2023 Agricultural Service Board Report

Board Composition:

ADMINISTRATION
In 2023, the Agricultural Services Department (ASD) received grants from Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in the following amounts: $123,907 for the Provincial Agricultural Service Board (ASB) Grant – Legislative Stream, $39,000 for the Provincial ASB Grant – Resource Management Stream and $24,000 for the Rat Control Grant. This was the last year of municipal involvement in the Empty Pesticide Container (<23L) Collection Program as it became the responsibility of agricultural retailers as of January 2024. The Municipal District of Wainwright No. 61 (MD) continues to operate three municipal water tankloader facilities for agriculture, shelterbelt and other approved uses. Approximate usage for the tankloaders in 2023 was as follows: Ribstone – 63,162 gallons, Giltedge – 224,422 gallons (volume not accurate as meter was malfunctioning) and Irma – 698,788 gallons.
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, CROP PEST MONITORING AND VERTEBRATE PEST CONTROL
The year 2023 was the second year in the three-year rotation of our roadside spray program. A seasonal Weed Inspector was utilized to complement our Vegetation Control Program. This was an interesting year for weed growth and we continued to address a variety of prohibited noxious and noxious weeds found within our boundaries. Purple loosestrife control efforts continue under the provisions of a Special Use Approval. Prohibited noxious weeds including nodding thistle, diffuse and spotted knapweed, and hoary alyssum continue to be monitored vigilantly and controlled where found. The ASD continues to partner with the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in their pest surveillance program. Diamondback moths, bertha armyworms, grasshoppers and wheat midge were all surveyed in 2023. Agricultural Services Staff also completed 80 random clubroot inspections with one new clubroot positive field being identified in 2023. In 2023, there were no confirmed rat infestations identified. Staff also removed 20 problem beaver that were affecting municipal roads, bridges, and culvert infrastructure.
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STREAM SECTION
MUNICIPAL PROJECTS, DEMONSTRATIONS AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
The focus of the grant money is to provide information and programs within three priority areas; first, to deliver, promote and manage the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP); second, to deliver, promote and manage the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (S-CAP); third, to promote the sustainability of water, soil, air and biodiversity in the MD. The bi-monthly ASD newsletter, the Municipal Connection, continues to be a source of information for our rural ratepayers. The ASD hosted five extension events between February and May, ranging in topic from pest management to equine health, which saw a total of 321 participants.

Respectfully Submitted,

James Schwindt
Agricultural Fieldman