Reading Time: 3 minutes [UPDATED: Aug. 26, 2022] The new national business risk management plan is getting a generally positive reception from farm organization leaders. The new framework, titled the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, was announced by federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers following their annual meeting at the end of July. Grain Growers of Canada chair Andre Harpe […] Read more
New ag policy framework gets mostly thumbs-up
Change in the AgriStability reference margin from 70 to 80 per cent may encourage more participation
Cheaper cattle but pricier beef
An industry-sponsored study will look at methods to determine more transparency across the sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s a big question that no one can answer. Why is there such a big difference between what consumers pay for beef and what producers receive for their animals? Alberta Beef Producers general manager Brad Dubeau knows it is a major issue. “We need to do some background work,” he said. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry […] Read more
Neonicotinoids, reducing bee mortality are priorities for new research chair
Bees produce billions in benefits for Prairie farmers but they face a host of challenges
Reading Time: 4 minutes Pollinators and beekeepers on the Prairies have a new champion — the first-ever research chair concentrating on the health of these essential workers in fields and pastures. “I’ll be focused on improving honeybee health to improve sustainable agriculture,” said Dr. Sarah Wood, an associate professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College […] Read more
County sows agri-tourism seeds by organizing tours of local farms
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s strength in numbers. Farms from across Leduc County have proven that by banding together to create successful ag tours. “By having the farms close together, there’s a benefit to people being able to visit more than one farm,” said Sharon Faye, the county’s local food co-ordinator. The tours started as a pilot last year […] Read more
Dairy farmers explore new path forward with cover crops
Taking the plunge can be scary but there are multiple benefits that can be gained, they say
Reading Time: 4 minutes Dairy farmers Dieter Gagelmans and Geoff Volkman decided to take the plunge into cover crops last year for a simple reason — to improve the farm’s productivity Gagelmans, originally from Belgium, is taking over Volkman’s farm in a non-familial succession. “I knew I was going to take on tremendous debt and the only way to […] Read more
Federal, provincial governments partner on ecological goods and services program
Few details available so far on the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program, but producers think it’s a good step
Reading Time: 3 minutes A new federal ecological goods and services program, the first of its kind, was announced in late July as part of the next five-year agriculture framework dubbed the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. About $250 million will fund a new Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP), designed to support ecological goods and services provided by the agriculture […] Read more
Massive soil carbon mapping could change views about cattle
Five-year, $3.2-million study will determine how much carbon is stored in pastures thanks to grazing
Reading Time: 3 minutes What is the real value of soil carbon? And how much carbon do cattle producers store in the soil? These are two questions that will be answered in a carbon soil mapping project conducted by researchers from the universities of Alberta and Saskatchewan. “The reason for the project is that carbon in the atmosphere is […] Read more
Farm at Altario School is growing experiences and excitement
Reading Time: 4 minutes It started as a small tulip garden but has grown into a vibrant student-led farm that now entices kids to a once-struggling school in the tiny village of Altario. “This school gives us the opportunity to do things that we never thought we would do,” said Jessica Vert, a recently graduated Grade 9 student who […] Read more
WHEN THINGS GO SOUTH: What to know about grain contracts
When you can’t fulfil a contract, there are key things to be aware of, say legal experts
Reading Time: 4 minutes Get those verbal agreements down in writing, know what terms like “liquidated damages” mean, and take action fast if you can’t fulfil a grain contract and prices are rising. Those are key takeaways from a recent webinar on grain contracts put on by the Canadian Canola Growers Association and Winnipeg law firm D’Arcy & Deacon. […] Read more
Optimism has returned with the rains for the cattle sector
Producers still dealing with drought fallout, but looking ahead to better days
Reading Time: 4 minutes Cattle producers are feeling cautiously hopeful, thanks to June and July rains. “It’s a sigh of huge relief, as least what I experienced in this area — it’s just a burden of worry lifted,” said Fred Lozeman, who farms with his cousin, runs two herds and operates a 2,000-head feedlot west of Claresholm. “There were […] Read more
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