Down on the Farm - Art Gallery of Alberta

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramAgriculture in Alberta continuedPhysical Geography and ClimatePhysiography, climate, soil and vegetation combine to delineate four biophysical regions withinAlberta. The prairie region includes most of southern Alberta, more precisely the land south andeast of an arc stretching from Waterton in the southwest corner to a point along theSaskatchewan border east of Red Deer. This rolling grassland is relatively dry and mostlytreeless.The parkland region predominates in central Alberta, forming a crescent to the west and northof the prairie region and including most of the North Saskatchewan River drainage basin. Thisarea varies from the flatland of old lake bottoms to rolling landscape with numerous lakes anddepressions. It contains both treed and grassy terrain, with soil and climatic factors favourable toagriculture.The Boreal Forest region covers the northern half of the province. Here great rivers and lakesdominate the landscape, draining northward to the Arctic Ocean. Soil and climatic factorsdo not favor agriculture, except in the Peace River region of the northwest where parklandconditions create the world’s most northerly grain-growing area.The prairie region of southern Alberta includes both short-grass and mixed-grasscharacteristics. The short-grass area of the southeastern corner features short, drought-resistantgrasses such as blue grama, growing on light brown soil deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus,and about 12 cm deep. Annual water deficiency and wind erosion cause considerable soildrifting. The mixed-grass area, forming an arc to the west and north of the short-grass region,contains more fertile, dark brown soil, while western wheat grass and other taller grassesprovide the natural vegetation. The parkland region of central Alberta and the Peace Rivercountry are characterized by a natural vegetation cover of tall grasses and aspen trees. Thecentral parkland contains fertile black soils, while the dark grey and grey soils of the PeaceRiver area are slightly less fertile. The province possesses an estimated 2,661 million ha of landsuitable for agriculture.Low annual precipitation, high evaporation rates and fast runoff produce chronic water deficits insouthern Alberta, varying from a moderate deficiency in the parkland region to a severeshortage in the short-grass prairie area. Irrigation has been used in the latter area since the late19th century, yet the amount of water available for irrigation is itself limited by the water flow inthe South Saskatchewan River basin.Alberta’s northerly latitude, stretching between latitude 49 degrees north and 60 degrees northputs the province in the northern cool-temperate zone. Thus cold winters and relatively short,cool summers are to be expected. The growing season lasts about 120 days in southernAlberta, decreasing to 60 days in the north. In the north the shorter season is offset by longerdays and lower altitudes and wheat is grown as far north as the Peace River.AFA Travelling Exhibition Program, Edmonton, AB. Ph: 780.428.3830 Fax: 780.421.0479youraga.ca