By Nick Dunn

This year the Ag Services department faced many challenges along with producers in Flagstaff County to achieve its successes within our programs and services. The Ag Services department consists of 11 seasonal employees, myself the Agricultural Fieldman, and Matthew Pfeffer the Agricultural Foreman. Roadside mowing is expected to be completed twice annually and due to the early drought conditions we experienced this spring we were delayed by two weeks and started mowing in mid-June. Overcoming some adversity meant playing catch-up for what felt like the entire summer. However, with our motivated crew we were able to catch-up on our second cut and in the end accomplished 1.75 cuts. All roadsides are mowed with our Kuhn disc mowers that cut 10 feet down to the edge of the slope. Some may have noticed their roadsides were cut with our Shulte blade mower, which cuts 15 feet along all arterial and collector roadsides. This was the first year we have mowed collector roadsides with the Shulte mower as they were previously cut with the Kuhns.

The Ag Services department also offers roadside and custom spraying services. When trees and shrubs reach full leaf, our roadside sprayers start the season spraying previously hydro-axed roadside shoulders, which is conducted by the Public Works department. Vegetation that’s above 4 feet tall will be spot-sprayed with Garlon XRT while vegetation under 4 feet will be sprayed with Navius Flex. After brush spraying, we will then move into our weed control program that consists of treating one-third of the municipal roadsides. Last year we sprayed the southern third of our county, which consisted of Hwy 53 and Hwy 608 South and this year we sprayed the northern third, which consisted of Twp Rd 440 North. Our roadsides are currently sprayed with Navius Flex, which has a residual effect to suit our spraying program and provide long-term control on tough-to-kill weed species. Herbicide groupings are altered throughout the program to ensure that we do not promote the buildup of weed resistance. Crews also found themselves spraying gravel sites, stockpiles, municipal grounds including many recreational areas, Hardisty areas as part of our new leafy spurge program, and now even provincial highways. Flagstaff County entered an agreement with Alberta Transportation in 2023 to spray problematic areas throughout our borders that they were struggling to manage at full cost-recovery. We’re hoping that Alberta Transportation will continue to work with us as I believe our inspectors and sprayers can perform maintenance in a more timely and accurate manner as it is part of the Weed Control Act to control noxious weeds, and destroy prohibited noxious weeds. The Ag Services department also provides custom spraying on private land at cost-recovery with UTVs, ATVs, backpack sprayers, an Intelli-spray truck, roadside sprayers, and when it comes to scentless chamomile (mayweed) we will even pick it. As of 2023, Flagstaff County is now a registered vendor for herbicides and pesticides with the Province of Alberta and is happy to provide rural acreage owners and producers access to certain herbicides and rodenticides.

The Ag Services department also operated in some pest control duties that included removing beaver dams at cost-recovery and providing free rental traps accompanied with a damage deposit. We will continue to host extension events including Between the Roots news columns, workshops, webinars, certification courses, podcasts, Conservation Easements, other ongoing programs and projects such as Shelterbelt Establishment, Wetland Resiliency and Replacement Program (WRRP), and Alberta Land Use Services (ALUS). NEW in 2024 there will be three satellite mulch sites that will be located in Sedgewick, Galahad, and Strome. These sites will aim to give Flagstaff residents free access to wood mulch, keep mulch out of our Regional Landfill, and reduce costs for arborists performing maintenance within our borders.

The park’s crew consists of a park’s caretaker, and two labourers that are tasked with maintaining Flagstaff County owned campgrounds, playgrounds, and recreational areas. New in 2023, Flagstaff entered into an agreement with the Diplomat Mine Museum Society to assist in the grounds and facility maintenance. Many playground repairs were made to Strome and Fish Lake as well as the replacement of the Galahad playground. Other repairs included rebuilding the Fish Lake aerator, rebuilding picnic tables, fire pits, campsite utilities and restoring the ball diamond areas in Strome.

