The Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen: Central Region Directory

• Weed control to control provincially designated noxious and restricted weeds and Wild Caraway a municipal classified noxious weed.
• Our annual "Living in the Natural Environment" conference, featuring speakers on environmental issues and a full course evening meal.
• Annual range and range plant identification workshops.
• "The Dirt" quarterly newsletter as well as contributions to the MD newsletters.
• Woodlot management workshops, partnering with the Woodlot Association of Alberta, Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.
• Active membership in the Calgary and Area Governmental Weed Committee, Red-Bow Agricultural Partnership, Bow Corridor Invasive Plant Initiative and partnering with Alberta Environmental Sustainable Agriculture to preserve our natural environment and farm lands.

• Scentless Chamomile Weed Control Program -- the municipality actively eradicates all infestations of Scentless Chamomile.
• Comparative Varietal Testing -- the ASB is involved in field scale plot trials to assist producers in their crop production decisions.
• Roadside weed control by-law making the producer responsible for weed control to the centre of the road has been very effective in reducing the cost of roadside weed control.
• Cooperative programming with the local AAFRD Office and producer groups such as Local Agribusiness and the Pulse Commission.
• Extension: Crop consultant service to assist with all aspects of crop production, variety selection, inputs, weed, disease, insects, harvesting and markets.
• G.I.S. and G.P.S. technology applied to agricultural activities such as weed mapping and record keeping.
• Provide seed cleaning services for producers through the Camrose County Seed Cleaning Plant
• Agricultural Communications Committee established to foster communications between municipality, all Agricultural Societies and ARD

• Agricultural education for schools
• Weed Free Hay inspection and certification
• Community based pasture weed control equipment and custom pasture spraying services
• Eradicable Weeds Category for species that the ASB will take responsibility
• Commodity sales of herbicides not readily available locally
• Cooperative weed control efforts on private and public lands
• Self-help workshops teaching farmers how to control their own wildlife damage caused by beavers and control of their own weed infestations
• Coordination of municipal roadside vegetation management including grass seeding, grass mowing, weed control, brush clearing and control
• Cooperative projects with Grey Wooded Forage Association, Rocky Mountain House Agricultural Society and Rocky Riparian Group
• Cattle data management and age verification services
• Integrated environmental extension into all programming

• Joint program with Counties of Camrose and Beaver for the control of Scentless Chamomile along northern borders.
• Biological control of Leafy Spurge in sensitive areas along the Battle River.
• Field shelterbelt program has been responsible for over 55 miles of field shelterbelts being planted since 1991.
• Soil conservation program has been successful in reducing tillage across the County.
• Blackleg of Canola program has increased awareness of control and generally decreased the incidence of blackleg.
• Intensive roadside weed and brush control program.
• Offer custom spraying to ratepayers for control of persistent perennial weeds.

Agricultural Service Board
Box 400
Three Hills, Alberta, T0M 2A0

Phone: 403-443-5541
Toll Free: 1-866-443-5541
Fax: 403-443-5115

Bowen Clausen, Manager of Parks and Agricultural Services
E-mail: Bowen.Clausen@kneehillcounty.com

Fallon Sherlock, Conservation and Assistant Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: Fallon.Sherlock@kneehillcounty.com

Successful programs:

• Intensive Roadside Weed Control Program
• Reverse Fence Line Spraying Program
• Effective Weed Enforcement Program through Education and Awareness
• Urban weed inspections for towns and villages
• Pest Control Clubroot surveys
• Rental Equipment: Pasture Sprayer, Insecticide and herbicide skid sprayers, grasshopper bait spreaders, Hay Land Leveler, 1590 John Deer No Till Drill and Brillion grass seeder, Tree Planters, Portable Cattle Scale, Portable Livestock Loading Shute, Tag Readers, Solar Off-Site Watering System and Ag Plastics Roller.
• Kneehill County Land Care programming:
  • Riparian Buffer Strip and Grassed Waterways Seeding
  • Water Well Abandonment
  • Solar Off-Site Watering System Rental
  • Ranching Opportunities
  • Ladies Farm and Ranch Winter Retreat
  • Assistance with Growing Forward Programming
• Partnership in the Red-Bow Agricultural Partnership
• Member of the Red Deer River Watershed Alliance
• 3rd Party Livestock Age Verification
• Kneehill County roadside mowing program

Lacombe County runs a very successful Roadside vegetation management program. Utilizing two roadside application units equipped with GPS in combination with mowing, they have adopted an integrated vegetation management philosophy that is progressive and effective. All spraying operations are logged on the go allowing for an increased confidence in the roadside spraying program and better decision making in future programming. In addition we also run the following programs:

• Weed control on both private and public lands
• Beaver control on public lands
• Brush control on public lands
• Predator control for livestock
• Soil conservation progam, including shelterbelt planning and planting assistance.
• Work closely with two soil conservation clubs to assist members with projects, tours and field days
• River Rat program utilizes summer students to hand pick Scentless Chamomile on rivers in the County
• Beginning a major awareness effort to deal with Canada Thistle and Yellow Toadflax problems
• Provide assistance in the form of information and some resources to deal with pests

• Weed control and educational services for county, residents, and local towns and villages. Scentless Chamomile elevated to Prohibited Noxious and Wild Caraway elevated to noxious by County By-laws.
• Work with neighboring municipalities and provincial government with river bank and natural area weed prevention and conservation. Partnering with innovative groups for alternative control measures and technologies
• Pasture and hay management services with free sprayer rentals, a 20% approved herbicide rebate program, and weed free hay inspections.
• Environmental programs including riparian health assessments and funding, along with extensive farm based plastic recycle initiatives.

