Winter 2017
Heart of The Southwest
Cardston County Newsletter
Weeds Love Bare Ground and
Culverts Collect Top Soil
I am sure this article will ruffle a few
feathers, but I want to address the
issue of farming practices in County
right-of-ways, better known as the
ditches along County roads. There are
two issues that I will be covering. The
first is over-spraying Glyphosate into
the ditches, and the second is the cultivation and seeding of ditches that in
some cases is occurring right up along
the ditch bank.
I do understand that many sprayers
have booms well in excess of 100’ and
that keeping those out of the ditches
can be tricky, especially on the corners.
I know that the roads are not always
perfectly square with today’s GPS
systems, so starting at the field edge
on one corner and going in a perfectly
straight line sometimes means the
boom is spraying into the ditch by the
time the field end arrives. It is a wellknown fact that we do get some windy
days which causes problems when
spraying a non-selective herbicide. I
also know that some producers do not
do their own spraying and the contractors want to do a thorough job, which
sometimes encroaches into the ditch.
Those are all valid enough reasons for
why spraying into the County ditches
can occasionally take place. However,
for whatever reason it appears that the
grass in our ditches is being destroyed
at levels that we are not seeing in
other places. I have no problem when
a selective broadleaf herbicide is applied into the ditch to
Continued on page 4
CARDSTON COUNTY
1050 Main Street, Cardston
Office Ph.(403) 653-4977
Shop Ph. (403) 653-3712
Fax. (403) 653-1126
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cardstoncounty.com
COUNTY CONTACTS:
Over-spraying into the ditch
Murray Millward CAO
[email protected]
Paul Hascarl Director of Operations
[email protected]
Michael Henderson Director of Corporate Services
[email protected]
Joshua Bourelle Development Officer
[email protected]
Tamara Stephenson Tax Department
[email protected]
Tom Avery Shop Supervisor
[email protected]
Derek McCarthy Water Operator
[email protected]
Rod Foggin Agricultural Fieldman
[email protected]
Stephen Bevans Assistant Agricultural Fieldman
[email protected]
COUNCIL CONTACTS
Cultivation up to the edge of the road
Division 1 – Broyce Jacobs
Home 403-653-2345Cell 403-915-6375
[email protected]
Division 2 – Fred Lacey , Depute Reeve
Home 403-653-2030 Cell 403-634-6715
[email protected]
Division 3 – Roger Houghton
Home 403-758-3470 Cell 403-634-7281
[email protected]
Division 4 – Jim Bester, Reeve
Home 403-388-4240 Cell 403-331-5481
[email protected]
Division 5 – Lloyd Kearl
Home 403-653-3643 Cell 403-448-0262
[email protected]
Division 6 – Duncan Thompson
Office 403-653-3933 Cell 403-915-6658
[email protected]
Division 7 – Michael Loose
Home 403-382-8078 Cell 403-634-7344
[email protected]
Cardston County
REPORT FROM THE REEVE
2017 Message from the Reeve
2016 was a busy year for us
and 2017 is shaping up to be an
exciting year for the County.
Three years ago, Council
developed a strategic plan to
encourage growth, development, and sustainability in the
County, and we are on track with
many of our planning initiatives. The major projects we
are working on include regional
water systems, road upgrades, modernized
public works equipment, and a broadband
internet system. We are expecting many
of these projects to be launched in 2017,
depending on whether the election funding
promises made by our federal and provincial governments are fulfilled.
We would like to congratulate our First
Nation neighbours on their recent election
and we look forward to working with Chief
Roy Fox and Council. We are an integrated
community and share many of the same
concerns and community services with the
Blood Tribe. We hope to be able to collaborate and enhance shared opportunities for
both communities.
Cardston County has a strong pioneer
culture and farming history, and many
pioneer families are still rooted here. Many
families old and new would love to be
able to continue working and living in the
County, and many descendants would
return if employment opportunities were
available. Indeed, we would like to proudly
display our banner: “Cardston County.
Country Living at its Best.”
We see and welcome a number of
urban retirees settling in our communities.
We also hope to encourage young families
to move here, to sustain our schools, and
to give vitality to our region. We see our
youth as the lifeblood and future of our
community. As the rolling storyboard on
the Royal Bank in Cardston reads: “When
you invest in youth, things happen.”
