Reading Time: 3 minutes Producing food isn’t enough these days — you’ve got to be a hero, too. That was one of the messages delivered at the recent Public Trust Summit put on by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. The conference, in its second year, attracted a diverse crowd of farmers, food processors, retailers, communications experts, and even […] Read more
Farmers need to be ‘heroes’ to win over consumers
People respond to powerful stories centred around people they can admire, says Monsanto official
Symposium aims to educate educators about ag
Event scheduled for Nov. 24 aims to be annual affair
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ag for Life is hosting a teachers’ symposium in a bid to bridge “the gap between the agriculture sector and classroom curriculum.” “Most families are three to five generations removed from the farm today and that disconnect leads to a misunderstanding about how food is raised,” said Luree Williamson, CEO of the Alberta non-profit, which […] Read more
Annual Drive Away Hunger campaign now underway
Reading Time: < 1 minute Camrose and Lloydminster are two of the stops on Farm Credit Canada’s Drive Away Hunger tractor tour this year. The Drive Away Hunger campaign collects food and cash donations for food banks and hunger programs. Beginning Oct. 10, tractors pulling trailers will visit communities in five provinces to collect donations, which can also be made […] Read more
Alberta Wheat Commission looking for candidates
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Wheat Commission is looking for candidates for two directors and three regional representatives in Regions 2 and 4. Farmers can become candidates by filling the nomination package recently mailed to them (it is also available at albertawheat.com). Voting will take place at Next Level Farming events — Nov. 15 in Acme for Region […] Read more
Organic food continues to win market share
Millennials and young families are the biggest factors in the ‘staggering’ jump in the popularity of organic
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canada Organic Trade Association marked National Organic Week earlier this month by releasing new data that shows a “staggering” increase in the number of Canadians who are buying organic groceries every week. An online consumer research study done earlier this year found that organic food is on the weekly shopping list of two in […] Read more
Prairie ag retailers band together
Reading Time: < 1 minute A group of independent ag retailers from the Prairies have banded together under the banner of AgLink Canada. The 14 businesses include three from Alberta — Agro Plus of Lethbridge; Agro Plus Solutions of Dunmore; and McEwens Fuels and Fertilizers of Fort Saskatchewan. AgLink Canada will be allied with AgLink Australia, which is a collective […] Read more
Higher loonie will have many impacts
MARKET WATCH: A low dollar shielded Canadian farmers from lower commodity prices but it also raised the cost of farm equipment and inputs
Reading Time: 3 minutes While you were busy growing crops and raising livestock this summer, a rising dollar has been taking aim at your profits. The growing season started with the loonie trading under the 75 U.S. cents mark — and many analysts sticking to the theory it would stay low as long as oil prices remained in the […] Read more
Worried about federal tax changes? There’s an alternative, say experts
Federal Liberal bid to close ‘loopholes’ will increase taxes on most farm corporations, but there’s a way to avoid that hit
Reading Time: 3 minutes Proposed federal tax changes aimed at ‘income sprinkling’ and other tax reduction measures used by corporations — including those owned by farmers — have ignited a storm of controversy. But there are “a lot of other tax strategies” that farmers can use, say financial planning experts. In July, federal finance officials announced proposed changes to […] Read more
With interest rates on the rise, is it time to lock in?
Variable rates have been a winner for decades, but a fixed rate is an option worth considering
Reading Time: 2 minutes Is it time to lock into a fixed long-term mortgage? “Since 1975, the majority of the time the variable interest rate has been the better option and has saved producers money,” said provincial farm financial specialist Rick Dehod. However, the Bank of Canada recently increased its prime rate by a quarter of a percentage point […] Read more
Steady harvest progression, but yields, crop quality suffers
Alberta crop conditions as of August 22
Reading Time: < 1 minute A week of warm and relatively dry weather throughout the province benefited crop development in the northern regions and allowed harvest to progress rapidly in the South. Crop Conditions have stabilized at 54 per cent rated good or excellent, down less than 2 points on the week. Provincial harvest progress has advanced to 6 per […] Read more
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