MarketsFarm — The global climate crisis is interlinked with the financial crisis on Canadian farms, according to a new discussion paper from the National Farmers Union (NFU). The paper proposes changes to agriculture practices that could help the sector become part of the solution to both major issues. Compiled by Darrin Qualman in collaboration with […] Read more

NFU paper lays out solutions for climate, farming challenges

Field monitoring systems to cast wider Canadian net
Farmers will soon get a new entry point in the Internet of Things (IoT) as a new company brings field monitoring tools and services to the Canadian market. Austrian tech firm Pessl Instruments and Winnipeg-based Glacier FarmMedia, the owner of this website, on Wednesday announced a new joint venture, Metos Canada, to market and support […] Read more

That’s progress: Event rebrands as ‘Canada’s Farm Show’
One of Canada’s biggest annual trade shows is downsizing its brand to three words for 2020. Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (REAL) announced Monday that Canada’s Farm Progress Show, running June 16 to 18 next year at Regina’s Evraz Place, will now be titled Canada’s Farm Show, with a “new visual identity.” “With the increase of […] Read more

Farm leaders say they understand the need for spending restraint
Province’s Ag Ministry will see deep cuts but Devin Dreeshen says the money can be found by finding efficiencies
Reading Time: 5 minutes It is the biggest cut in government spending since the days of Ralph Klein — but Alberta’s agriculture minister calls it ‘trimming’ and farm groups are not raising a hue and cry. “We’ve trimmed our spending this year by nine per cent by going through every program that we’ve had within the ministry to find […] Read more

Interest in irrigation in Alberta heads north
While the lion’s share of irrigation is in the south, some expect a major expansion as far north as the Peace
Reading Time: 7 minutes From the highway, the sign seems out of place. “Now open, Southern Irrigation,” it declares. Down Lethbridge way, it might not be unusual to see a yard full of irrigation pipes and reels of tubing. But Red Deer isn’t exactly the epicentre of irrigation in the province. But that may slowly be starting to change, […] Read more

The farm data overload needs a fix
Ag tech event shows future of farming is data driven — but 'we're not there yet'
Reading Time: 5 minutes Jay Bruggencate has a bit of a bone to pick with the ag-tech industry. “We’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into smart equipment that knows what it’s doing but can’t talk to each other,” said the Lacombe-area farmer at the recent AgSmart event at Olds College. “There’s so much data now available to us […] Read more

RMs declare ag disaster in Manitoba’s Interlake
Twelve rural municipalities in Manitoba’s Interlake and WestLake regions have declared a state of agricultural disaster due to severe dry conditions. The RMs of Alonsa, Armstrong, Bifrost-Riverton, Coldwell, Ethelbert, Fisher, Grahamdale, Lakeshore, McCreary, Ste. Rose, West Interlake and Woodlands announced the motion in a news release Thursday. The municipalities are calling on the province to […] Read more

El Nino seen transitioning to neutral in next month or two
Reuters — The El Nino weather pattern is likely to transition into ENSO-neutral conditions in the next month or two, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday. “ENSO-neutral” refers to periods in which neither El Nino nor La Nina is present, according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC). ENSO-neutral conditions are […] Read more