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From the Hip

The American food industry, and in particular the meat industry, has a long history of resisting government regulation and intervention.
Columns, From the Hip

Spare a thought for those who process our food

The business, economics, and practices of the food-processing sector shouldn’t be hidden out of sight

By
I have been on slaughter and food-processing floors all over the world — vegetables, beef, pork, poultry, lamb, bison, elk, fruit, bake floors and many things in between. Usually women work in these food plants, silent and relentlessly focused while working on raised catwalks as their male supervisors stand behind them. This is not only […] Read more
A man makes mud seed balls in Bhopal, India.
From the Hip, Opinion

Food culture runs deep and has many different facets

A food system isn’t just something that comes from seed, sun, water and soil — it’s also very personal

By
Learning the different perspectives of people is interesting. In the arguments over food security in the future, there often is an element of truth in even the most unusual idea. I felt challenged, however, during a public forum when the concept of ‘seed bombing’ a city was put forward in an attempt to return it […] Read more
When trade deals become election platforms, it is important to know a little about the contents of the proposals.
From the Hip, Opinion

With a federal election looming, spare a thought for trade

Trade is a complex issue but needs to be a priority for our export-dependent farm sector

By
A Canadian election is around the corner and trade is an important issue to consider, particularly for agriculture. Agri-food accounts for 12 per cent of all of Canada’s exports. One-half of all Canadian agricultural production is exported. One in two jobs in grains and oilseeds is export dependent and one in four jobs in food […] Read more
From the Hip, Opinion

There are many inspirational people — and they live all around us

They are not defined by gender, wealth or their career, but by what they give to the world

By
Sometimes the inspiration we need is right in our own neighbourhood. And when I think of those who have inspired me, I only have to blink and their faces and stories come to my heart. China was hit by a drunk driver as a child. Paralyzed on one side with slow speech and movement, one […] Read more
Canada’s population is changing culturally, and with it the need to satisfy a demand for more lamb and goat.
From the Hip, Opinion, Sheep/Goats

Has the time come again for Canadian producers to go deep into sheep?

Sheep and goats are challenging beasts but they can offer a way into farming for new entrants


By
The revival of the small farm has created a new interest in sheep and goats. And although Canadians are not known to be big consumers of lamb, mutton or goat meat, there is a much greater demand than there is product. Canada only produces 40 per cent of the lamb needed for consumers. As the […] Read more
The 972-pound warm steer carcass of today is 282 pounds heavier than in 1980 and 330 pounds heavier than in 1960.
Beef Cattle, From the Hip, Opinion

Who has benefited from the shift to heavier cattle?

The move to larger animals began decades ago but was driven by packers, not consumers and ranchers

By
I had given a century-old Stockman’s Manual to a young rancher as a gift. As we leafed through the pages, it was pretty evident how cattle, particularly British cattle, have changed over the years. Once mostly horned, short legged, deep in body, wide in loin and very haired up, they look very little like the […] Read more
The federal government has committed to increasing the number of immigrants to 350,000 annually by 2021.
From the Hip, Opinion

Opinion: We need to welcome our new Canadian neighbours

To fill the tens of thousands of jobs in agriculture, we must make the sector more attractive to immigrants

By
As agriculture faces acute shortages of people at every level, it is a good time to talk about the value in immigration. The federal government has committed to increasing the number of immigrants to 350,000 annually by 2021. What does that mean for Canada? The majority of immigrants currently come from three countries: China, India […] Read more
The release of carbon dioxide is increasing in tandem with a wide number of other human activities and there is little evidence that agriculture is a major culprit.
From the Hip, Opinion

Many sources of greenhouse gases are being ignored

Agriculture is singled out while major contributors receive little or no attention in climate change debate

By
As the discussion on climate change heats up, I find myself defaulting to facts that may surprise you. Climate change is not a new phenomenon. The definition is basically changes in wind patterns, temperature and precipitation that stretches over several decades. With that definition in mind, climate change has been an ongoing challenge for farmers […] Read more
A sound business plan can determine how efficiently your 'farm engine' operates.
From the Hip, Opinion

What’s in the engine room of your farm business?

It’s not just the physical assets that power your enterprise and keep it moving forward

By
My friend Claire Booth from Australia shared a photo of her farm office referring to it as the “engine room” of their business. I like that analogy and am conscious of the fact that we all run with an engine and without that source of power or way of moving forward, we stay in one […] Read more

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