The Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen: South Region Directory

• The reduction of tillage as a summerfallow tool
• Regrassing of waterways, marginal lands and saline areas
• Halting the spread of leafy spurge on cultivated lands
• The implementation and maintenance of all demonstration and/or plot work is contracted out to the local Research Association, Chinook Applied Research Association or CARA.
• Reciprocating agreements with all partners in the development of GIS data and systems
• Right of Way weed control accomplished by efficient use of roadside mowing, spot and shoulder spraying programs
• Distribution of Bait for the Rat Control Program of Alberta
• An extensive equipment rental program: wide blade cultivator, 3 grass drills, manure spreader, irrigation pump and 1 mile of pipe, livestock scale, portable loading chute, hydraulic drive post hole auger, tree planter, grain moisture tester, grain probes, metal detector, buried line detector, explosive gas detector, skunk traps, tripod level, wheel measure, skid mount insecticide and herbicide sprayers with boom and handguns, backpack sprayer, 2 grasshopper bran bait applicators, sump pumps and a pull type grader.

• Roadside spraying program, including spraying road shoulders
• Bio control Leafy Spurge
• Knapweed and Leafy Spurge control along Milk River, St. Mary River, Belly River and Waterton River (all flowing out of the Unites States)
• Scentless Chamomile elevated to a Restricted Weed with the goal of eliminating it
• We have traps available for skunk control.
• No till drills, 510 bushels manure spreader, sprayers and livestock handling equipment for rent to ratepayers
• GPS mapping along rivers for restricted and noxious weeds

Cypress County is located in the southeast portion of Alberta, bordering the province of Saskatchewan and the state of Montana. Agricultural operations in the County include cattle ranches, grain farms, mixed farms of cattle, crops and forages along with a few small scale feedlots and hog operations. Being in the brown soil zone, many dryland cropping rotations are wheat/fallow although more producers are extending rotations or moving to continuous cropping. New crops becoming common on dryland include canola, chickpeas, lentils and peas. South and west of Medicine Hat is a large irrigation area where typical crops include alfalfa, grass, canola, cereals, beans, corn, sunflower.

Successful Programs:

• Restricted Weed eradication - elimination of knapweed from 35 sites, 14 left to go.
• Noxious Weed control - elimination of scentless chamomile from 77 sites, working on 14; control of leafy spurge, field bindweed, toadflax and Canada Thistle, including private land spot spraying and 3 year rotation of spot spraying all County roadsides.
• Road Shoulder spraying - controlling vegetation on gravel road shoulders to help with road maintenance, using soil sterilant or non-residual herbicides.
• Border Rat Patrol - inspecting buildings within 19 km of the Saskatchewan border, to ensure rats do not get into Alberta
• General Weed Inspections - randomly checking fields to ensure noxious weeds are under control
• Specialized Rental Equipment - two15 ft. John Deere no-till drills, 16 ft. land roller, cattle scale, weigh wagon, pasture pipeline plow, plastic mulch applicator and tree planters
• Shelterbelt Establishment Program - helping farmers get field shelterbelts established, in co-operation with Chinook Pheasants Forever, by planting and weeding tree rows for 2 years
• Field Demonstration Plots - 32 species forage wheel, salinity reclamation.
• Cypress County Watershed Group - an informal group of producers who meet occasionally to talk about ways to improve water quality and types of demonstration projects to implement.

Agricultural Service Board
Box 5605, High River, Alberta, T1V 1M7
Phone and Fax: 403-652-2423

Ron Stead, Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: rstead@mdfoothills.com




Faith Turner, Assistant Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: fturner@mdfoothills.com



Current A.S.B.:
Ted Mills - Chair/Councillor
Ralph Nelson - Vice Chair/Councillor
Ron Chase - Councillor
Barton Brocklebank - Farmer Member
Jordie Suitor - Farmer Member
Murray Morrison - Farmer Member
Leanne Edwards - Support Staff

County of Forty Mile No. 8

Agricultural Service Board
Box 160, Foremost, Alberta, T0K 0X0
Phone: 403-867-3530
Ag. Shop: 403-867-3939
Fax: 403-867-2242

Dave Matz, Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: dave@fortymile.ab.ca



Tom Simanton, Assistant Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: tomsim@fortymile.ab.ca



Kevin Jesske, Assistant Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: kevjes@fortymile.ab.ca



Programs:

• Annual roadside weed control, with over 1900 miles of roads within the County.
• A bursary program for County students who wish to pursue agricultural studies.
• ASB staff offer advise with horticulture pest problems, and weed control concerns.
• ASB provides a wide variety of services and rental equipment eg. Tree Mover, Insecticide Sprayer, Cattle Scale, Bale Shredder and No Till Air Seeder.
• Development of a GIS system.
• The ASB is involved in several community activities including a Riparian Project along the Milk River, Well Identification Survey of the Milk River Aquifer, and Livestock Siting Maps.
• The ASB participates in several demo sites eg. Forage Wheel, Shelterbelt and Orchard Trees.

