you have questions about your notice, please contact the Tax Team at 780-826-3171.

Remember – the deadline to pay your M.D. property taxes is September 15, 2023.

As part of the M.D.’s rebranding process, we will be holding open houses to get input and feedback from residents.

There will be two open houses.

July 17 - Eastbourne Hall

July 18 - Riverhurst Hall

Both open houses will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Find out more about the rebranding process at md.bonnyville.ab.ca/516/Rebranding