Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian farmers face challenges, but as we begin a new year, it’s worth noting they are far fewer than farmers face elsewhere. This article is from “Farm Radio Weekly,” published by Ottawa-based Farm Radio International ( farmradio.org), which helps African broadcasters deliver practical extension information by radio. Mr. William Moikan Loibanguti wears the colourful red […] Read more
Keeping Chickens Revives The Life Of A Tanzanian Family
Are Dead Ducks More Important Than Dead People?
Reading Time: 3 minutes The announcement came and went without much fanfare, but then there wasn’t a lot to announce except more of the same. I refer to the recent statement that Minister of Agriculture Jack Hayden will be creating the “Farm Safety Advisory Council” to deal with the ongoing crisis in agriculture-related injuries and deaths. It seemed to […] Read more
Should Farmers Pay More For Better Rail Service?
Reading Time: 2 minutes The following are edited excerpts from a Commons agriculture committee hearing Dec. 9 on railway service. Randy Hoback, Conservative MP for Prince Albert:“The argument a lot of people are struggling with is cost versus service. (T)hey are intertwined. If you buy something at a discount store you don’t expect to get proper service or extreme […] Read more
Landowners’ Control Over Their Property Is At Stake
Reading Time: 3 minutes Four-and-a-half years into the process of developing and implementing the Land Use Framework (LUF) in Alberta, it is clear that this framework could and likely will create fundamental changes in the way that land-use decisions are made in this province. As one of the largest users of land in Alberta, the agriculture sector faces profound […] Read more
Is the end in sight for hog producers in Alberta?
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s a well-worn headline used by many analysts when trying to find some glimmer of hope in a depressed commodity market – “Is the end in sight?” That is beginning to have a more ominous meaning in this province – the end for many hog producers has been a mass exodus from the industry. Statistics […] Read more
U.S. cattle industry vibrant — but not for cowboys
Reading Time: 2 minutes Twice a week,New York Timescolumnist Thomas L. Friedman drives political and economic policymakers into full rant on topics as opposite as global free trade (he loves it) and national industrial policy (he loves it, too). Kiss him or kick him, Friedman can turn a phrase. A current Friedmanism notes that “If you jump off the […] Read more
Feeding The Chinese Beef Dragon
Reading Time: 3 minutes In November, Chinese inspectors were taking a look at Canadian packing plants. That visit was all part of an industry goal to ship more Canadian beef under 30 months of age into mainland China. China is on the same page when it comes to Canadian trade and has stated it hopes to increase import trade […] Read more
Remembering Don Bousquet
Reading Time: 2 minutes Many readers knew Don Bousquet through his “It’s your business” column inAlberta Farmer,and many more across Western Canada knew his voice, heard twice daily on his Farm Market News market report, broadcast on Prairie radio stations for the past 36 years. Some may also have seen Don in person speaking at farm meetings, and if […] Read more
Restoring Direction And Confidence To The Sheep Industry
Reading Time: 3 minutes The recent conference of the Canadian Sheep Federation (CSF) in Calgary brought to light a market situation that other commodities can only dream about – high producer prices, high demand and a declining supply. Such an atmosphere certainly provided for an optimistic mood at the meeting, but there seemed to be some underlying angst to […] Read more
U.S. Election Fallout — Boiling Water, But Not For Tea
Reading Time: 2 minutes If ascendant Republicans act on what they say was the clear message sent by voters Nov. 2, the 112th Congress ain’t gonna’ be a tea party. Oh, something will boil, alright. It may be the fat most politicians claim is stored in all those pork barrels on Capitol Hill. After that, maybe some of the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