Picture Butte Main Office:
Phone: 403-732-4744
Fax: 403-732-4328

Don Bodnar, Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: dbodnar@county.lethbridge.ab.ca

Gary Secrist, Assistant Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: gsecrist@county.lethbridge.ab.ca

Terry Mrozowich - Agricultural Foreman

Robyn Singleton - Manager

Successful Programs:
Preventing the establishment of provincially restricted weeds such as Dodder, Diffuse and Spotted Knapweed and Scentless Chamomile (restricted by By-Law).

Because of the high number (448) of intensive livestock feeding operations in the County, there is a large movement of feed into the area and consequently, the movement of weed seeds. Since the early 1970's, all new Scentless Chamomile infestations have been eliminated. The County Weed Inspector provides extension material on these weeds to all livestock feeding operations through personal contact.

A number of programs have been developed with the assistance of Dwayne Rogness, Soil technician for the County, such as Dugout Water Enhancement, Reclamation of Eroded Knolls, Quality & Quantity of Manure Produced in Southern Alberta Feedlots, Forage and Shelterbelt Demos, Fall Control of Water Annual Weeds and the Effect of Surface Applied Manure on Forages.

ASB duties also include parks, school and playgrounds maintenance, hamlet mowing & Disaster Services. One hundred thirty (130) miles of seldom traveled roads are sprayed with Round-Up instead of being graded. General road maintenance has also been amalgamated under this Department; this includes grading, gravelling and mowing all roads in the County.

Current A.S.B.:
Henry Doeve - Chair/Councillor
Lorne Hickey - Councillor/Reeve
John Willms - Councillor
Bonnie Cote - Councillor
Hans Rutz - Councillor/Deputy Reeve
Tom White - Councillor
Morris Zeinstra - Councillor

County of Newell No. 4

Agricultural Service Board
Box 130, Brooks, Alberta, T1R 1B2
Phone: 403-362-2772
Ag. Shop: 403-362-4343
Fax: 403-362-8681

Todd Green, Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: tgreen@countyofnewell.ab.ca



Pat Dirk, Assistant Agricultural Fieldman (AAAF President)
E-mail: dirkp@countyofnewell.ab.ca



Successful Programs:

• Eliminating Diffuse and Spotted Knapweed within the County of Newell.
• Pioneered reduction of Scentless Chamomile infestations along the Red Deer and Bow Rivers.
• We are now targeting Downy Brome and have elevated it to a noxious weed. A reduction in numbers due to public awareness is already being noticed.
• Roadside weed control, as well as control along the railways, continues to help reduce the spread of noxious weeds.

Kelly and his wife participate in local recreational sports and community organizations, share a love for music, and particularly enjoy the joys and challenges of raising their four children. They keep their hands involved in the practical side of agriculture by farming their small 80 acres south of Pincher Creek.

Alan Jacklin, Assistant Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: ajacklin@mdpinchercreek.ab.ca



Alan is the longest serving Fieldman in Pincher Creek's history, serving as Assistant Agricultural Fieldman from 1980 - 1987, Agricultural Fieldman from 1987 - 1997, and back to the Assistant Agricultural Fieldman's role from 1997 - present. During his tenure as the Agricultural Fieldman, he served as South Region Director for the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen (AAAF). Alan is known for his friendly "cooperative team approach" in working with local citizens on issues such as weed control, soil conservation, and pest management. He stresses education before enforcement when dealing with these issues. Alan was instrumental in the way the ASB has come to work closely with neighboring jurisdictions, the provincial and federal governments, the AAAF, and industry in accomplishing the goals of all ASB programs. Alan has been active with the Pincher Creek and District Agricultural Society, the local Partnership Approach to Literacy (PAL) program, & is a strong believer in supporting the community.

Vision:
Healthy and productive land & water resources for the benefit of our citizens.

Mission:
The Agricultural Service Board of the Municipal District of Pincher Creek #9 is committed to promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, & protection of our agricultural & ecological resources, with a view to improve long-term economic outlook for our citizens.

Values:
Economic and ecological health -The ASB will assist our agricultural citizens in achieving optimum agricultural production & long-term profitability, while promoting protection & enhancement of land & water resources to all citizens & area visitors, to help achieve our vision.

