MarketsFarm — Favourable growing conditions across most of the U.S. — and a good start to the growing season — have kept commodity prices on the Chicago Board of Trade locked in a sideways range. In the crop progress report released Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. corn crop was approximately […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Crop commodities rangebound
Outdoor Farm Show relocating to cyberspace for 2020
In-person event cancelled due to COVID-19
Another major event on Eastern Canada’s fall farming calendar has halted its up-close-and-in-person plans for 2020 but expects to follow its western sister event into virtual space. Glacier FarmMedia, the owner/operator of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and of this website, announced Monday it will cancel its event scheduled for Sept. 15-17 at Canada’s Outdoor Park […] Read more
Livestock feeders urged to call before making changes
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Natural Resources Conservation Board, which regulates confined feeding operations in Alberta, is asking feeders to call if they’re considering changes because of the pandemic and increasing livestock numbers. “If you find yourself facing short-term pressures related to COVID-19 and its effects, please contact the NRCB directly to discuss the situation before making any changes […] Read more
Mink infected two humans with COVID-19, Dutch government says
Amsterdam | Reuters — Mink with the coronavirus have infected two people in the Netherlands in what are probably the first such cases of transmission during the epidemic, government and health authorities said on Monday. Mink carrying the virus were found on four of the 155 farms in the country where they are bred for […] Read more
New Brunswick to lift ban on temporary foreign workers
Damage 'already been done' for farmers, NFU-NB says
New Brunswick plans to end its ban on the entry of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) next week as the province moves to the “yellow” level in its COVID-19 pandemic recovery plan. The ban, announced April 28, will end effective May 29, Premier Blaine Higgs said Friday in an announcement some farmers say comes too late […] Read more
JBS resumes second shift at Alberta beef plant
Out of 650 COVID cases at plant, 11 are 'active'
Meat giant JBS’s Alberta beef packing plant has resumed two daily shifts as of Thursday, as fewer than a dozen of its 2,600-plus employees are now sidelined by COVID-19. The JBS plant at Brooks, about 170 km east of Calgary, is “slowly returning to two shifts as of today,” the company said Thursday in a […] Read more
Grants available for worker safety training
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new program is offering to help farm and agribusiness employers as well as food processors with the cost of pandemic-related training and equipment. The Agriculture Training Support Program “is intended to offset costs for COVID-19 safety and training, including the costs for personal protective equipment and to remove any barriers to get Albertans safely […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Ag commodities steady
Slack demand for biofuel has dragged on corn
MarketsFarm — Crop commodity values on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) have largely stabilized as COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed in several U.S. states. “We’ve been playing this virus for a few months now,” said Scott Capinegro of Barrington Commodities in Barrington, Ill. COVID-19-related lockdown measures decimated demand for ethanol, which put considerable pressure on […] Read more
Is there a better way? How COVID-19 might transform packing plants
The pandemic has demonstrated the need for change, but that won’t be an easy or cheap process, say experts
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s become a nightmare scenario. Thousands of workers at meat-packing facilities across North America, including Alberta’s three beef plants, have contracted COVID-19 — and the resulting closures and production slowdowns have created a crisis for livestock producers. But is there any way out? “This will renew calls for more packing capacity in Canada,” said Mike […] Read more
Life and its blessings continue during these troubled times
Little joys have new meaning and family time has taken on new significance on farms across the province
Reading Time: 8 minutes Getting ready for the new baby and celebrating the one newly born. Having coffee with your spouse. Checking out some four-legged farm visitors. Getting a bit goofy on social media. Pausing to appreciate the arrival of spring. On farms across Alberta, special moments abound during these stressful and unprecedented times. And they are worth celebrating. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