If you would like to stay updated or learn more about the Ag Services or Parks and Recreation departments, you can view our quarterly reports in the report’s sections of the Council Meeting Minutes or our ASB Meeting Minutes that we also have quarterly or as needed. I would like to thank our seasonal crews for their contributions in the 2023 season. Their hard work and passion doesn’t go unnoticed.

Nick Dunn is Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Fieldman. He can be reached via email at: ndunn@flagstaff.ab.ca or by phone at: 780-384-4138.

Flagstaff County is pleased to announce that CAO Shelly Armstrong has been awarded the 2023 R.W. Hay Award as outstanding rural CAO at the recent Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) convention in Edmonton.

Shelly’s career in public service has so far spanned 36 years, including more than 30 as CAO – longevity that reflects her dedication to serving her community, said RMA Vice President Kara Westerlund during the award presentation.

“This CAO has been a driver of constant innovation and improvement,” Westerlund noted, “including advocating for and facilitating long-term strategic planning and integration of asset management, risk assessment and long-range financial modelling within all municipal departments and as key council decision-making tools.”

Flagstaff County Council nominated Shelly for the prestigious award, stating in their nomination package that Shelly “has consistently demonstrated professionalism, trustworthiness, and transformative leadership. … Our relationship has been built on trust and mutual respect. Her consistent professionalism has been instrumental in nurturing the highest potential within Council and the entire organization.”

Beyond her municipal work, Shelly was also commended for the countless hours she has committed as a director and volunteer for many local organizations.

“As a local leader, this CAO regularly goes above and beyond to make sure local voluntary organizations and other service groups are supported and thriving,” Westerlund added. 

The RMA established the R.W. Hay Award in 1997 for Excellence in Rural Municipal Administration to recognize the superior service provided by rural administrators.

The winning CAO is chosen annually by an evaluation committee consisting of three past winners, three representatives from the Society of Local Government Managers Board of Directors (SLGM), and one member of the RMA Board of Directors. No individual may receive the award more than once.

Please join us in congratulating Shelly on this well-deserved honour.

By Nick Dunn

Now that harvest 2023 is behind us, it’s time to start planning for the next growing season. For some, that means servicing equipment and placing it back in the shed, and for others, it means bringing machinery out of the shed to go back to work. This year came with many challenges but the opportunity to do some fall work was not one of them. Finishing harvest ahead of our average coupled with an extended fall has allowed producers to get a head start on the upcoming season.

Fall can be a great time to apply fertilizer on next year’s crop. It all starts with a soil test that can be done by yourself or contracted out through agronomists and local retailers. The information gathered through the soil tests can help you make informed decisions with your fertility plan. The first step is to set a realistic yield goal and figure out what nutritional values you will need to reach that yield goal based on uptake. Yes, there are many variables to make a yield goal but one of them we can control is our inputs. You are more likely to reach your yield goal by giving your crop the best opportunity nutritionally than banking solely on a good growing season, although they go hand in hand. The final part of that equation is to know how much you have, and that comes from soil testing and analyzing data gathered from previous growing seasons. What you need – What you got = What you apply. Soil sampling is only as good as the one who samples it. The soil sample needs to represent the whole field to be a good representation. It doesn’t necessarily matter on the sampling method if it be benchmarked or average sample. It needs to be taken from certain areas in the field with consistent depths. Stay away from the low and high spots as it could throw the sample off. For a better picture sample as far down as 24”. Today, software and technology has made this process much easier and can integrate variable rates into the farming machinery based on data, which of course comes at an extra cost.