Continuing education and understanding - The ASB will strive for ongoing awareness and education of ASB members, staff, and our citizens, in all aspects of ASB programming, to improve understanding of the land and water management practices necessary to help achieve our vision.

Working cooperatively and effectively with others - The ASB will encourage and engage participation of citizens, neighboring jurisdictions, private industry, other agricultural & environmental organizations, and various provincial & federal government departments to help achieve our vision through reaching out both within and beyond our municipal boundaries.

Goals and strategies:
1. Develop and/or facilitate efficient & effective activities/programs supporting our vision.

• Develop/deliver/facilitate programs for sustainable land and water use.
• Develop/deliver/facilitate programs for sound management of weeds, rural pests, & livestock disease.

• Obtain/maintain certification training for Agricultural Fieldmen and staff related to ASB programming.
• Access workshop/conference opportunities for ASB members/staff related to ASB programming.
• Sponsor interested citizens to attend relevant workshops/conferences.
• Subscribe to periodicals that relate to ASB programming.
• Utilize the various forms of mass media as a means to communicate with the larger public concerning ASB vision, mission, values, goals, strategies, and actions.

• Membership/active participation in relevant non-government organizations/committees.
• Cooperate with provincial/federal government departments whose mandates coincide with ours, and who represent opportunities for partnership.
• Cooperate with other municipal departments to improve overall municipal cooperation.
• Cooperate with local stakeholder groups whose mandates represent opportunities for partnership.
• Cooperate with industry to better understand how their mandates fit in context of our vision.

• Foster atmosphere of excellence in ASB members/staff, with incentive/recognition of creative, effective, efficient work.
• Challenge our citizens to help the ASB achieve its vision, and recognize those contributions privately and/or publicly.

• Keep up-to-date, well maintained equipment and supplies for use by ASB members & staff.
• Keep up-to-date, well maintained rental equipment & supplies for purchase or use by our citizens.

• Referral and/or access to agricultural/environmental specialists
• Representation for our area on agricultural/environmental issues to all levels of government & industry
• Agronomic and horticultural advice including varietal selection, fertility, diseases/insects, etc
• Environmental, crop pest, and crop production monitoring data for provincial and federal governments
• Assistance in accessing and completing provincial and federal government program forms and information
• General agricultural and environmental education and information availability to students & general public
• Interviews and articles for local/regional/national media on various agricultural and environmental issues

• On-going control of noxious weeds not common to the municipality such as Scentless Chamomile, Toadflax, Blueweed, Common Burdock, and Hound's Tongue.
• Effective Weed Control enforcement that has worked well for local residents and ratepayers.
• Joint Weed Control Agreement with the urban Municipality of Crowsnest Pass to help prevent the spread of restricted and noxious weeds through a major transportation corridor.
• Riparian management

• Restricted and Noxious Weed Control -- continual control and eradication of species in this area including Scentless Chamomile, Leafy Spurge, Toadflax, Hoary Cress, Bladder Campion, Blueweed and more.
• Promotion of Agricultural Service Board by attending local fairs as well as holding successful workshops such as Coyote Control, Range Management, Weed Identification.
• Under CASCI and AESA Programs, we have done promotional programs such as field shelterbelts, windscreen, eroded knolls.
• Roadside brush control and grass drill rentals.

• The MD of Taber's land area of 1,000,000 acres; 750,000 of it farmland or improved pasture including irrigated crops such as 35,000 acres of sugar beets, 25,000 acres of dry beans, 35,000 acres of potatoes, 7000 acres of sweet corn, and approximately 5000 acres of other specialty crops. Dryland crops include traditional cereal and oilseed crops as well as countless acres of lentils, dry peas, chickpeas and other crops that can be a cause for concern for soil erosion. As a hub in Southern Alberta for speciality crops many initiatives have been carried out to bring awareness and information to area farmers on the issue of soil erosion, crop rotation management, residual chemical carryover concerns, irrigation and soil moisture management through on farm consultation and through producer meetings organized and funded by the Ag Service Board.
• Other areas of emphasis include the Pest Control Act in which the ASB provides control measures for coyotes and grasshoppers, information and education on Fusarium Head Blight, and an annual survey of potato fields for Bacterial Ring Rot, as well as an annual grasshopper survey.
• A Municipal Weed Inspector is employed to investigate weed complaints and to initiate clean up measures when necessary.
• The ASB sprays 2600 kms of municipal roadside each year, as well as municipal parks and hamlets. The ASB will on occasion initiate application contracts with private landowners in order to ensure right of ways and other lands are properly cared for. A mowing program for roadsides also takes place that will see each roadside ditch mowed twice yearly.
• The MD of Taber ASB is also involved in non-traditional ASB territory by managing the Municipal Parks, Transfer Stations, assisting Hamlet Foreman in their duties. The ASB is also proactive in areas of agricultural production and sustainability by employing a Conservation Specialist in association with the County of Warner and funding projects such as the Durum Moisture Definiency Project at the Alberta Agriculture Demonstration Farm, as well as participating in many projects including the Irrigation Management Climate information Network in association with the Irrigation Branch of Alberta Agriculture.
• The MD of Taber's Ag Service Board is prepared for change. It will continue to serve the Municipality and it's farmers in a proactive manner into the future with policies developed locally to meet local needs.

