Reading Time: 3 minutes My hometown is Stony Plain. It is a great town, progressive, beautiful and welcoming: A place that honours the past and has no fear of the future. I love to go back to visit with my family and friends. I can stand in one spot for hours and simply talk to folks as they pass […] Read more
Preserving highly productive soil is critical for tomorrow
In my hometown, across the province and around the world, top-quality soil is being lost to development
Rance: Sustainability isn’t a burden, but an opportunity
Reading Time: 3 minutes It didn’t take long for a young cattle rancher from Saskatchewan to capture the audience’s attention at the recent Canada 2020 National Forum on Agri-Food in Ottawa. “For me, the word ‘sustainability’ is synonymous with McDonald’s,” said Adrienne Ivey, who is part of a family corporation managing 3,000 beef cattle on a 10,000-acre spread near […] Read more
Conflict drives them from home, but hope is what they bring
Many of our newcomers had to flee their own country and they value the peace and opportunity they find here
Reading Time: 3 minutes While walking on the path, I met a group of students working on an outdoor assignment, enjoying the activity and chatting away. I love to find out the story behind people — starting with a joyous welcome to Canada and asking the inevitable question, ‘Where are you from?’ In this group there were people from […] Read more
Comment: A world without Canadian beef would not be good for the planet
The ‘beef is bad’ narrative ignores environmental gains by the sector and its critical role in preserving grasslands
Reading Time: 3 minutes In a world that is quick to malign businesses impacting climate change, the beef industry has been tagged as a major contributor. The notion that ‘beef is bad’ has infiltrated popular opinions of the commodity, making it difficult for alternate perspectives to break through the fog of negative rhetoric. So here I clearly state: Beef […] Read more
Opinion: When it comes to rules, it matters who writes them
Reading Time: 4 minutes I recently read The Myth of Capitalism where author Jonathan Tepper argues that if competition is a key tenet of capitalism, then it’s a myth to say the 21st-century economy is capitalistic. Many industries lack true competition and are dominated by monopolies and oligopolies, allowing them to charge higher prices and pay lower wages. One […] Read more
Getting past the walls that we build around ourselves
Our lives change in profound ways when we reach out to others — and let them reach out to us
Reading Time: 3 minutes I am flipping through the photos of this past year. It has been an amazing time for me. Blessed at every juncture, I have been filled with light and love and pure joy. Despite huge and heartbreaking challenges, each day was worthy of this page, each moment a cherished memory. It was a lovely meshing […] Read more
As we rethink globalization, we need to think about communities
In many parts of the world, the current system is broken and doesn’t serve consumers or farmers
Reading Time: 3 minutes The world was once a scattering of small communities that through hunting and gathering, and later farming, were often self-sufficient. As systems of trade were built, dependent largely on the sea, goods and services had value and started to leave or be exported from these community hubs. In many cases, this brought an infusion of […] Read more
There is a Canadian advantage when it comes to producing food
Clean air and water and productive soils give us an edge — but they must be used wisely
Reading Time: 3 minutes I was visiting my friends who are new to Canada on a rainy autumn afternoon. As often happens when we get together, the discussion weaves its way toward food and in particular the nutrient richness in Canadian food. “It is the soil, the air and the water that make such a difference,” my friend said. […] Read more
Food culture runs deep and has many different facets
A food system isn’t just something that comes from seed, sun, water and soil — it’s also very personal
Reading Time: 3 minutes Learning the different perspectives of people is interesting. In the arguments over food security in the future, there often is an element of truth in even the most unusual idea. I felt challenged, however, during a public forum when the concept of ‘seed bombing’ a city was put forward in an attempt to return it […] Read more
With a federal election looming, spare a thought for trade
Trade is a complex issue but needs to be a priority for our export-dependent farm sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes A Canadian election is around the corner and trade is an important issue to consider, particularly for agriculture. Agri-food accounts for 12 per cent of all of Canada’s exports. One-half of all Canadian agricultural production is exported. One in two jobs in grains and oilseeds is export dependent and one in four jobs in food […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