• Land base of 773,000 acres with 52% cropland
• 420 farms with an average farm size of 1,840 acres
• About 70% of farms have cattle for a total of 70,000 head

• Developed efficient and environmentally sustainable ways to reduce invasive plant species in our roadside from spreading into the community by using an Integrated Pest Management Program
• Actively monitor, map and enforce invasive plants that fall under the Weed Control Act
• Involved with pest surveys for crop disease and insects
• Predator control for livestock
• Coordinate in the reclamation of lands disturbed by the County
• Encourage and develop local conservation programs such as the continuing of a Shelterbelt Program, rural water tank loading facilities for agriculture, riparian health, etc.
• Increase farm safety awareness
• Offer equipment and our services to residents for custom spraying and cattle weigh scale

• Pocket Gopher control research program initiated by the Counties of Ponoka, Lacombe and Red Deer with support from CAESA, Pest Management Alternative Office of Agriculture Canada, and 19 other A.S.B.'s and Producer Groups.
• Early detection and control of newly-introduced noxious weeds, such as Tansy, Ox-Eye Daisy, Field Scabious and Orange Hawkweed.
• Rental of livestock equipment.
• Providing advice and rental sprayers for Weed Control.

• Population 18,351
• 1,007,000 million acre municipality
• Tax base 31% residential, 31% commercial/industrial, 30% power/pipeline, 8% farm
• 55% cropped annually, 15% pasture
• 145,351 cattle, 87,015 hogs, 140,000 hens/chickens, 44 Dairies (5,294 milkers)
• County is 4,003 kilometres^2, 1,575 miles²
• 3,178 km of local roads (over 500 km paved)
• Market area: 2.4 million people within 160 km (100 mile) radius of Red Deer County

• Pest and disease monitoring research.
• Roadside weed and brush control, herbicide application and roadside seeding programs.
• Co-operative weed control programs and extension publications with adjacent municipalities.
• Plant, insect, and disease identification service to ratepayers.
• Education and Awareness including CATS - Community Ag Talk Seminars and our Enterprising Ag Tour.
• Biogas feasibility study
• Agricultural Viability Strategy: Agricultural Profile, County Neighbourhood Report and Viability Strategy.
• Fence Line Weed Control Initiative - Herbicide application on fence lines adjacent to municipal lands
• Safe Water Well Initiative - Financial and technical assistance for residents in properly decommissioning obsolete water wells
• Eradicable Weeds Control Program - With a signed agreement, Red Deer County will take on the responsibility of prohibited noxious weed control in Private land
• Built and maintains the 1st Canadian Livestock Emergency Response Unit in Canada!
• Conservation Partners: Financial and technical assistance for landowners to do on-the-ground environmentally beneficial projects on their land
• Alternative Land Use Services: pays landowners to deliver services from nature to society (such as surface water filtration, groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, wildlife habitat)
• Green Acreages Program: Financial and Technical assistance for acreage owners to assess their environmental risks and take action to address them
• Environmental Farm Plans, Riparian Health Assessments, Growing Forward Planning assistance: Technical assistance for producers to understand their environmental risks and take action to address them

Agricultural Service Board
262075 Rocky View Point
Rocky View Point, Alberta, T4A 0X2

Phone: 403-520-1287 (Jeff)
Phone: 403-520-7273 (Laura)
Phone: 403-520-1272 (Ashley)
Phone: 403-520-8162 (Kristyn)
Fax: 403-277-5977

Jeff Fleischer, Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: jfleischer@rockyview.ca

Laura Poile, Agricultural Services Officer
E-mail: lpoile@rockyview.ca

Ashley Stewart, Agricultural Services Officer
E-mail: astewart@rockyview.ca

Kristyn Smigelski, Agricultural Services Officer
E-mail: ksmigelski@rockyview.ca

Delaney McNaughton, Agricultural Services Officer
E-mail: DMcNaughton@rockyview.ca

Successful programs:

• Integrated Roadside Weed Control program. Roadside Grass Seeding and mowing Programs. Effective weed enforcement policy on private land with a total of 5 weed inspectors annually.
• Strong awareness programs with annual Agricultural Service Board Tour, involvement in community fairs, monthly news magazine articles and quarterly farmer/rancher newsletter.
• Involvement with neighbouring municipalities and organizations in the Calgary and Area Government Weed Committee, Bow Corridor Invasive Plants Initiative
• Extensive Joint Municipal involvement in Nose Creek, Elbow River, Jumpingpound Creek and Bow River watershed groups
• Approved planning documents supporting agriculture including Agriculture Master Plan and updated County Plan (MDP)

