Fusarium’s relentless march across the Prairies

Fusarium’s relentless march across the Prairies

Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s just a 47-second-long animation showing the incidence of a crop disease, but for Alberta producers it should come with a ‘disturbing content’ warning. The video, created by BASF Canada, uses Canadian Grain Commission data on the percentage of fusarium-damaged kernels in Canada Western Red Spring wheat found in its Harvest Sample Program from 2003 […] Read more

Oil rig and cattle in field

Keep on eye on costs when pursuing unpaid rent

The Surface Rights Board carefully reviews the bills of lawyers and agents who help landowners file their application

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO) is advising landowners to take care when hiring advisers to help them prepare their Surface Rights Board case. “Landowners will often recruit professional assistance in filing their applications to the SRB,” FAO spokesperson Jeana Les said in a release. “While the board has the power to require the industry operator […] Read more





(RussellBeer.com)

B.C. beer firm to shed Vancouver, Winnipeg breweries

The owner of Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Brewing and Surrey-based Russell Brewing is set to sell those companies to separate buyers. Vancouver-based Russell Breweries said Friday it plans to sell Fort Garry to an unnamed purchaser for about $7.7 million and Russell Brewing to a B.C. numbered company for $1.8 million. Russell Breweries, whose shares trade […] Read more



Mildew damage on individual kernels of CWRS wheat. (GrainsCanada.gc.ca)

Canada resets mildew grading standards on milling wheat

Canada’s visual grading standards for mildew in Prairie milling wheat have been relaxed to reflect what’s now known about the actual quality of affected wheat. The Canadian Grain Commission on Friday announced new mildew guidelines, “effective immediately,” for western Canadian milling wheat classes, to allow for an “increased presence” of mildew in visual guides and […] Read more

A SunOpta soy milk processing line. (SunOpta, via YouTube)

U.S. investment firm takes major stake in SunOpta

Canadian organic and non-GMO food firm SunOpta Inc. has taken on a new minority owner to help it pay down debt and boost its “flexibility.” The Mississauga-based, publicly traded company said Friday it has picked up an $85 million investment, in the form of exchangeable preferred shares, from Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital Management. The investment, […] Read more


Mexico reopens to all Canadian beef

Mexico reopens to all Canadian beef

Beef and beef products from Canadian cattle of all ages may again be shipped to Mexico under newly expanded access announced Friday. The announcement from Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, on his first official visit to Mexico, follows up on a joint statement in June that Mexico was in the “final stages of due diligence” to reopen […] Read more

Bill 6 coverage wins prestigious journalism award

Reading Time: < 1 minute For the second year in a row, Alberta Farmer reporter Jennifer Blair has been honoured at the country’s premier agricultural journalism awards program. Blair won bronze in the Weekly Press Reporting category for her December 2015 story entitled Big Blowup, which detailed the firestorm of protests which arose following the introduction of Bill 6, which […] Read more