Reading Time: 3 minutes Having a point of differentiation is really important when it comes to commodities. Let us start with the term ‘beef.’ You may have been in conversations where someone said, they don’t eat beef — they eat old dairy cows. Which is interesting because technically, those old dairy cows and the Alberta bred fancy show steer […] Read more
It’s tough to stand out in the world of commodities
Producing the best beef or grain doesn’t mean your product will be recognized for its quality
When we rush to help, we can put ourselves at risk
When livestock get into trouble, we need to consider how quickly a rescue mission can go wrong
Reading Time: 3 minutes The abundance of new life on the farm at this time of the year leads to a lot of antics on the part of animals. It is wonderful to watch the babies get busy with play we call ‘horsing around.’ Calves and foals are romping, the first chicks are peeping, the piglets are squealing. Big […] Read more
We need all sorts of farms to preserve the culture of agriculture
Many would love to be seeding right now but they can only dream of being a farmer
Reading Time: 3 minutes It is time to be in the fields; to sow what will soon be an abundant Canadian harvest. I love the fact that I can still identify the make of an engine by the sound and I never get over the thrill of hearing the first piece of equipment rumble down a country road en […] Read more
It’s as Canadian as peanut butter? Fascinating food facts
Whether born out of curiosity or necessity, this country has a rich history in creating new foods
Reading Time: 3 minutes When we think of a Canadian meal, we think of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, milk, and all the fixings. Spring is here and the BBQ has likely been dusted off to welcome these old flames to our weary winter palate. As Canadians, we set the table with favourites such as lasagna, burgers of every description, […] Read more
Viewing the importance of farming through a different lens
Studying global leadership gave me a new appreciation of how agriculture underpins everything
Reading Time: 3 minutes I am writing to you in this column sporting my new credentials: master of arts in global leadership. And through it all, I never left agriculture. In fact, it was agriculture that gave me the depth and breadth of experience for interesting dialogue and the completion of many papers based on food production and food […] Read more
An unintended consequence of cannabis legalization
The money in cannabis has made it a highly attractive alternative to greenhouse plant propagators
Reading Time: 3 minutes When the Government of Canada changed the Criminal Code and legalized cannabis, it raised very few eyebrows in the agricultural community. It was debated as a crop on all levels and later recognized as an agricultural product. Where it was grown and by whom was left to other jurisdictions. It was viewed as an opportunity […] Read more
The new food guide can be an opportunity for the ag sector
Instead of being on the defensive, why not take a more constructive and educational approach?
Reading Time: 3 minutes I read with dismay that British grocer giant Tesco was cutting more jobs in its grocery stores from the fresh counter and replacing those employees with vending machines. I thought about how that put another league of distance between people and their food. Is it any wonder farmers feel there is such disconnect with the […] Read more
Infrastructure is the foundation of food security
Without functioning ports, economies can be crippled — as the British may soon learn to their sorrow
Reading Time: 3 minutes Grain farmers have experienced it: The worry about grain car accessibility and the multiplying losses when grain cannot be shipped or sits at port. Cattlemen know the importance of an open border. Almost everything we grow in Canada is exported in some form and this relies on rail, trucks, air transport but more importantly, transport […] Read more
It’s Home Economics 101 — and a lesson for our time
It’s time to bring back those skills that made the kitchen tables the centre of our homes
Reading Time: 3 minutes I made a quick evening stop at the grocery store while near Edmonton. It was late and cold. Tired moms filled the aisles, getting their shopping done. Men filled baskets with food for the next day. Babies cried. Children were restless. This was not an ideal end to a long working day. I thought about […] Read more
Data is too important to be left in the hands of others
Canada relies on the U.S for critical agricultural data, and that leaves us extraordinarily vulnerable
Reading Time: 3 minutes Vulnerability is a word that I have taken to heart a lot in the past few years. We are vulnerable when we change, or seek change; vulnerable when we are left open to volatile weather or markets; and in agriculture, we are extraordinarily vulnerable when we are without data. The partial shutdown of the U.S. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
