Reading Time: 3 minutes Our national mandatory program for age verification for cattle needs to be put on hold until there is careful study and roundtable discussions with farmers. Governments need to talk to as many actual farmers as possible, not merely to organizations that claim to represent farmers and to the so-called industry leaders. The federal standing committee […] Read more
Mandatory Age Verification Doesn’t Improve Producers’ Bottom Line
Does Rural Alberta Really Want More MLAs?
Reading Time: 3 minutes . Farmers and ranchers may just want their current MLAs to be more attentive. BY WILL VERBOVEN ALBERTA FARMER | EDITOR After a report by the electoral commission, Premier Ed Stelmach has decided we need more ridings in rural Alberta in order to maintain a balance with urban Alberta. Thoughtful, but perhaps he should have […] Read more
Ecojustice Represents Farm Interests Too
Reading Time: 2 minutes You described Ecojustice as a “subsidiary” to a similar organization, EarthJustice, that operates in the United States. We are not (and never have been) a subsidiary of EarthJustice Re: “Green lobby group’s motives suspicious,” March 15. As the Ecojustice lawyer referred to in your editorial, I read this with interest. Acknowledging that you may have […] Read more
Direct Marketing — An Alternative Solution To The Cattle Crisis
Reading Time: 3 minutes “I suggest we have been suckered into export dependency and are now trapped on a treadmill of keeping more cattle to make up for declining margins.” Many have been wondering whether there is a future for beef production in Canada. We are continually told that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that […] Read more
Increased Production And Exports Don’t Solve Hunger
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beginning with the 1972 crop, increasing exports began to create the expectation of an era of export-led prosperity for U. S. farmers. They began to believe that they had a responsibility to increase production and exports so that the hungry of the world could be fed. At the time of the World Food Conference in […] Read more
It’s Time For Farm Labour To Be Treated Equally With Other Sectors
Reading Time: 3 minutes Recently Alberta Agriculture announced a new $715,000 grant program for farm safety, part of which will be given to local ag societies for safety promotion. That’s an admirable step by the government as education is always valuable. The fear with this grant is that it will be used as an excuse by the Alberta government […] Read more
Ontario Farm Voters May Help Prairie Colleagues
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re going to give any praise a farm safety net program that’s been steadily criticized over the years, you have to expect some feedback. In a recent column, I took the unusual stance of pointing out the benefits of AgriStability. The program has not worked well for livestock producers suffering years of poor margins. […] Read more
Are Farmers Rational? Easy Answer
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ever heard the joke about the farmer who wished for good prices and a good crop simultaneously? Editor, Manitoba Co-operator They say “it’s just a number,” but something strange happens to your journalistic perspective as you cross over to the dark side of 50. Story leads that had you pulling out your notebook in the […] Read more
George Groeneveld Deserved A Much Better Fate
Reading Time: 3 minutes I think we just kneecapped the only ag minister in memory in this country who really had the good of agriculture at heart. President, beef initiative group Re: New ag minister could change political fortunes, editorial Feb. 1. If there exists any problem in the countryside it was caused by deceitful manipulation of the facts, […] Read more
Green Lobby Group’s Motives Suspicious
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian stakeholders have seen that baggage and want none of it to be opened here At the recent meeting of the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association conference, a panel discussion on a contentious issue was featured. The issue involved a concept called FitFir, short for First in Time – First in Right. Panelists included an irrigation […] Read more