Applying fertilizer in the spring can often affect producers’ bottom line as fertilizer prices typically go down in fall due to lower demand. Not only can it lower producers’ expenses but can also give them a head start in the upcoming year. When applying fertilizer in the fall, producers need to be aware of the loss risks that are associated with fall fertilization. Nitrogen especially is susceptible to many forms of losses including volatilization, which occurs when nitrogen in the form of ammonia is lost to the atmosphere, typically in dry conditions. Denitrification is when warm saturated soil bacteria convert nitrate nitrogen into gaseous forms. Leaching occurs when excessive water carries nitrogen down past the root zone leaving it plant inaccessible. Losses are also incurred through soil erosion, whether it be through wind or water. Applying the fertilizer in a tight band reduces a lot of these losses but does not eliminate the risk. It is recommended fall fertilizer application be done when soil temperatures reach 5˚ C or less, but before freeze-up. There are products on the market to help mitigate losses with dry fertilizer such as Environmentally Smart Nitrogen (ESN). ESN has a biodegradable polymer coating the nitrogen prill that enables the nitrogen to be slowly released over approximately 45 days. Applying phosphate, potassium, and sulphur in the fall is less sensitive compared to nitrogen. You can combine them without worrying too much about losses. While sulfur can leach with excessive water, phosphate and potassium will remain in place as they are rather immobile within our soils. Some producers will apply sulphur fines on their upcoming canola ground in the fall to keep it out of the drill in spring as it may increase chances of plugging when paired with high humidity and nitrogen. Sulphur fines are also cheaper than sulphur prills.

Regardless of whether you apply fertilizer in the fall or not, it is still a good opportunity to test your soil and start planning for the upcoming season. Soil testing coupled with realistic yield goals will set the foundation of your fertility plans and depending on the markets, it could possibly save you money compared to the high-demanding spring.

Nick Dunn is Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Fieldman. He can be reached via email at: ndunn@flagstaff.ab.ca or by phone at: 780-384-4138.

By Nick Dunn

According to the 2006 Agricultural Profile, in Flagstaff County there are more than 1,000,000 acres of farmland, 250,000 acres of them are pasture or hay land. Of that 250,000 pasture acres, it is estimated that 100,000 acres are tame or seeded, and 150,000 acres are natural. These lands produce high-quality forage for our livestock producers and maintaining these lands is predominantly crucial to their operations in beef production as most of their cattle feed is forage based. When pastures are seeded, they are typically forgotten about, and over time we have seen pasture plant stands and quality decrease, affecting livestock producers’ bottom line. Ultimately rainfall and fertilization are the main dictators of how well a pasture is going to perform in a season. We have seen depleting growth within our pastures as we have been experiencing drought-like conditions and high temperatures that have burnt both our seeded and natural pastures.

Pasture management can be very complicated and can change over time according to the conditions. It is important that landowners closely monitor their pastures to help them make timely decisions when needed. Some of the best management practices that have been set to the side are weed and brush control, fertilization, and other mechanical practices. Controlling weed and brush within pastures is crucial to promote the growth of the native forages and to prevent unwanted vegetation from establishing. Some of the noxious weeds within pastures are poisonous to livestock and landowners are legally obligated to control them. When legumes are present and needed, producers will often have to sacrifice areas to control certain weed infestations with selective herbicides and spot spraying. Like every weed problem, the more it is neglected the greater the infestation and cost will be to control it. Flagstaff County has a Pesticide Vendor Registration with the Province of Alberta and carries range and pasture products to sell to landowners on a cost-recovery basis. You can also find these herbicides at selected retailers throughout the County.

Fertilization is also an important part of pasture maintenance and soil testing will help identify deficiencies that are within the soil. A common practice at a minimum is to broadcast dry urea in the fall or early spring. Soil testing is always recommended prior to application.

Other maintenance strategies include mechanical practices such as investing in the land and infrastructure to help with rotational grazing. Grazing the land too hard will deplete forages and legumes to a point where you might have to reseed much earlier than expected. Optimizing pasture utilization and cattle management is crucial to conserve the pastureland.

Sometimes our pastures have reached the end of their life cycle and it becomes necessary to undertake a more extensive rejuvenation process, including re-seeding with a forage blend. This is particularly the case when pastures have become severely degraded or overgrazed, resulting in poor forage quality and consistently reduced growth and vegetation. During this time, we often start to see weed infestations starting to take over the land and grass weaning down. Older pastures usually have high compaction, which decreases their ability to take on and retain soil moisture, leading to low productivity. Some producers or landowners will break the ground up and plant annual crops for a couple years. This process will rejuvenate soil quality by breaking up hardpan layers, decreasing compaction, weed and brush control and increasing organic material. After 2-3 years of implementing annual crops, producers will then select the appropriate forage species that will be best suited for their land and livestock nutritional needs.

