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
Fusarium’s relentless march across the Prairies
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
U.S. chicken chain makes move on Western Canada
The world’s second-biggest quick-service chicken chain by number of stores is set to expand its reach into Western Canada starting next month. Atlanta-based chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen announced Tuesday it plans to open a new store in November in the Tamarack area of Edmonton, followed by a store in Calgary’s Forest Lawn area, then “subsequent […] Read more
Deere to license Precision Planting wares to Ag Leader
Iowa precision ag equipment maker Ag Leader will be able to make and sell high-speed planting equipment using certain systems from Precison Planting — when, or if, Deere and Co. seals its deal to buy the latter company. Deere and Ag Leader announced Wednesday they will have a licensing agreement in place allowing Ag Leader to […] Read more
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
FBC earns national, provincial honours for farm coverage
Winnipeg farm publishing house Farm Business Communications has earned 13 national and provincial awards so far this fall for its news and feature coverage of issues in Canadian farming. FBC, an arm of Glacier FarmMedia, earned a total of 10 gold, silver and bronze awards on Oct. 1 from the Canadian Farm Writers Federation (CFWF), […] Read more
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
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
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