Agricultural Service Board
Box 249
Morrin, Alberta, T0J 2B0

Phone: 403-772-3793
Fax: 403-772-3807

Alan Hampton, Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: ahampton@starlandcounty.com

Dara Kudras, Assistant Agricultural Fieldman
E-mail: dara@starlandcountys.com

Other interests: - Alan
I am a 4th generation farmer near Rowley, Alberta and currently crop about 2000 acres of canola, peas, wheat, malt barley and flax. In between raising 2 teenage boys, I spend my spare time pushing snow, fixing wells, repairing buildings, mowing yards, spraying around bins, hauling grain, buying equipment, investing / losing money in the stock market, gambling on the commodity markets, curling in the winter, slow pitch baseball in the summer and at least a couple of weeks in Mexico or somewhere warm through the winter.

Other interests - Dara
Dara Calon has a Land and Water Resources Diploma from Olds College and a bachelor of Science with a major in Environmental Science from the University of Lethbridge. Dara was born and raised on a grain farm in Michichi, Alberta and is currently living in Drumheller. Her plans include finding a suitable mate, building a house on the Michcihi creek and taking over operation of the family farm in the future. She hates weeds, likes cats, loves mowing grass and if she becomes Premier will institute happy hour starting at 3:00 P.M.

Successful programs:

• Spraying program to deal with noxious weeds found in Starland including Scentless Chamomile, Toadflax, Leafy Spurge, White Cockle, and Canada Thistle along roadsides and in farmers' fields.
• Weed enforcement program which deals with noxious weed problems on private land.
• Public relations programs which are run throughout the year to educate or enlighten ratepayers, oil company employees, school students and community members about various topics such as farm safety for kids, noxious weed issues and control options, pest issues and control options, farmer pesticide training, marketing strategies, innovative equipment, food safety, etc. We promote our programming via our quarterly newsletter, county website, meetings, workshops, twitter, newspaper and radio
• Rental equipment program which provides specialized equipment that farmers may require from time to time, but do not want to purchase such as a dugout water transfer system, shelterbelt insecticide spraying equipment, livestock weigh scale, hoof trimming chute, cattle squeeze, breaking disc, grass seeding equipment, portable corral system, backpack sprayers, skunk and magpie traps, etc., which are available to ratepayers at a nominal charge.
• Pest control programming which involves survey’s, inspection, investigation and potential enforcement. Pests we monitor and deal with include BAW’s, Grasshoppers, Clubroot, Fusarium graminearum, coyotes, rats, and we also provide advice for nuisance peats as well.
• Soil conservation initiatives such as field shelterbelt planting, roadside grass seeding, topsoil removal and stubble burning bylaws, and enforcement of the soil conservation act where required.
• Environmental extension initiatives which are designed to educate and promote adoption of new practices with an emphasis on sustainability. Our programs are targeted to all ratepayers and landowners and involve riparian area management, protection of water resources and protection of water quality. Projects we promote include growing forward 2, riparian area mapping and monitoring, water quality testing on creeks, providing advice on manure management, promoting EFP, hosting water well workshops, providing a portable solar pumping unit to get farmers to try watering away from sensitive creek areas, and hosting annual toxic waste roundups.

• Roadside Spraying - Roadside spraying for control of brush growth and weed control is provided. The County sprays approximately 1500 miles of roadside annually. The roadside sprayer doubles as a hydro-seeder for grass seeding on roadsides and reclamation sites.
• Weed Control - Weed control along watercourses is provided. The County operates a program of spraying and removal of Scentless Chamomile along a 26-mile stretch of the Red Deer River.
• Shelterbelt Tree Planting Program - The County participates in the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration Conservation Tree Program. Applications are available at the County of Stettler Office.
• Pesticide Container Collections Sites - The Agricultural Service Board has established and operates five temporary container collection sites and one permanent collection site.
• Stettler Seed Cleaning Plant - The Stettler Seed Cleaning Plant is inspected annually. For further information, please call 742-2905 or 742-4441.
• Predator Control - Assistance with predator control is available upon request.
• Insect Survey - Relevant surveys are conducted annually.
• Pest Traps and Weed Control Equipment - Services and equipment available that the County provides at no cost include live traps for nuisance wildlife, Portable Pasture Renovation Equipment and Sprayers. Weed and disease identification and noxious weed control is provided at a minimal cost.
• Conservation Projects - Various conservation projects are undertaken annually. Information is available upon request.

• Tree Distribution
• Soil Conservation and Awareness Activities
• Crop protection
• Pest Control, including Beaver Flood Control (roads)
• Agricultural Bursaries
• Roadside Vegetation Management including spraying, mowing, backsloping and weeding
• Weed Inspections
• Weed Control Plots

Equipment rentals:
The following equipment is available for rent from the County of Wetaskiwin No. 10:

• Cattle Squeezes
• Cattle Hoof Trimming Chute
• Cattle Scales
• Postpounders
• Pocket Gopher Machine (mole)
• Weed Sprayer
• Magpie and Skunk Traps

Other Documents in the Series