NOTICE:    Reminder to farmers: protect your hay and feed from deer and elk.
It's the time of year for animals to start preparing for winter. Agricultural producers are reminded to take steps to prevent damage to stored hay and feed.

Producers can reduce or eliminate ungulate damage over the winter with these preventative measures.

• Move bales from the field to a feed yard or protected storage area.
• Use straw bales as a protective barrier for feed stores.
• Fencing can be more effective if bales are stacked two tiers high.
• Use fencing or place posts before freeze up to prepare permanent stack-yard sites.
• Store grain only in protective storage bins.
• Monitor stored feed and promptly chase ungulates from feed stores.
• Allow access for hunting.

The Alberta government assists producers in protecting stacked and stored feed through the Ungulate Damage Prevention Program. Supplies of temporary and permanent fence are available. For more information, please contact your nearest Fish and Wildlife Office.

Peace River Office: 780-624-6405, Fairview Office: 780-835-2737

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The Agricultural Service Board was established by Bylaw No.1/2006 to act as an advisory board to Council on agricultural related matters, such as weed control, pest control, and soil conservation. The Agricultural Fieldman, an employee of the Municipality, ensures compliance with these Provincial acts: the Weed Control Act, the Soil Conservation Act and the Pest Control Act.

 

 

The Board is comprised of two Councillor members and 5 members at large from the Municipality. The Board meets every couple of months with the Agricultural Fieldman, as well as members attending Regional and Provincial ASB Conferences.

Current ASB Members:

Rick Keillor, Councillor Member & Chairman

Sandra Friesen, Councillor Member

Jim Allan, Farmer Member

Philip Bogner, Farmer Member

Brian Grant, Farmer Member

Larry Schur, Farmer Member

Albert Wagstaff, Farmer Member

At the present time, the following are some of the issues/programs that the ASB handles:

Scentless Chamomile:  Scentless Chamomile is a noxious weed resembling a daisy, that is spreading rapidly.  The emphasis is on control on industrial sites to prevent it from establishing itself on farmland.

 

 

 

 

 

 Clubroot in Canola:  Clubroot in Canola is a fungal disease that can reduce canola yields by 50%.  There hasn't been any evidence found in the Peace country to date.  The municipalities in the Peace region adopted a regional policy to keep the Peace region Clubroot free.  For more information, please contact the Agricultural Fieldman.

 

 

 

 

Shelterbelt Trees

The M.D. of Peace has application forms available at the Municipal Office for anyone wishing to order shelterbelt tree seedlings through the Prairie Shelterbelt Program (PFRA). Landowners with more than 5 acres of land are eligible for this program. Applications are accepted from June 1 to March 15 each year on a priority basis; usually the seedlings are delivered to the local Municipal Office around the middle of May, with the Municipality paying the freight charges.  The M.D. of Peace has a seedling tree planter available for use when the seedlings arrive.  Please phone ahead to book the planter.

V.S.I. Services Program

In the mid 1960's the economics of veterinary practice in northern Alberta did not encourage veterinarians to establish there; in response to this problem, the Alberta Government agreed to establish veterinary clinics in selected areas.  The Veterinary Association worked with local governments to establish a system of payment to veterinarians who performed services on farm animals.  V.S.I. Services is a non-profit organization that was formed to help assure farmers that veterinary service would be available to them.

The M.D. of Peace pays an annual fee, out of which V.S.I. Services pays the veterinary clinics for 50% of the farmer's bill for approved services(on cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, bison, elk).  Each member Municipality holds a membership in the non-profit organization, as do the participating veterinarians.

The M.D. of Peace provides V.S.I. cards, upon request, to the following:

- anyone who is a resident of the M.D. of Peace for 6 months

- landowner in the M.D. of Peace

- a lessee of a crown grazing lease in the M.D. of Peace

When requesting a V.S.I. card, you must be prepared to give the Municipal staff your Social Insurance Number, as anyone who receives more than $100./year in V.S.I. credit will receive an AGR-1 form from the Municipality which must be claimed on the income tax return.