The latest edition of the Old Farmer's Almanac is out

Sep 06, 2023

For many generations, the Almanac has been found in many homes as a general guide to what we can expect to see with its long-term forecast.

The Old Farmer's Almanac with its yellow cover has been published continuously every September since 1792.

Taking a look at the Canadian edition it is predicting some moisture for what has been some of the drier areas in the Prairies this fall.

Managing Editor Jack Burnett says they're predicting average temperatures for September with temperatures a little bit (about four degrees) warmer in October.

"As far as precipitation goes. In Manitoba and Eastern Saskatchewan, we expect September could be about average. However, in western Saskatchewan and Alberta, we expect it to be wetter by about 70 millimeters, that's in September. In October, we're looking for the overall precipitation for the prairies to be about 10 millimeters below normal. November December, I have kind of the same profile, which is colder and wetter."

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Video: Designing a Robotic Berry Picker

Since blackberries must be harvested by hand, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. To support a growing blackberry industry in Arkansas, food science associate professor Renee Threlfall is collaborating with mechanical engineering assistant professor Anthony Gunderman to develop a mechanical harvesting system. Most recently, the team designed a device to measure the force needed to pick a blackberry without damaging it. The data from this device will help inform the next stage of development and move the team closer to the goal of a fully autonomous robotic berry picker. The device was developed by Gunderman, with Yue Chen, a former U of A professor now at Georgia Tech, and Jeremy Collins, then a U of A undergraduate engineering student. To determine the force needed to pick blackberries without damage, the engineers worked with Threlfall and Andrea Myers, then a graduate student.