Canadian Senators studying national soil health visit Alberta

Sep 18, 2023

A group of Canadian senators who recently visited Alberta on a fact-finding mission are attempting to flesh out the overall state of the country’s soil health.

Healthy soil is of course vital to growing food, they note, as well as purifying water, cleaning the air and sustaining life.

Senators Paula Simons (Alberta), Rob Black (Ontario), Pat Duncan (Yukon), David Arnot (Saskatchewan) and Sharon Burey (Ontario) are members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and they together toured farms and research centres in Alberta, including in Olds, south of Red Deer.

Tours allowed a chance to speak with producers and researchers about how the federal government can help preserve the resource that is this nation’s soil, and it’s all for a study that’s the first-of-its-kind since 1984.

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Video: California Farm Bureau 2025 Farm Dog of the Year Contest Winner - Willy - CAFB 107th Annual Meeting

Meet Willy: California Farm Bureau’s 2025 Farm Dog of the Year!

We’re excited to introduce Willy, a miniature long-haired dachshund with a big heart and even bigger courage, and the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Farm Dog of the Year Contest!

Willy may be small, but he’s become an indispensable partner on owner Marshal Hagedorn’s forestry and cattle operations in Shasta, Tehama, and Siskiyou counties. Adopted in 2023, he quickly found his place on the ranch, helping manage critters, tagging along for long days in the woods, and offering unwavering companionship during demanding logging work.

Willy has even taken naturally to moving cattle, surprising calves (and more than a few full-grown cows!) with his burst of energy from the tall grass. As Marshal put it: “He goes with me everywhere every single day.”

Congratulations to Willy and his family, a perfect example of how every good farm dog, no matter the size, helps keep California agriculture running strong.