We believe that the time
spent by Council developing an
accessible and affordable broadband internet system will prove
to be a worthwhile investment
for our youth. Expanding rural
internet access will provide economic opportunities for families
and personal development opportunities for our retirees.
Previous Councils have been
fiscally-conservative, leaving the County
with a solid financial basis which we
endeavour to maintain and sustain. Again,
federal and provincial funding will greatly
dictate our ability to implement our project
initiatives.
As a Council, we would like to thank all
of our staff for their dedicated service and
also recognize that they are also contributing members of our community in their
private lives. In particular, we would like
to extend a shout-out to our road maintenance crews, as they are on the frontlines with the public and do an excellent
job, given the variable weather and road
conditions they encounter throughout the
County. These folks are up early and work
in some very adverse weather conditions
to help keep our roads open and clear.
We encourage you to give a wave to our
grader operators when you pass them on
the road.
As Reeve, it is a privilege to serve on
Council with my fellow Councillors. They
all serve the County with hard work and
dedication. They each bring their commitment and a wealth of experience in work
and life to every meeting. I would like to
thank them for their support to me and to
Cardston County.
All the best,
M.J. (Jim) Bester, P.Eng
Councillor, Division 4
Reeve, Cardston County
Winter 2017
Hh
Page 2
New Road
Allowances Bylaw
In July, 2016 Cardston County’s
Council passed Bylaw 681.2016
(Road Right-of-Way Bylaw) to
serve the following purpose:
“The purpose of this bylaw
is to ensure that road rightof-ways under the direction,
control, and management of
Cardston County remain delineated from adjacent parcels
and that the original intent of
road right-of-ways to function
as a transportation network
throughout the municipality be
preserved for future use.”
Under Section 4 of Bylaw
681.2016, it is prohibited for any
person, corporation, or entity to
alter the original state of County
road allowances without the written consent of Cardston County.
The reason that we passed this
bylaw is to ensure that road allowances remain accessible to
the public for travel, that road
allowances are preserved for
future parcel access or road construction, and so that Cardston
County has final approval on any
changes to road allowances from
their original state.
We encourage you to work with
us to preserve the original state
of County road allowances so
that they remain delineated from
adjacent parcels and accessible to
the public for travel or for future
parcel access and road construction. Cardston County will continue to work with landowners
who wish to lease the County’s
road allowances for agricultural
purposes, but we are asking for
cooperation from residents in
preserving the conditions of our
road allowances.
Please review the details of
Bylaw 681.2016 on our website
at cardstoncounty.com and get
in contact with our office if you
have any questions or would like
to discuss this issue further.
IMPORTANT TAX REMINDER
TAXES AND ASSESSMENT
Just a reminder to all our taxpayers that we are no longer
accepting Credit Cards for payment of taxes. You can make
your tax and utility payments ONLINE with ATB, Royal Bank,
TD CanadaTrust, all Canadian Credit Unions and CIBC. We
also offer our Preauthorized Payment Plan, which allows you
to have monthly amounts withdrawn from your bank account
for your taxes. Please call the County for information on how
to sign up for the PAP Program, or if you have any questions.
Also note that 12% penalty will be added
March 1/17 on all outstanding tax account balances.
Page 3
Hh
Winter 2017
Cardston County
Agricultural Development
Our Goal:
Cardston County is focusing on agricultural
development in an effort to boost the sustainability of our local community. Our main
objective is to assist agricultural producers with
diversification, growth, and expansion of our
local agricultural produces.
absorbs. Make sure to water
your trees before winter, as
well as add an insulating layer
of mulch to prevent moisture
loss.
1
3
Cold Stress. Cold stress
is caused by variations in
temperature, sunlight, and
weather conditions, especially
if we experience periods of
warmer weather followed by a
cold snap. Temperature variations cause stress within the
tree, which leads to cracks in
the outer bark. Unfortunately
there is not much that can be
done to prevent cracking from
frost, but in most cases the
tree is able to heal itself. Another cold stress is the impact
of an early frost on late tree
growth. When this happens,
you will see the tips of branches die off in the following
spring. You can prevent this
by avoiding pruning trees until
after they have gone dormant.
2
Winter Drought. Drying
evergreens in the winter
can be a real problem. Winter drought occurs when the
tree loses more water than it
February 7, 2017
1:30-3:30 p.m.
