PAGE 20
News Advertiser
August 21, 2019
www.NewsAdvertiser.com
Flooded Crop Conditions Persist in North-East Alberta
Emily Mailhot Reporter – Vegreville News Advertiser Hard times for agriculture are nothing new and often occur in certain areas of the province only to be compensated for by another area. The south gets too much hail or grasshoppers, and the northeast or Peace regions pick up the slack. But how much bad weather is too much bad weather for Alberta agriculture? Elden Kozak, Agricultural Fieldman for the County of Two Hills, writes in response to an inquiry to their local conditions: “The weather has certainly been difficult this season. Excessive rainfalls have areas of the County of Two Hills with flooded crops, the first cut hay that hasn’t been put up, and very few silage fields are dry enough to harvest, leaving concerns with feed shortages as a real problem. A lot of the bales that have been put up for winter feed are in poor quality as it was rained on after cutting for 3-4 weeks. Harvest is look-
ing like it is going to be a real challenge.” And they aren’t the only ones: farmers and producers in Lamont, Minburn,
province’s farmers this year unless things heat up over the few remaining weeks left in the summer growing season.
and Beaver counties have reported similar situations. When it comes time for producers to feed their livestock over the winter, eyes are turning towards Calgary and the south for hay sales, which have skyrocketed in price even as they see what could be the only good hay for the
The Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Crop Update reads for Region Three: North East (Smoky Lake, Vermilion, Camrose, Provost) “All spring-seeded crops are in need of warm weather as cool wet weather has slowed maturity. There are some drowned out and yellowed crops from
Mini Camp-Out for Children Rosanne Fortier News Correspondent Vegreville and Area Parent Link Centre (PLC) wanted families to be together and get together with other families so they designed a Mini Camp-Out event on August 12 at Vegreville Elks/ Kinsmen Park. This Camp-Out was on fire with happy kids painting their own tic-tac-toe boards and pegs, roasting hot-dogs and s’mores on the
The Lee family makes tic-tac-toe boards. (Rosanne Fortier/photo)
barbeque (with their parents’ supervision), or children going on a treasure hunt, blowing bubbles, catching bugs with bug catching kites, or just socializing, and enjoying the great outdoors. Support Coordinator for PLC, Tasha Homeniuk read the children a story at the end which wasn’t just a story for the kids to listen to but it also had an activity for the children to do along with it.
excess water. Hailstorms in the first week of August damaged some crops. Hay yields are reported above the 5-year average, but haying operations are hampered by wet conditions. First cut haying operations are only 47 percent complete, with the average yield estimated at 1.7 ton per acre compared to the 5-year average of 1.5 tons per acre. The quality is rated as 33 percent good to excellent. The chance for second cut hay is minimal. Surface soil moisture is rated at four per cent fair, 49 per cent good, 30 per cent excellent and 17 per cent excessive. Pasture conditions are reported as two per cent poor, 13 per cent fair, 57 per cent good and 28 per cent excellent.” Over the next week, Environment Canada forecasts a weekly high of 26 degrees on Wednesday the 21st, with rainy days on Thursday and Sunday.
