Good news for potato growers

Feb 21, 2024

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's 2023 National Survey for Potato Wart shows the pest was not detected in any of the soil samples tested.

Over 2000 soil samples were collected from fields in key potato-growing areas like PEI, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

The national survey results have been provided to provinces, the Canadian Potato Council, and the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The soil survey, as well as specific and general visual potato wart surveillance, has been ongoing since the disease was first detected in PEI in 2000 which resulted in the closure of the U.S.-Canada border to all fresh PEI potatoes for six months.

Source : Pembinavalley online

Video: A chain harrow is a game changer

Utilizing a rotational grazing method on our farmstead with our sheep helps to let the pasture/paddocks rest. We also just invested in a chain harrow to allow us to drag the paddocks our sheep just left to break up and spread their manure around, dethatch thicker grass areas, and to rough up bare dirt areas to all for a better seed to soil contact if we overseed that paddock. This was our first time really using the chain harrow besides initially testing it out. We are very impressed with the work it did and how and area that was majority dirt, could be roughed up before reseeding.

Did you know we also operate a small business on the homestead. We make homemade, handcrafted soaps, shampoo bars, hair and beard products in addition to offering our pasture raised pork, lamb, and 100% raw honey. You can find out more about our products and ingredients by visiting our website at www.mimiandpoppysplace.com. There you can shop our products and sign up for our monthly newsletter that highlights a soap or ingredient, gives monthly updates about the homestead, and also lists the markets, festivals, and events we’ll be attending that month.