Stony Plain producer Albert Wagner has profited by buying fertilizer well ahead of time — and that looks like a winning strategy again this year as fertilizer prices look set to climb this winter.

Horrible harvest could impact fertilizer prices

Prices are already rising, but the late harvest is limiting the ability to apply or buy fertilizer now

Reading Time: 4 minutes Poor harvest conditions this fall could drive up fertilizer prices next spring. “For many producers right now in Alberta, fertilizer isn’t top of mind. They’re focused on getting the harvest off,” said Craig Klemmer, principal agriculture economist at Farm Credit Canada. “So when we look at the pricing side of things, demand wasn’t as strong […] Read more



Farms in financial good shape, says Farm Credit Canada

Reading Time: < 1 minute Although total farm debt in Canada now tops $100 billion, the sector is “well positioned to thrive in the current economic and financial environment,” says the chief economist with Farm Credit Canada. “The current debt-to-asset ratio in agriculture remains lower than the 10-year average… and farm liquidity remains healthy,” said JP Gervais. A relatively low […] Read more



Drive Away Hunger campaign underway

Reading Time: < 1 minute People wanting to contribute to the FCC Drive Away Hunger campaign can drop off donations of food or cash at Farm Credit Canada offices across the province until Oct. 18. It’s the 15th year for the campaign by the Crown ag lender, which is marked by “tractor tours” across the country. In Alberta, these will […] Read more

Seventeen Alberta community projects receive grants

Reading Time: 2 minutes Seventeen Alberta communities have received grants for projects such as fire and rescue equipment, play structures, and facility repairs or upgrades. Farm Credit Canada’s AgriSpirit Fund is donating $1.5 million to 84 groups across the country. The grants, ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, are aimed at enhancing the lives of rural residents or contributing to […] Read more


Do More Agriculture Foundation co-founders Himanshu Singh (left), Lesley Rae Kelly (centre), and Kim Keller at FarmTech last January.

Funding offered for ‘mental health first aid’ courses in farm communities

Course teaches people how to help those suffering from depression and anxiety or contemplating suicide

Reading Time: 2 minutes A new foundation focused on promoting mental wellness for farmers is offering funding for communities willing to put on ‘mental health first aid’ workshops. The two-day course offers training on how to help “a person having a panic attack, support someone who lives with depression and anxiety, and intervene when signs of suicidal ideation are […] Read more



Do More Ag to offer mental health first aid training

Reading Time: < 1 minute A $50,000 grant will allow a new non-profit to provide mental health first aid training for producers and agriculture industry professionals in select communities across Canada. The Do More Agriculture Foundation was set up this winter to provide support and mental health resources to farmers. The grant from Farm Credit Canada will fund a pilot […] Read more

It's been nothing but up – often by double digits – for Alberta farmland prices according to Farm Credit Canada's annual prices survey. But the latest survey found the increase was variable, with values going up the fastest in both the most expensive (south) region of the province and the least expensive one (Peace).

Farmland prices double in last five years

Many farmers thought prices were out of whack in 2013, 
but time has proven they were wrong

Reading Time: 5 minutes How expensive is Alberta farmland? Try double what it was just five years ago. “Over the last five years, we’ve seen cash farm receipts going up across the country and especially in Alberta,” said Joel Bokenfohr, manager of business structures and financial policy with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “We have a strong farm economy where […] Read more