The Alberta Invasive Species Council received funding for the program
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
An Alberta forage program is making a comeback.
The Alberta Invasive Species Council (AISC) received funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to revive the Certified Weed-Free Forage Program.
The program first ran in the year 2000.
The AISC has trained 45 weed inspectors throughout Alberta who are employed by 11 participating counties: Barrhead, Clearwater, Kneehill, Lacombe, Mountain View, Northern Sunrise, Parkland, Red Deer, Rocky View, Smoky Lake and the Municipal District of Bonnyville.
Farmers from unlisted municipalities are encouraged to contact AISC for further assistance.
The inspectors are knowledgeable with industry guidelines set out by the North American Invasive Species Management Association and can designate fields as weed-free.
Producers can have an inspector walk his or her fields and inspect forage storage locations to confirm no invasive species are present.
Inspections must be done within 10 days of cutting. If this does not occur, a field will need a separate inspection to receive its weed-free status.
Receiving certified status can be advantageous to producers.
This forage “can be a beneficial to purchase and/or produce as it can be a preferred product choice, bring a premium when sold, prevent invasive species from spreading and becoming established in environmentally sensitive areas,” AISC says in a fact sheet about the program.
AISC will also keep a list of certified producers on its website.
Farms.com has contacted AISC and certified weed-free forage producers for comment.