It is important that we do not sideline the maintenance of pastures. Neglected pastures will end up costing producers more by increasing the cost of rejuvenation. It is important that we monitor the conditions of the pasture throughout the year as they do change, address issues promptly and stay informed about best management practices.

Nick Dunn is Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Fieldman. He can be reached via email at: ndunn@flagstaff.ab.ca or by phone at: 780-384-4138.

By Nick Dunn

It is that time of year when we start to see more machinery going down the road and I ask all of you to share the roadway accordingly. I can personally testify that nothing means more to an equipment operator going down the road than to see oncoming traffic pull over to the side or tailing with adequate space. The blind spots in big machinery are much larger than ones of a normal-sized vehicle, so placing yourself in a position where the operators can see you may just save a life. Another approach is that if you see oncoming equipment, plan an alternative route if feasible. I can assure you that you will not be disappointed with the breathtaking views of Flagstaff County in the fall.  

Harvest in Flagstaff is a time where the community comes together, whether that’s neighbours helping neighbours or friends in town helping friends in the field. Long hours, tireless teamwork and dedication are what feeds this world, and being a farming community, we are the backbone.  

At the start of this year’s season, we were on the verge of declaring an Agricultural Disaster due to drought conditions. With improved conditions, that only left us facing variables like hail damage and pressures from pests. Producers have faced adversity repeatedly, and each time, they have emerged stronger, more resilient, and more determined to not only feed our community but the world. This year has certainly been unique with many variations of maturity and crop quality all within our borders. We have the good, the bad, and the ugly, which is a direct result of minimal blanket coverage rainfall. With harvest going into full swing, I have not heard of many yields; however, I suspect some producers will be surprised with some of their crops, particularly oilseeds. The canola plant has always amazed me with its ability to perform in low plant densities and bounce back from natural stresses. These yields may not be “bin busting” but in times like we have witnessed this year, we can be grateful to have a harvest, as many of us were expecting to be in the field much earlier.  

According to the Alberta Crop Report released on September 5, 35% of all crops have been combined provincially. The majority of that being in the south where they have experienced drier and warmer weather. Challenges we are facing now are cool, moist and smoky conditions that are delaying maturity even further. Our region has only completed 9% of the harvest, which is behind the five-year average of 14%. Surface soil moisture conditions (sub-surface in brackets) are currently rated at 7 (19) per cent poor, 21 (29) per cent fair, 60 (44) per cent good, 11 (8) per cent excellent and 1 (0) per cent excessive. Second cut hay is 62 per cent complete and average yield is at 1 ton per acre, above the five-year average 0.8 tons per acre. The majority of pasture growth conditions are rated as fair. If you would like to read more information or previous Alberta Crop Reports, please visit: www.alberta.ca/alberta-crop-reports.  

From my behalf I would like to wish you all a safe and successful harvest and to enjoy them meals in the field!  

Nick Dunn is Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Fieldman. He can be reached via email at: ndunn@flagstaff.ab.ca or by phone at: 780-384-4138.

Council performed departmental priority surveys at the June 14, 2023, Council meeting. The results have been compiled into this report. Click HERE to see the report.

By Nick Dunn

In last month’s column, I discussed the history, behaviours, and life cycle of the coyote, as it is crucial information for understanding how to control them. With a growing coyote population, it has raised concerns about their impact on livestock, pets, and human safety for rural, and urban residents. These canines are very adaptable to their environment and intelligent, which makes them difficult to control. There are many strategies that can be implemented to help reduce the risks of predatory attack and manage their populations.