HELPS ANSWER THE QUESTION: SHOULD I ?
Branch Breakage. When
deciduous trees go dormant, the wood hardens,
which makes it brittle and
susceptible to wind damage.
Snow and ice accumulation
can cause branch breakage.
Pruning weak and vulnerable branches or reinforcing
branches with rope can help
make the tree less susceptible.
If you have newly planted
seedlings, covering them with
a tent-like structure can protect them from the elements.
Presentation by Prof. Glen Mumey
Glen grew up on a farm in the Red River Valley. Most of his career was at the University of Alberta, where he was a finance
professor, Department Chair of the Business school, and occasionally taught an Agricultural Finance course in the agriculture
faculty. He and his wife Lois also farmed in the Wetaskiwin area
and were registered seed growers. Since retirement, he and Lois
spend a little time on business, and a much more on hiking, skiing,
and duplicate bridge.
4
Rodents & Animals. Trees,
especially in the winter,
can be a primary food source
for rodents and small animals.
Mice, rabbits, and porcupines
will chew bark and can girdle
trees. There are many types of
animal fences that you can set
up to deter pests from your
trees. Fall preparation of trees
will give them an advantage in
surviving through the winter.
If you have heard of agricultural development
opportunities and would like assistance with
grant funding options or developing industry
connections, or have suggestions for agricultural development in our region, please contact our Director of Agricultural Development
Stephen Bevans at (403) 653-4977.
Equipment
Economics
Workshop
Caring for your
Trees in Winter
Winter is a stressful time for
many tree species. Below are
some common problems landowners face and what can be
done to prevent them.
What can you do to help?
CARDSTON
COUNTY ASB
BOARD ROOM
Call to register at
403-653-4977
Cardston County
Road Side Farming
- Continued from page 1
control weeds, but this rarely
seems to happen.
Secondly, there is an everincreasing practice of cultivation into ditches and even up
the edge of roads. I understand
that margins are tight, but this
practice is becoming a problem
and is starting to endanger
County infrastructure. There
is weaving in and out around
power poles and there are concerns about equipment hitting
those poles. In several locations we are unable to make
a full mower pass anymore,
which puts cut grass on road
tops and makes things difficult
for our grader operators to deal
with.
The main reason why this is a
concern is that the loss of competition from other plant species makes it easier for weeds
to spread and the weeds that
grow due to over-spraying
are often difficult to control,
such as cheat grass and foxtail.
When there is healthy grass
present it helps choke out new
weed seeds that are deposited
by birds, wind, and combines
and prevents them from
becoming established. Having
healthy grass in the ditches also
reduces erosion. The fibrous
root system of our forage
grasses holds onto the soil, so
when the rains come or spring
run-off hits, the ditches can act
as a conveyor of water without
losing soil, which eventually
ends up settling in and plugging our culverts. That grass
also acts as a filter, catching
nutrients and pesticides which
might otherwise pollute downstream dugouts and water
bodies. Having the ditch full of
grass has many benefits to the
County and the environment,
and will help protect land and
property downstream.
Cardston County has passed
bylaw 681-2016 (Road Allowance Bylaw) to deal with these
issues. We are asking that
residents please try to keep
the boom on the edge of the
field, and if you hire a spray
contractor, ask them to do their
best not to over-spray into the
ditches. If you can keep cultivation out of the ditch and leave
at least 15 feet, we will be able
to properly mow and maintain
the ditch, which would be
greatly appreciated. Leave the
grass as it is so that it can do
what it is meant to do, which is
compete with weeds and prevent erosion in our ditches.
As always, if you have any
questions or comments about
my articles or any of Cardston
County’s ASB programs, please
feel free to contact me.
Rod Foggin
Cardston County
Agricultural Fieldman
[email protected]
(403) 653-4977
Reminder Notice
Cardston County Council meetings are held
the second and fourth Monday of the month.
The public is always welcome to attend.
Winter 2017
Hh
Page 4
CARDSTON COUNTY
ASB Equipment Rental Rates 2016
Cardston County’s Agricultural Services
Board offers a number of rental equipment
for residents.
We provide rental services to assist our local
agricultural producers with soil conservation,
pest control, and weed control.
For a full list of rental equipment and rates,
visit our website at www.cardstoncounty.
com. For more information or to book rental
equipment, call (403) 795-2594 during our
regular business hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm.
