Reading Time: 4 minutes He’s experienced. He’s motivated. And he’s the first to admit he doesn’t know a lick about farming. His name is Mike Flynn and he’s the first executive director of the new Alberta Grains. A non-aggie might seem like an odd choice for commission leadership, but he sports a unique CV: a professional executive director good […] Read more
New executive director brings city thinking to rural commission
Alberta Grains executive lacks farm knowledge but offsets it with core skills
Opposition accuses feds of ‘playing games’ on Bill C-234
Conservative shadow minister says new Liberal senators set bill up for failure
The Conservative shadow minister for Agriculture, Agri-Food and Food Security has accused the Liberal government of “playing games” with a bill that would grant Canadian farmers a carbon price exemption for natural gas and propane used for barn heating and grain drying.
Meteorologist predicts ‘moderately strong’ El Nino on the Prairies
Potential benefits likely won’t be felt until 2024 growing season
Reading Time: 4 minutes This winter’s El Nino isn’t likely to replenish moisture reserves on the Prairies – at least not directly. Early forecasts spoke of a “super” El Nino this winter marked by an abundance of snow and mild temperatures. Experts have since stepped it back to a “moderately strong” system with a possibility of mild temperatures. Precipitation […] Read more
Equipment sales expected to soften in 2024
Interest rates, equipment prices and commodity prices will all play a role, says FCC
According to FCC's 2024 outlook for the Canadian farm equipment market, new sales are projected to be softer in 2024 based on three factors: higher interest rates, elevated equipment prices and a decline in commodity prices.
Don’t fear involvement in ag groups, say commission reps
There are more benefits than losses when you nominate yourself for a board
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s election season for many of Alberta’s farm organizations but it can feel like pulling teeth to get farmers involved, say representatives of grower groups. The positions are not necessarily as time-consuming as farmers may think because there are many people to help and in many cases work-life balance is prioritized. “It has to be […] 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
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
Province blames feds for limits to new beef program
Only approved municipalities will benefit from new CADLA program, raising producer ire
Reading Time: 3 minutes The provincial government is blaming the feds for a controversial condition in a new risk management program aimed at beef producers. The recently-announced Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance (CADLA) program has raised the ire of beef producers across Alberta. They’re unhappy that only growers in certain municipalities (mostly in the northwest and southern ends of the […] Read more
The time to talk succession is now, says advisor
Post-harvest a great time to talk succession, but be sure to set it up right
Reading Time: 4 minutes Fall is an excellent time to discuss farm succession, says a Calgary-based expert. “Harvest brings people together,” said Clark Lowry, a senior wealth advisor with Lowry Wealth Planning. “Once the harvest is done, I think it’s good for them to get together and have a discussion about what everybody’s intentions are.” According to a recent […] Read more
Young children, seniors figure highly in ag deaths
Sobering data offered by farm safety advocates at annual meeting of Canadian Agricultural Safety Association
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s good and bad news on Canada’s farm injury front. Deaths on farms or related to farming practices dropped an average of 1.4 per cent annually from 2011 to 2020. However, there were 624 agriculture-related deaths in that period. Of those deaths, 26 were children ages one to four and 124 were people ages 70 […] Read more
‘Little hammers’ control weeds on organic farm post-harvest
Tillage, grazing and cover crops are options for organic growers
Reading Time: 5 minutes Conventional grain farmers have chemical tools to manage weeds post-harvest, but for certified organic producers like Ward Middleton, options are limited. “We don’t really have a sledgehammer-type problem-solving option to control weeds, so we have to use many little hammers,” said Middleton, quoting weed ecologist Eric Gallandt, who coined the phrase at the 2012 Canadian […] Read more
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