For livestock producers, some traditional methods we have implemented are trapping, shooting, and poisoning. These methods are lethal and are not necessarily the best management practices available. Although the coyote can be controlled with lethal methods year-round on private land, they are still a valuable part of our environment, which is why we need to adopt sound husbandry practices to reduce interactions between livestock and coyotes. These practices include herd surveillance, closely monitoring your livestock until they become large enough to defend themselves. First time calvers should not be left unattended in open range situations. Corralling at night with smaller livestock is another practice, but this doesn’t pertain to cattle as they are relatively safe from coyote attacks outside of calving season. Livestock behaviour can be a telltale if they have been attacked previously. Some signs of frequent attacks would be an increase in nervousness, and being more alert and fearful than usual. For sheep, if they have been attacked or disturbed, they will tend to break into smaller groups or be more scattered. Coyote predation on livestock is a learned behaviour; introducing them to young, sick, injured livestock, and livestock carrion will promote this behaviour. Age classing should also be considered; not placing young livestock on open pasture until they can defend themselves will greatly reduce the potential for attacks. The best method for preventing livestock predation is guard animals, when they live full-time with the flock or herd. Dogs, donkeys, and llamas have all been used successfully within our County to protect our livestock and the choice depends on the livestock needing protection, predators, budget, or personal preference.

Rural and urban residents can also face coyote predation. Urban areas don’t pose as much of a risk compared to rural areas but it ultimately depends on the availability of food sources. It’s important to keep yard sites clear of garbage, pet food, and small prey like rodents. By eliminating their food sources, the likelihood of coyote interactions is significantly lowered. Coyotes will generally avoid human interaction but will occasionally target small pets if given the opportunity. If you live on the outskirts of your municipality, you would be at greater risk than those that live within. It’s important for pet owners to supervise their pets and children outdoors, especially during dusk and dawn when coyotes are most active. Most encounters happen during walks on remote pathways; be sure to stay in well-lit areas and if an encounter does occur, try to get something between you and the predator itself like a fence or walking stick. Staying calm is very important, avoid turning your back, maintain eye contact, talk with a firm voice, and back away slowly if possible. After the encounter has taken place, it is important to report this issue to local authorities so they can help ensure that this encounter doesn’t take place again.

Of these management practices mentioned, there isn’t one practice that will ultimately stop the threat of predators for livestock producers, and urban and rural residents. The best management practice is to adopt as many of these controls as possible. By employing these methods, we can coexist with coyotes while preserving the ecological balance.  

Nick Dunn is Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Fieldman. He can be reached via email at: ndunn@flagstaff.ab.ca or by phone at: 780-384-4138.

At our 2023 Flagstaff County Public Input Open House, we asked County residents to rank priorities for seven departments. Please go ahead and complete the brief priority-ranking surveys for each department. (You’ll see two priorities displayed at a time; simply click on which one is a priority for you. Keep making selections for a few moments until there are no more pairings displayed on the screen.)

• Communications
• Public Works
• Ag Services
• Planning and Development
• Economic Development
• Protective Services
• Regional Programs

By Nick Dunn

Coyotes are a canine species that are native to North America and can be devastating for livestock producers and rural residents. Coyotes can cause a loss of animals, typically during calving season, which can cause financial strain and impact to producers’ bottom line. The Agricultural Pests Act, and the Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation declares the coyote to be a nuisance animal, which allows municipalities to supply landowners with control devices and materials. This also enables landowners to take control measures on their own land or permit someone as long as it is on their land. Livestock producers have adopted multiple control measures to control coyotes that some rural residents have also practiced. To effectively control coyotes, we need to understand their history, behaviours, and life cycle, which we’ll discuss during this column. Next month’s column will be part two, where I will discuss control methods and Integrated Pest Management.

The coyote population has been increasing since our early settlers established our agricultural industry. They were ultimately here first and our impact on the environment has increased their food supply through livestock production and decreased their predator population. Canines are very adaptable animals and they have adapted to our evolving environments according to their food supply. Their ability to adapt has made them difficult to control. Although if coyotes breed with domestic canines, offspring are infertile. Coyotes are highly reproductive and can have between five and 17 pups on average. With an increased food chain, we have experienced larger litters from the parents, which leads to an increased predator population.