1.
2.
3.
4.
EQUIPMENT
Rate
5% GST
Total
Cattle Loading Chute
Cattle Hoof Trim Chute
Sprayers: Back Pack Sprayers per day
$35.00
$25.00
$5.00
1.75
1.25
.25
$36.75
$26.25
$5.25
60 Gallon per day
$20.00
1.00
$21.00
180 Gallon per day
$35.00
1.75
$36.75
150 gallon Insecticide per day
$30.00
1.50
$31.50
$50.00
$8.00/acre
2.50
$52.50
+
YES
350 gallon pull type sprayer per day
John Deere 1590 15’
No Till Grass Drill
$150.00 Delivery and Set-up
Charge
Minimum Charge $200.00
5.
6.
7.
Manure Spreader
Hagadorn Hydro-spread - per Day
$275.00
13.75
$288.75
Big Bunning (12 Ton) - per Day
Eco Bran Applicator for Grasshoppers
$450.00
$12.00
22.50
.60
$472.50
$12.60
Large
$30.00
1.50
$31.50
Eco Bran 20 Kg bag
Ro-Con Applicator (non-poisonous gopher
control) Per Day
$75.00
n/c
$75.00
1.00
1.75
$21.00
$36.75
Small
8.
Pasture Pipeline plow – Per Day
$20.00
$35.00
9.
Pull type Sheep-foot Packer (per unit) -Day
$150.00
7.50
$157.50
10.
Post hole auger Per Day
$35.00
1.75
$36.75
11.
3 point hitch seeder (broadcast)
$30.00
1.50
$31.50
12.
Tree Planters and Mulch Applicator
no charge
n/c
13.
RFID tag reader
no charge
n/c
14.
Skunk and Raccoon traps ($100.00 deposit)
no charge
n/c
* Prices are subject to change in 2017
Page 5
Hh
Cardston County
Winter 2017
Cardston County Operations and Public Works
HELP US TO HELP YOU
Every year Cardston County reviews
maintenance and projects to be completed. This work is then prioritized,
budgeted for and planned when to
implement the work. All County staff
are diligent in looking for works that
will increase the well-being of residents of the county, but we cannot
be aware or see everything that may
need our attention. We invite you to
contact the Director of Operations at
403-653-4977 and give him your ideas
for work to be contemplated and possibly implemented. This will help us to
maximize our service to the citizens of
Cardston County.
DUST CONTROL
The County recognizes the dust nuisance created due to agriculture, gravel,
and industry on graveled County roads.
The Dust Control Program provides residents in Cardston County with the opportunity to have dust control products
applied to gravel roads in front of their
residences. The dust control agent to
be used shall be at the discretion of the
Municipality. The dust control season
typically starts June 1st, but the dust
control agent may be applied earlier
weather permitting. Applying to receive
dust control before the end of April has
the best chance of not being missed.
An application form needs to be completed (see www.cardstoncounty.com)
and accompanied with a deposit of
$300.00 to be eligible for 2017 application. The remaining cost must be paid in
full after the dust control is applied.
There is a possibility of applying an oil
product, for a more durable and longer
Aquatic Invasive Species
Alberta waters are at risk of becoming
infested with aquatic invasive species.
The movement of watercraft into Alberta is the highest risk of infecting our
waters. If you travel with a boat, take
a minute to learn about how you can
prevent the spread of aquatic invasive
species by cleaning, draining, and drying your boat and equipment
before leaving a site.
Aquatic invasive species are
a threat to our marine ecosystems and economy, especially agriculture, tourism and
recreation. Aquatic invasive
species destroy natural water
ecosystems and fisheries, which
has significant negative impacts
on our environment, and the
management of the impacts
could cost millions of dollars
each year, which is why prevention is so important.
You can find more information
on aquatic invasive species at
the Alberta Environment and
Parks website at www.albertaparks.ca
lasting dust control effect.
If you have a question, please call
County Office at: 403-653-4977
PRIVATE ROAD/DRIVEWAY
GRADING AND SNOWPLOWING
Two services provided to the residents
of Cardston County are to assist with
grading of private driveways and roads
twice a year and snow plowing of private driveways and roads. New home/
property owners may apply to
Cardston County at the main administration office located at 1050 Main
Street Cardston or online forms at www.
cardstoncounty.com.We strive to provide the highest level of service possible
for the residents of Cardston County but
it should be noted that private work is
completed after main County priorities
or other works at the discretion of the
County. If you have concerns, unusual
conditions or an emergency related to
these activities you are encouraged to
phone the Cardston County office at:
403-653-4977.
