A ransomware on a small Ontario hog business is something a cybersecurity expert says needs more attention from the agriculture industry. Instead of cash, the attackers demanded the hog business owners publicly admit to what they alleged to be livestock mistreatment. The occurrence was unique and alarming, says Ali Dehghantanha, Canada research chair in cybersecurity […] Read more
Activists target Ontario hog farm with ransomware
'We are dealing with adversaries whose motivation is not money'
Prairie Forecast: Summer heat to build back in
Issued July 19, covering July 19 to 26
It looks like the overall weather pattern is going to undergo another shift. After nearly two weeks of unseasonably cool and unsettled weather over the eastern half of the Prairies, with near-average conditions over the west, it looks like more typically summer weather will move back in. The massive area of low pressure that spun […] Read more
B.C. longshore workers resume strike
Union caucus rejects federal mediator's proposed deal
The union representing longshore workers at Canada’s West Coast ports said its members would return to the picket line Tuesday afternoon after union leaders decided to reject a proposed agreement. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada), which represents about 7,400 longshore workers at various Vancouver and Prince Rupert port facilities, said Tuesday afternoon […] Read more
Bin safety starts with a plan
Keeping a few key points in mind can improve your safety when you have to enter a bin
Reading Time: 3 minutes Every year, several Canadian farmers and workers suffocate in grain bins. These deaths are preventable. People can become caught or trapped in grain bins in three different ways: the collapse of bridged grain, the collapse of a vertical wall of grain, and engulfment in grain. Moving or flowing grain is involved in all three. When […] Read more
More bovine TB cases found in Saskatchewan herd
Herd now depopulated, one separate contact herd identified
Corrected, July 14 — Postmortem testing of a Saskatchewan cattle herd culled after turning up three confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) has yielded six more cases. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which is tasked with testing the infected herd, said Thursday that as of July 12, a total of eight cases of bovine […] Read more
Prairie Forecast: Large Hudson Bay low dominates
Forecast issued July 12, covering July 12-19
As the weather models correctly predicted, a large and extremely strong area of low pressure formed over Hudson Bay during the last forecast period, bringing the expected cool and unsettled weather to the eastern half of the Prairies. Over the western half of the Prairies a weak upper-level ridging brought, for the most part, sunny […] Read more
Much of Canada abnormally dry or in moderate drought
Southern Ontario among exceptions
MarketsFarm — In a stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, a wide swath of Canada was contending with dryness, according to the latest report from the Canadian Drought Monitor. As of June 30, about 60 per cent of the country was abnormally dry to being in a moderate drought, with 76 per cent […] Read more
Federal bill aims to tighten biosecurity and trespass protections
Bill C-275, with adds fines for organizations that encourage trespassing in livestock zones, is making its way through the House of Commons
Reading Time: 3 minutes Second time lucky is the hope for a federal private member’s bill that would strengthen biosecurity on farms through the Health of Animals Act. Bill C-275 would make it an offence to enter a place where animals are kept, without lawful authority or excuse, if doing so could result in a biosecurity risk. “Simply put, […] Read more
Prairie Forecast: Big change in weather pattern
Issued July 5, covering July 5-12
Most people have been saying that June felt like July and the weather statistics agreed. Well, if the weather models are correct, it’s looking like July will feel more like June — at least for the next forecast period. Here is the big picture before we dive into the details for each of the three […] Read more
Alberta leads country in dreaded hail
You don’t necessarily need a tall thunderstorm to produce hail stones
Reading Time: 3 minutes Hail is probably the most feared and costly type of severe summer weather. If you’ve lived any significant amount of time on the Prairies, you have likely experienced a hailstorm. While hail can occur anywhere across North America, there are two main regions where incidence is significantly higher — the central United States and the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
