Reading Time: 3 minutes Farms hold promise for generating biofuel and clean biogas to power us into the future, and they also have the land base for building energy systems. But there is a vast difference between the capture of methane on site to produce gas and the permanent use of food production land for solar panels or wind […] Read more
Schoepp: Putting solar farms on good land is a misguided way to go green
The amount of arable land is finite and shrinking. Covering it with panels that could soon be obsolete is wrong
Include safety in your plans before you work alone this spring
Thinking ahead and identifying hazards can help avoid potentially life-threatening situations
Reading Time: 3 minutes In recognition of Canadian Agricultural Safety Week March 12-18, here’s a sobering safety fact: 50 per cent of farm safety incidents in Canada occur when the victim is working alone. The average farmer and rancher in Alberta spends a significant amount of time working alone. Some tasks are even designed to be done alone. But […] Read more
Schoepp: Bullying takes many different forms and occurs in all walks of life
Nearly half of us will experience bullying at some point — asking for help is the healthy thing to do
Reading Time: 4 minutes Once a schoolyard term, bullying has now razed a path through all of society. It happens in our homes, on our farms and at work. Children suffer to the point of taking their lives and tens of thousands of them stay home every day from fear. In Canada, 40 per cent of adults report that […] Read more
Schoepp: We are always only a moment away from life-altering change
On farms across the country, pain and grief are all too familiar, but so are stories of perseverance and miracles
On farms across the country, pain and grief are all too familiar, but so are stories of perseverance and miracles
Reading Time: 3 minutes It is calving time on many farms. It’s normally a joyful time of the year as we receive new lives into the fold and look with hope to a season of warmer weather and green grasses. But for some families, it is also a brutal reminder of challenge, broken bodies and long recoveries. These past […] Read more
Schoepp: With political will and good policy, you can accomplish a lot
The impressive growth in Quebec’s greenhouse sector is an example of what can be accomplished
Reading Time: 3 minutes This past year Quebec reached a milestone in being able to supply a full 50 per cent of greenhouse vegetables consumed in the province. The veggies that are widely grown in the province’s greenhouses are tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce. I have been in vegetable fields and greenhouses throughout Canada and abroad, and the abundance […] Read more
Op/Ed: The consequences from food inflation can last a generation
There’s no room for compromise when it comes to ensuring our children have proper nutrition
Reading Time: 3 minutes Recent high food price inflation has plagued many Canadian families, especially those on tight budgets. Statistics Canada reported in October that in-store food prices increased at a faster rate than the all-items Consumer Price Index for the 11th month in a row. The Ontario Student Nutrition Program, which feeds 28,000 students, reports that a breakfast […] Read more
Schoepp: In everyday things, we find our stories and great meaning
On the shelves of my home are bowls that are precious for the memories they hold and the promise they offer
Reading Time: 3 minutes It is that time of year for reflection and as I hold an old cracked bowl in my hand, I am grateful. This bowl is nearly 90 years old and represents a part of my family history. For decades it has held the simple foods grown on the farm – colourful vegetables, bright berries, herbs. […] Read more
From the best to the worst, it’s the year told in verse
It’s a year-end tradition done with contrition, a light-hearted review for you to go through
Reading Time: 3 minutes As longtime readers know, what we do each year first isReview the one that’s just past, but do it in doggerel (bad verses)A look back to review things is usually a good practice gainfulBut this year it’s one that feels kind of painfulUps and downs for farmers here seem only a piffleCompared to those in […] Read more
Schoepp: The risks to our food system are many and must be addressed
Supply chain issues and inflation have both revealed serious fractures that won’t fix themselves
Reading Time: 3 minutes Our food system was certainly stretched during the pandemic. There were gaps and delays, but food was delivered. Fast forward to now, when we are experiencing massive inflation and the same gaps still appear, but with additional production challenges. Affordability is the new barrier to food in a system that experts describe as volatile and […] Read more
Opinion: Avian influenza is a threat that’s flying under the radar
The response has been strong, but this outbreak has caused massive losses and poses an ongoing threat
Reading Time: 3 minutes Avian flu deserves more media attention. The illness affecting our poultry sector has become a real problem. Unlike previous strains, H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza has spread across the country, raising fears that it could become endemic in wild birds, no less. A nightmare. This year alone, avian flu has infected approximately 200 farms with […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
