Reading Time: 3 minutes What could possibly go wrong? There is a farm, a will and the future. Listening to the legal experts at a recent conference, it was a bit of a shocker to hear the situations in which farm families find themselves. It is always best to have a will. This important document should eliminate confusion and […] Read more
Schoepp: Having a will doesn’t guarantee a smooth succession process
This important document should provide a path forward, but sometimes it can sink the farm
Opinion: Hiding in plain sight – hazards posed by grain bins
It’s a risk that can’t be ignored. Last year, two farmers in Alberta died after falling from a grain bin
Reading Time: 2 minutes Last year, 11 people were killed on farms in Alberta. Over the past 11 years in the province, an average of just over 15 people have lost their lives each year on farms. Most were the owner/operators of the farm. We urge you to make a commitment now, to keep yourself, your family and your employees safe. […] Read more
Opinion: It’s time to shine a light on the dark side of social media
Farmers should know better than most how quickly misinformation spreads in online echo chambers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Social media is undermining our shared reality, and those of us in the agriculture sector need to take better note of the trend. Why? Because not doing so could result in a continued separation between rural and urban Canada, as well as one another. Social media is a drug of sorts, in […] Read more
Schoepp: It was both an ordinary day and an extraordinary one, too
Sometimes when the load seems too heavy, little moments can lift you up
Reading Time: 3 minutes What started as a downer of a day turned into one of fulfilment and meaning. The person cutting my hair always surprises me with the depth of her compassion and her understanding of the world. Everything about her is beautiful and regardless of where I am that day, I feel uplifted when I go to […] Read more
Schoepp: The business of carbon credits is murky and risky
The payments are small and the agreements are often complex and ill-defined
Reading Time: 3 minutes In overall climate discussion, there is constant reference to trade in terms of carbon sequestration known as carbon credits. This is a global movement in carbon offsets under an assumption that the land, sea, and forests will absorb all carbon from total greenhouse gases. Does this benefit Canadian farmers and consumers? It’s a complex matter […] Read more
Opinion: It’s not just oil production that’s keeping diesel prices high
Refinery production has fallen since the pandemic, and that’s unlikely to change
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters – Global shortages of middle distillates such as diesel, gas oil and heating oil are intensifying rather than easing, making it more likely a relatively severe slowdown in the business cycle will be necessary to rebalance the market. U.S. inventories of distillate fuel oil fell to 106 million barrels in early October, the lowest […] Read more
Schoepp: Climate-focused diet misses the mark in targeting meat
Advocates of ‘climatarian’ diet need to look at entire picture when it comes to livestock
Reading Time: 3 minutes The ‘climatarian’ diet promotes the elimination of beef and lamb. The original movement is based on the premise that elimination of these ruminants reduces carbon emissions. Beef and lamb, the founders claim, leave the largest carbon footprint. Being climate conscious involves more than choosing one main point, such as carbon, and one culprit, such as […] Read more
Opinion: Food companies are looking over farmers’ shoulders
Cost used to be king when companies sourced ingredients, but they’re increasingly focused on how they’re grown
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Earlier this year, McCain Foods quietly purchased a little-known firm called Resson. Ten years ago, the news that a food company had bought a predictive crop technology company might have raised a few eyebrows. In McCain’s case, many may have wondered why a company known for its frozen french fries would want […] Read more
Opinion: Synthetic milk is no longer a sci-fi fantasy, it’s here already
Backers of this alternative milk say their product is indistinguishable from the real thing
Reading Time: 3 minutes The global dairy industry is changing and among the disruptions is competition from alternatives not produced using animals, including potential challenges posed by synthetic milk. Synthetic milk is produced without animals. It can have the same biochemical makeup as animal milk, but is grown using an emerging biotechnology technique known as “precision fermentation” that produces […] Read more
Schoepp: What produces more waste — a feedlot or a cruise ship?
Feedlot waste gets a lot of scrutiny by consumers while shipping gets a free pass
Reading Time: 3 minutes During a recent agricultural discussion, the chat centred around the public’s perception of animal agriculture and waste. As I had recently been at sea, our conversation shifted to the ocean being used as a dumping ground for human sewage and other waste. I became curious. What produces more waste — a feedlot or a ship, […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