Coyotes are monogamous, which means they will only mate with one partner at a time. The life span of coyotes can reach up to 14 years but on average they survive from six to eight years. Depending on local weather, coyotes will breed in February and will give birth 63 days later. Both parents take care of the young and there is a large requirement for food to raise them. The pups are kept in maternal dens for up to two months during whelping and start venturing further each day. It is at this time predation is at its maximum, about three weeks after birth when the pups start eating solid food. With that, if your calving season is in April and May, producers need to be aware that this is when coyotes are feeding the most. The family will stick together until late fall, then the pups will take off for breeding season. The reproductive potential for coyotes is extremely high; they are sexually mature at one year old but often don’t reproduce until their second year. Coyotes are carnivorous and therefore feed on small animals, rodents and insects, which requires control and defense for livestock producers and rural residents. The home range of a coyote is quite variable and depends on the terrain and food supply but typically a three to eight square-kilometre area is the norm, with a density of approximately one coyote per square kilometre. Stay tuned for next month’s column, where I will discuss the different control methods for livestock producers and rural residents.

Nick Dunn is Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Fieldman. He can be reached via email at: ndunn@flagstaff.ab.ca or by phone at: 780-384-4138.

By Nick Dunn

With the latest trends in the agricultural industry, awareness towards diversification has been increasing amongst producers. Diversification is a risk management tool used in many industries that involves investing in different assets to minimize the overall risk of the investment portfolio. As the saying goes, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is a clear defining reason as to why diversification can help improve the economic prosperity of the operation. Having all your eggs in one basket can make your business vulnerable to risks and market disruptions that can affect a particular product or service that you may be marketing. Diversifying into many markets will help farming operations achieve long-term sustainability. One of the main reasons we see farms diversifying today in my opinion is to generate more revenue streams. Especially with the latest trends, we are starting to see fewer but much larger farms, which has led to increased competition and land prices.

For the producers, one common diversification method used is growing specialty crops within their crop rotation. Some of the specialty crops in our area have been hemp, triticale, beans, silage corn, peas, and lentils. During my time at Olds College, we went on a farm tour to a carrot farm near Bowden. They had a great succession story when they took over their family’s grain and oilseed farm and diversified it into producing carrots and other specialty crops typically not grown in Alberta on a large scale. The farm wasn’t big enough to support their families’ financial needs and they couldn’t afford to purchase more land. So, they had to better utilize their main asset. They invested in some new equipment and now have over 30 years of producing sweet carrots and other crops including cole crops, beets, dill, parsnips, peppers, eggplant, and other produce. Another common way we see diversification within farming operations is value added marketing like organic production. Value added can be anything that will add value to your product through production, processing, packaging, and even branding. It has been proven that consumers are willing to pay more for products if they know how, where, and when it was produced. Consumers are also willing to pay more if they know who has produced it, which opens doors to another diversifying opportunity and that is direct marketing. We are very fortunate that we have many producers in Flagstaff County that have chosen to market their products directly as a way of diversifying. Many local products can be found on the Flagstaff Crafted website at www.flagstaffcrafted.ca.

In local cattle production, diversification has been very important because of a poor return on beef livestock sold at auction. Prices of inputs have risen exponentially, while the dollar-per-pound figure has stayed relatively constant. Some diversification strategies include value added and direct marketing including changing/adding different types of livestock to production, a change in production entirely (cow-calf, backgrounding stock, feedlot production, etc.), and organic or grass-fed beef.

Diversification can also open opportunities to be a service provider. There are many farming operations that offer custom services with their equipment to generate more revenue to help pay for the high costs of equipment needed to operate on their own farm. This can include anything from being an agronomist to offering transportation services once the crop is off. Of course, this needs to be balanced so it doesn’t affect your own operations. For some producers, unfortunately, our economy has led them to find a source of off-farm income, which is not diversification. There are many ways that farms can diversify, and this can help offset the trend of fewer but larger farms and competition that comes with it.

Nick Dunn is Flagstaff County’s Agricultural Fieldman. He can be reached via email at: ndunn@flagstaff.ab.ca or by phone at: 780-384-4138.