2016 Transboundary Water,
Weeds, and Stewardship Tour
The 2016 Transboundary Water, Weeds,
and Stewardship Tour took over one
hundred delegates from various governments, businesses, and organizations
across parts of Alberta and Montana to
learn about watershed management,
weed control, and land stewardship.
The Tour was organized by Cardston
County, County of Warner, Milk River
Watershed Council Canada, Glacier National Park, AAAF Association of Alberta
Agricultural Fieldmen, and the Montana
Weed Control Association
The Tour was an excellent opportunity
for people from all over Alberta and
Montana to get a first-hand look at
weed control and watershed management practises and network with other
attendees. We were impressed with the
turnout and the variety of attendees
from various governments, organizations, and businesses who were able to
share information and trade ideas. We
are looking forward to hosting another
in a few years’ time!
STARS Air Ambulance
Every day, the STARS Emergency Link
Centre monitors thousands of remote
sites, and in doing so, improves emergency preparedness for people living and
working in remote locations. In the event
of an emergency at a remote site, one
call connects you to a STARS Communication Specialist who immediately begins
to coordinate a medical response.
The STARS Emergency Link Centre was
established to meet the needs of industry working in remote locations. The resulting site registration service provided
by the ELC facilitates rapid emergency
medical response and transport coor-
dination in the event of an emergency
in a remote location. Today, the site
registration program is utilized by the oil
and gas, power/electrical, forestry, mining, recreation, and movie production
industries.
Although the STARS Emergency Link
Centre was designed for industry working in remote locations, individuals living
in remote and rural locations are able
to register their properties with the site
registration program free of charge. You
can call STARS Air Ambulance directly
at 1-888-888-4567 or visit the County’s
website for more information.
Cardston County
Winter 2017
Hh
Page 6
Growing Forward 2 Funding
Have you benefited from Growing
Forward 2 funding? If you have not yet,
you should take advantage while the
program is still open. Growing Forward
2 will be ending in 2017, and we are
not sure what will be included in Growing Forward 3.
Some of the Growing Forward 2 programs are closed until April 1st, 2017,
This program is currently closed.
• Food Safety System Processor - For
processors with facilities in Alberta
to invest or improve food safety systems and production practices.
• Animal Health Biosecurity Producer
- Assists Alberta producers to assess,
determine, and reduce biosecurity
risks from disease in their operations
through the implementation of robust biosecurity practices. This program is closed until further notice.
• Food Safety System Producer - Helps
producers invest in equipment and
tracking systems to improve on-farm
food safety practices.
• Business Management Skills Development - Helps Alberta’s new or established producers, agri-processing
companies, and agriculture organizations to improve their business
management skills.
• Irrigation Efficiency - Assist producers
with irrigation systems to invest in
new or upgrade their low pressure
center pivot irrigation equipment.
This will improve efficiency of energy
and water use on farm.
• Business Opportunity - To help
Alberta’s new or established
producers, agri-processing companies, and agricultural organizations enhance their competitiveness and growth prospects by
connecting them with expert
business advice.
but there is still a long list of programs
that are currently open that you can
receive funding from:
• Agri Processing Product and Market
Development - Livestock - Eligible
applicants include established or
new processing companies, products/groups of producers/value
chains adding economic value to
products.
• Animal Health Biosecurity Delivery
Agent - The purpose of this program
is to create awareness, educate, and
train individuals, determine risk and
implement mitigations on biosecurity and disease risk management.
• Livestock Welfare Produce This program provides financial
support for livestock producers
to adopt best management
practices and technologies to
improve livestock welfare. This
program is currently closed.
• Confined Feeding Operation Stewardship - This program helps Alberta’s livestock operations and
commercial manure applicators
assess their potential risk to water
quality and make improvements to
minimize risk, and to benefit their
business and the environment.
• On-Farm Water Management –
Provides technical assistance to
agriculture producers to complete
LongTerm Water Management
Plan and share costs related to the
enhancement of their on-farm
water supply
• Traceability Pilot - The
purpose of this program is to
help producers, agribusinesses
and non-profit organizations
evaluate and recommend ideal
traceability technologies that
are practical and cost effective.