AAF District Office: 403-223-7907

Vulcan County

Agricultural Service Board
Box 180, Vulcan, Alberta, T0L 2B0
Phone: 403-485-3103
Fax: 403-485-2920

Kelly Malmberg, Manager of Agricultural Services
E-mail: agmanager@vulcancounty.ab.ca



Shilo Andrews - AESA Technician

Successful Programs:

• Over the past several years we have completed delivered several AESA programs aimed at addressing soil and water conservation issues. We have recently become involved with riparian management along the Lower Little Bow River.
• Our roadside spraying program currently consists of three roadside spraying units equipped with GPS and GIS technology. We currently apray over 6000 miles of road annually controlling perennial and annual weeds.
• Our roadside mowing program currently consists of two Case MX110 tractor units with two Kuhn mowers; we cover 9000 miles of gravel road on an annual basis.
• We offer various pieces of equipment for rent to our producers such as cattle scales, grass seeders (brillions and direct seeders), portable sprayers, straw processor and crimper, and tree planters.
• Our roadside seeding program consists of a hydroseeder and brillion seeder in which we seed approximately 20 - 25 miles or roadside ditches each year.
• We offer our producers a privateland spraying program to rectify any hard to control perennials on a small acreage basis.

• Roadside weed control involving annual patch and spot spraying applications.
• Restricted and noxious weed control by monitoring and eradicating Diffuse Knapweed and Scentless Chamomile, and control of Leafy Spurge, Hoarcress, Baby's Breath, Canada Thistle, Perennial Sow Thistle, Common Burdock, Milkweed and Peppergrass.
• Grain bin fumigation services.
• Shelterbelt insect control program
• Grasshopper survey, Bertha Army Worm survey, Blackleg of Canada survey

• Promoting Salinity Control and Awareness by working with AAF and producers, providing technical assistance based on landscape and watershed attributes.
• Reclamation of saline lands.
• GIS development and implementation
• Surface water drainage coordination.
• Riparian development, planning and demonstrations.

• Rabies Vector Control Program keeping our county at a low risk to epidemics.
• Roadside seeding of newly constructed roads.
• Pesticide container sites

Town of Strathmore - Lois Wegener

Villages of Rockyford, Standard and Hussar - Duane Binning

Municipal District of Willow Creek #26

Agricultural Service Board
Box 550, Claresholm, Alberta, T0H 0T0
Phone: 403-625-3351
Fax: 403-625-3886
Cell: (Ron) 403-625-6095

Ron MacKay, Agricultural Fieldman (Director, South Region)
E-mail: agfield@mdwillowcreek.com



Ron was born in Claresholm and raised on a farm in the foothills. He completed the first year pre-vet science at Mount Royal College in 1971. He has been involved in farming and ranching, sheep and cattle for 25 years. Ron has been employed on several large farms and ranches as off farm employment. He spent eight summers managing and contracting various sheep vegetation management projects, most notable of which was the Whitecourt Sheep Grazing Project. This project was a three year forestry cut block vegetation management project involving the Alberta Sheep Wool Commission, Blue Ridge Lumber and Alberta Agriculture. Ron has been a seasonal employee with the Municipal District of Willow Creek No. 26 Public Works department.

Ron and his wife, Donna, have been happily married for twenty six years. Donna is a career school teacher at West Meadow School. They have two sons, Jess and Ian. Jess is a fourth year apprentice Auto Mechanic. Ian is presently employed as a ranch hand and horse trainer while campaigning the C.P.R.A., P.R.C.A. and P.B.R. tier 2 as a bull rider. Ron's special interests include stock dogs, livestock guardian dogs, stock horses and fishing. When his boys were young Ron was involved in the 4-H horse club. He is currently a board member of the Willow Creek Agricultural Society and has been for five years. He is a committee member of the Alberta High School Rodeo, finals to be held in Claresholm in June.

Successful Programs:

• Restricted and Noxious Weed control along all roadsides as well as on public lands and private lands.
• Wind erosion control.
• Continued support of conservation programs
• Annual "Legacy of Our Land" banquet

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