Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is urging farm families to write a “farm safety contract” this year. “Instead of yelling or lecturing farm kids about safety, why not work together to write down the safety rules for your farm?” says the organization, which has a two-page sample contract at agsafetyweek.ca. But before signing the […] Read more
Farm families should sign a farm safety contract
‘The Revenant’ wins Oscars and the hearts of Alberta cowboys
Innisfail’s Ivan Daines and friends proudly did their bits on screen and now celebrate film’s success
Reading Time: 3 minutes When rodeo legend Ivan Daines tuned into the Academy Awards last month, he was as joyous as any cowboy could be when “The Revenant” claimed best actor and director honours. “‘The Revenant’ is such a great movie. I was very proud when Leonardo (DiCaprio) won, and proud Alejandro (González Iñárritu) won,” said Daines. “It’s almost […] Read more
Precision agriculture for your marketing plan
As part of their marketing program for Canadian grain, Agriprocity targets food processors in emerging markets where they can’t grow their own grain
Reading Time: 3 minutes You’ve heard of precision agriculture for growing your crop — but what about for selling it? “We like to think of our little company as precision ag from the marketing side,” said Nicole Rogers, CEO of Agriprocity. “We’re marketing more precisely and allowing those buyers to be more integrated.” Agriprocity was founded 18 months ago […] Read more
Project supports rural Alberta women entrepreneurs
Rural women asked to participate in an online survey
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Agriculture & Food Council (AFC) is conducting a research project called Success for Women in Agri-Food (#S4WAg) to identify and assess barriers rural Alberta women entrepreneurs face and to develop a pilot program that will support the engagement of women in the growing regional food economy and policy discussions. “Women play key roles in […] Read more
Could this be one of the warmest springs on record?
AccuWeather is forecasting an exceptionally warm and dry spring — and it has good reasons for making such a bold prediction
Reading Time: 3 minutes AccuWeather came out early in February with its spring weather prediction, so I figured that maybe I should join in and take a look at what the different forecasters are calling for this spring. After all, meteorological spring starts on the first day of March (March-April-May). In what I think is a pretty bold move, AccuWeather […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Profit-taking drops CME live cattle
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished lower on Wednesday, after investors pocketed profits while waiting for market-ready, or cash, cattle to change hands possibly before Friday, traders said. April closed 0.8 cent/lb. lower at 136.3 cents, and June ended 0.425 cent lower at 125.925 (all figures US$). Cash bids in […] Read more
Maple Leaf profit beats as margins improve
Reuters — Canadian pork processor Maple Leaf Foods posted a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit as margins in its prepared meats business improved. Adjusted operating profit in the meat products group, which includes brands such as Schneiders and the company’s namesake Maple Leaf brand, was $54.6 million, compared with a year-ago loss of $19.1 million. The Mississauga-based […] Read more
FarmSafe workshops in March
Producers can register by visiting crop commission websites
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Wheat Commission, Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola Producers Commission and Alberta Pulse Growers Commission will host a series of FarmSafe workshops throughout Alberta this March. The free, one-day workshops will provide training and educational manuals to help farmers develop a complete health and safety management system tailored to their unique operation. “These FarmSafe workshops […] Read more
Monarch population rebounds, still well off highs
Austin, Tex. | Reuters — North America’s monarch butterflies are on a rebound and the number of the plucky orange and black creatures, which gather in Mexico before flying north to Canada, could soon stand at around 150 million, a new survey showed on Feb. 26. The survey from a scientist at Natural Resources Defense […] Read more
Just what are functional foods, anyway?
Here’s a brief primer on the health benefits that functional foods are supposed to deliver
Reading Time: 2 minutes The term ‘functional foods’ has been around for decades, but what does it mean? “While there is no legal definition for functional foods, a common definition is that a functional food provides health benefits beyond basic nutrition,” said Ava Duering, an analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. This is because they contain bioactive food compounds […] Read more
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