• Livestock Welfare Processor Helps meat processors improve
animal handling and ensures
humane slaughter at licensed
meat and poultry facilities.
• Agri Processing Automation and
Efficiency - Livestock - Eligible applicants include agri-processing companies with a physical manufacturing
or processing presence in Alberta, or
producers who are adding economic
value to their products past the farm
gate.
• On-Farm Stewardship - This program
funds projects to help livestock
and crop producers to implement
on-farm practices in five areas that
positively impact water quality and
promote sustainable management
of inorganic agricultural wastes. You
must have an environmental farm
plan for this program.
• On-Farm Energy Management - This program shares the
costs of investments that improve energy efficiently on Alberta
farms. Producers can conserve energy and reduce their environmental
footprint.
• On-Farm Solar Photovoltaic’s - This
program is for producers who are
interested in using solar energy.
• Traceability Technology
Adaption - This program reimburses eligible producers for
approved costs for equipment
and software that capture animal
data for management and traceability purposes.
• Traceability Training - Reimburses
approved costs for educational
programs and resources related to
traceability.
Under each one of these programs
there are different pillars that you can
make an application for, as well as a
wide range of eligible equipment and
activities. Each program has different
pre-requisites that you must have in
order to apply. If you have any questions about the programs, or would like
assistance with an application, you can
contact Stephen Bevans at our office at
403-653-4977, or visiting the Growing
Forward website at www.growingforward.alberta.ca.
Page 7
Hh
Cardston County
Winter 2017
Forage Rejuvenation
Knowledge Nuggets
• In pastureland, grazing
management is the most
important factor affecting
stand health. The frequency
of re-grazing of individual
plants and the length of
recovery will influence the
direction of plant succession. Until this is addressed,
no other aspect of rejuvenation will maintain
healthy stands.
• The use of fertilizer or
manure to improve production and longevity should
be based on recommended
application rates considering fertilizer use efficiency,
availability of nutrients in
the soil and soil moisture.
• Under the right condition,
fertilizer application can be
one of the most cost-effective methods to improve
forage yield and quality.
• Breaking and re-seeding
is one of the most commonly used forage stand
and
rejuvenation methods in
western Canada. However,
at least one year of forage
production is lost through
this method. If moisture
conditions are not favorable, it can take more than
one year to re-establish the
forage stand.
• Sod seeding is the direct
seeding of forages into an
existing perennial forage
stand without any breaking
and discing in order to improve species composition.
The use of non-selective
herbicide is necessary to
suppress existing vegetation to achieve successful
forage establishment.
• The use of herbicides to
control weeds prior to
emergence of legumes and
grasses will ensure successful forage stand establishment.
Invite
you to a
Marketing Workshop
Cardston County’s Agricultural
Service Board
would like to invite you to a



Register by calling
the County office at:
403-653-4977
Marketing Workshop
Presented by MNP
Topics will include:
What is a futures market?
What is working for other producers?
 Successful farm strategies including:
 Survivable, acceptable, favourable breakeven target prices
 Forward contracting (marketing before the crop is grown)
Where: County Administration Building
When: March 8th, 2017 10:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.
$10 registration with lunch to follow
• The use of herbicides to
control woody re-growth,
brush expansion and poisonous plants is an important management tool in
stand rejuvenation.
• The selection of suitable
perennial forage varieties
can improve soil condition.
• Sward composition is an
important consideration
when deciding on the types
of forage mixture and the
seeding rates. Include
appropriate mixture of
grass and legume varieties
suitable to the soil type and
local growing conditions.
• Legume-grass stands
require much less nitrogen
fertilization if the legume
is properly inoculated with
proper bacteria (Rhizobium). Bacteria that grow
in root nodules are able to
take up nitrogen from air
and convert it to nitrate
nitrogen for plant use.
• Legume seed coated with
R. meliloti for alfalfa, R. trifolii for clover and R. loti for
trefoil just prior to seeding
will ensure nitrogen fixation
occurs in the established
forage stand.
• Often, rest alone can be an
simple and effective tool to
rejuvenate stands.
Resource: Foragebeef.ca
Cardston County
Winter 2017
Hh
Page 8
Help Stop the Spotted Knapweed Invasion
Spotted knapweed is a species of
Centaurea native to Eastern Europe.
