News

The Federal and Provincial Governments have announced they are providing $165 million to support livestock producers affected by drought and extreme growing conditions.

It has been a tough growing season for many, with challenges due to dry conditions causing farmers and ranchers to face extraordinary costs. To help them through this time the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada are partnering on a 2023 Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance response.

Final Crop Report of 2023, provided by the Government of Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, as of October 17, 2023.

Since the last report on October 4th, 2023, reasonable rains, for this time of year, have continued to fall across much of the Southern Region and about 60% of the Central Region along with the west-half of the North West Region. In fact some parts of the Southern Region and Central Regions have received above normal rain fall for this time of year. However, this is a normally dry time of year and above average moisture while beneficial, is still not enough to reverse long standing moisture deficits. It does, although bring hope to those that have suffered long running moisture deficits and begins to fuel some optimism for the 2024 cropping season.

Glenda Farnden, Senior Municipal Relations Liaison with STARS, was present at the October 10, 2023 Council Meeting to provide an annual update on the recent activity of the organization. This included the implementation of a new fleet, new innovation and technology, mission statistics, and other information pertinent to County residents.

Are you a graduate of the LandView Ag Drone School? Do you want to take your skills to the next level?

LandView is offering a two-day Drone Spraying Clinic aimed to show participants how to operate a spraying drone, go through best practices for application, and discuss the regulatory aspects for both aviation and pesticide application. The day day course will allow for hands-on learning, including designing your own spraying missions, complete calibration processes, and using Pix4Dfields software to go from multispectral map to spraying prescription.

The Government of Alberta announced yesterday, October 18, 2023, that the Persons Case Scholarship is now receiving applications. The scholarship aims to help Albertans studying in fields that advance gender equality.

Small business owners face many challenges. At Saddle Hills County we are proud of the tenacity and strength of our small business community and the talented individuals that dedicate their time to make their dreams reality.

As part of Small Business Week, we have compiled some additional resources for small business owners to help them learn, grow, and thrive.

The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) is offering a free webinar series for beef producers and vet teams focusing on practical, science-based information with topics including managing the long-term implications of drought, heifer development, and calf management. The first webinar will be held on November 15, 2023.

The Government of Alberta is investing $11 million in nurse bridging programs for internationally educated nurses to help address current and future demand throughout the healthcare system.

Through this funding, internationally educated nurses will have access to an additional 1,221 spaces at post-secondary institutions so they can complete the programs they need for certification in Alberta.

The Government of Alberta is investing $40 million to help small and medium sized businesses find new ways to lower emissions, reduce energy costs, and grow the economy.

Small and medium sized businesses make up about 96% of businesses in Alberta and employ hundreds of thousands of Albertans, making them an important part of reducing emissions while creating jobs across the province.