The new Smart Agri-Food Supercluster (SASC) will field a team of 11 innovation and corporate leaders from across Canada as its interim board of directors. The board (see below), which will be chaired by Doug Beever of Agrium, has also appointed Rob Davies as its interim CEO. Davies brings more than three decades of leadership […] Read more
Agri-food supercluster announces board, CEO
Harvestec owner Linamar set to buy MacDon
Canadian harvesting equipment company MacDon is set to join the ag arm of industrial equipment and parts manufacturer Linamar. Guelph-based Linamar Corp., which markets the Harvestec brand of corn harvesting headers in North America, on Thursday announced a “definitive” agreement to buy 100 per cent of Winnipeg-based MacDon and its group of companies for $1.2 […] Read more
Canola study on Alzheimer mice seen as ‘huge stretch’
Upon review, a U.S. study of what happened to mice bred for Alzheimer’s symptoms when canola oil was added to their diet doesn’t translate to a risk for people, researchers and the Canola Council of Canada say. The mouse study, which was published last week by researchers from Temple University in Philadelphia, examined mice genetically […] Read more
Canadian fast-food, dining firms plan merger
A restaurant firm with well known brands in Eastern Canada’s casual dining market is set to merge into a neighbouring firm behind the franchises populating many of Canada’s mall food courts. Montreal-based MTY Food Group announced Tuesday it has a cash-and-stock agreement in place to pick up all outstanding common shares of another Montreal firm, […] Read more
Christmas Bird Count set to begin
Annual citizen science project runs from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5
Reading Time: < 1 minute It is not uncommon for rough-legged hawks to stay north during the winter months, while most hawks migrate south. This fellow in the photo above may just end up being part of the annual Christmas Bird Count. Started in 1900, the count is North America’s longest-running citizen science project with volunteers collecting data in more […] Read more
Study finds canola oil unhelpful against Alzheimer’s in mice
A U.S. study of mice genetically engineered to model Alzheimer’s disease has found those on a diet rich in canola oil were more prone to certain markers of the disease than the same type of mice on regular chow. The Canola Council of Canada, the value-chain industry group for the world’s top canola-exporting country, said […] Read more
Attend this forage webinar in person
'In-person' webinar Dec. 12 at Olds College Bell-E Learning Centre
Reading Time: < 1 minute The webinar season is underway, but that can be a challenge for those who’ve never participated in these online learning events (or those with poor internet connections). So the Beef Cattle Research Council is inviting producers to attend its Dec. 12 webinar on forage diseases in person. The webinar on forage diseases that affect yield, […] Read more
Wildfire-damaged grazing areas up for Saskatchewan aid
Saskatchewan’s provincial disaster assistance program (PDAP) will be opened up to cover southwestern grazing areas damaged by this fall’s wildfires. The province’s government relations minister, Larry Doke, on Wednesday announced producers who incurred wildfire damage on “tame and native lands” intended for grazing may now apply for assistance to get feed for affected livestock. Winds […] Read more
How antimicrobial use will change in a year’s time
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Beef Producers highlighted changes for medically important antimicrobials (MIAs) that will take effect on Dec. 1, 2018. “While current research does not point to any clear, direct link between antimicrobial use in cattle and resistance in people, it is in our best interests to use these products appropriately,” the organization stated in the Nov. […] Read more
Winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2017 celebrated
National winners for Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer for 2017 were awarded on Dec. 1 to Derek & Tannis Axten of Axten Farms in Minton, Sask., and Véronique Bouchard & François Handfield of Ferme aux petits oignons at Mont-Tremblant, Que. “Once again, the seven regional finalists exceeded our expectations as innovative, forward thinking, young agricultural leaders. […] Read more
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