Spotted knapweed was accidently
introduced into North America in
the late 1800s by contaminated
alfalfa, clover seed, and in soil used
for ship ballasts. It was first spotted in Cardston County in the early
1980s. Spotted knapweed can be
found in every county in Montana,
and it is estimated that 7.6 million
acres are infested in that state.
Spotted Knapweed in Montana, only a
few miles from Cardston County
Spotted knapweed is a short-lived
perennial or biennial plant that can
grow up to four feet tall. It has a
strong taproot and contains lateral
roots. The rosettes of the plant are
grayish-green in color with leaves
that are up to six inches in length
and each rosette can produce many
stems. The leaves are oblong in
shape and wider at the tip. In the
early stages of the plant the leaves
are deeply lobed and have a layer of
fine hairs. The stems and leaves have
a blue-green color, but the short,
thin hairs on the leaves can give the
plant a silver-gray cast. The flower is
pink to pinkish-purple in color and
will be on each stem.
One plant can produce up to 300
flower heads, which can produce up
to 140,000 seeds. Flowers bloom
from June to September. The seeds
are oval, brown, and up to 1/8
inches long with a short tuft near
one end. The primary way the plant
reproduces is by seed, but it can
sometimes start shoots from a lateral root system. The seeds can also
remain viable in the soil for about
15 years, but they mostly germinate
in two to three years. The plant
produces its own natural herbicide
called “catechin” that eradicates the
other plants around it.
Individual plants can be pulled by
hand when the soil is moist so long
as the entire crown and taproot
are removed, using a shovel or
weed-popper type tool if necessary.
Control of spotted knapweed infestations is fairly easy, but may require
some investment of time, labor, and
materials. It can be removed by using manual and mechanical means
or through repeated application of
herbicides. We have found that any
herbicide that contains an active
ingredient with Aminopyralid in it
works well.
Cardston County staff can assist
with information on identification
and control options. We also offer a
variety of rental sprayers for those
who need the right sprayer, and a
custom spray program for those
who are unable to spray it themselves.
Remote Watering Warning Systems
Remote watering systems are used by
producers to provide an alternative
watering system without having to
directly use creeks and streams. This
improves water quality and promotes
environmental stewardship. One of the
biggest concerns from producers who
have implemented this system is their
lack of trust in technology. This leaves
them constantly checking their systems
to ensure the batteries are charged and
the pump is functioning properly.
An alert system would be beneficial to
producers to decrease time-checking
and would increase producer’s confidence in the watering system. Offsite
watering systems are eligible for funding under the On Farm Stewardship
program under Growing Forward 2.
If you are interested in applying for
this program or have any questions,
you can contact Stephen Bevans at
(403) 653-4977. There is no specific
alarm system available to producers
specific to watering systems, so Alberta
Agriculture and Forestry, along with
the Growing Forward 2 program, have
conducted a study that tested current
alarm systems to determine if any
could be applied to remote watering
systems. Three different alarm systems
where tested: a line system using a
beacon light, a cellular system, and a
satellite system. Below summarizes
and compares each model. CELLULAR:
BEACON LIGHT:
•Requires a smart phone to be effective.
•Sends an email when alarm is enabled.
•Low power consumption.
•Has better remote coverage than a
cellular system.
•Lights up and flashes.
•Inexpensive, approximately $350.00.
•Very easy to assemble.
•Notification is limited to the line
offsite to the alarm system.
•Must have a mobile phone.
•This system includes a lot of features,
which may be more than required.
•Expensive to install, approximately
$6,000.00.
•Has a monthly cell phone charge
on top of installation.
•Can send texts, voicemails, and
email notifications.
•Used extensively in oilfield
production
SATELLITE:
•Costs approximately $1,500 to
$2,000.
•Easy to install, however you need an
external company to set up
the system.
Producers who tested these systems
were pleased that each system reduced
the frequency of site visits. The study
group thought that the polling feature
on the cellular system was a good tool
for producers to manually check battery life. A noted problem that affected
all three systems was that the low
water level sensor has the potential to
freeze into ice during freezing conditions, which means that the low water
level alert may not be sent. Alberta
Agriculture and Forestry is hopeful
that this project will raise awareness of
alarm system potential with producers,
manufacturers, and vendors.