Reading Time: 4 minutes Look out, Prince Edward Island. There’s a new leader in Canadian potato production. In 2022, Alberta was number one in the country in production tonnage. Farmers grew almost 27 million hundredweight, or 21.8 per cent of Canadian potatoes, beating the island by 0.2 per cent, according to StatCan. Producers may have had even more truckloads […] Read more
Alberta potato sector thrives
Alberta spud growers produced more than those in Prince Edward Island in 2022 and more records are expected this year
AgriRecovery feed, freight, breeding herd aid set for Alberta, Saskatchewan, B.C.
Feds, provinces announce combined $365 million in aid programs
The federal and Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia governments are jointly putting up $365 million to support ranchers and farmers up against this summer’s drought and wildfire damage. The feds on Friday announced their 60 per cent, or $219 million, share of AgriRecovery program funding for the three westernmost provinces. “I’ve had the opportunity to […] Read more
There goes the sun
Vertical farm takes Mother Nature out of the picture and augments food supply, says CEO
Reading Time: 4 minutes Give Barry Murchie just a few words to describe GoodLeaf Farms’ new Calgary-based farm facility and he’d probably say it’s a completely controlled vertically integrated operation that grows leafy greens, baby greens and microgreens. Give the GoodLeaf president and CEO a few more words and he’ll call it a step forward in Canada’s food sovereignty. […] Read more
Manitoba legislature’s agriculture leaders to return under new management
NDP scores majority over incumbent Tories
Manitoba’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition agriculture critic are headed back to the legislature — but under a new seating plan. Opposition leader Wab Kinew’s New Democrats are expected to form a majority government coming out of Tuesday’s provincial election, unseating incumbent premier Heather Stefanson’s Progressive Conservatives. Just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, NDP candidates […] Read more
Drought hits southern ranchers hard
As grazing co-ops cut stocking rates and water levels drop, tough decisions are being made
Reading Time: 3 minutes With scarce water, big heat and short grass, the 2023 southern Alberta grazing season has been a slow-rolling disaster. On July 12, for the second time in 20 years, the Special Areas Board declared a state of agricultural disaster for Special Areas 2, 3 and 4 due to prolonged drought. The Special Areas cover five […] Read more
Saskatchewan ag minister to oversee water agency
Marit gets additional duties in cabinet shuffle
Saskatchewan’s minister of agriculture will take on added responsibility for the provincial Water Security Agency following a cabinet mini-shuffle. Premier Scott Moe on Tuesday named David Marit, MLA for the southwestern riding of Wood River since 2016 an minister for agriculture and Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. since 2018, as minister responsible for the WSA. In […] Read more
Alberta First Nations tribe spins hay into gold
Kainai Forage sets a new record with a 40,000 tonne first cut and it has no plans of stopping there
Reading Time: 4 minutes Four years ago, Kainai Forage set out to increase its premium forage production fivefold by 2024. If its first cut is any indication, it could be on its way to that 100,000-tonne goal. The plant-to-processing company recently set a record-best first cut when it harvested more than 40,000 tonnes of export-destined timothy hay grown under […] 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
Alberta potatoes chip in $2.9 billion for Canadian economy
New report verifies what many in industry suspected
Alberta’s potato industry is making a big impact — not just on that province but the entire country. A new report — dubbed a “landmark study” by the Potato Growers of Alberta — revealed the sector drove a total contribution of $2.87 billion to Canada’s economy in 2022. It also notes the nationwide creation of […] Read more
Ag in Motion to feature expanded equipment demos, testing
The outdoor farm show will be held at Langham, Sask., July 18-20
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers demanded “real equipment doing real things” and that’s what they’ll get at this year’s Ag in Motion outdoor farm show in July. “Decisions are made in the dirt,” said show director Rob O’Connor, in a May 25 news release. “The show is held outdoors, so there is room to stage very large equipment on-site […] Read more
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