Reading Time: 3 minutes For the second year in a row, the number of claims against oil companies defaulting on rental agreements has smashed records. Under Section 36 of the Surface Rights Act, landowners can apply for compensation from the provincial government if an oil company hasn’t paid their surface rental lease. From 2003 to 2014, the board has […] Read more
Oil lease defaults hit new record
Landowner compensation claims more than doubled last year and have already doubled again this year
Oil companies bucking their commitments
Farmers are struggling to get oil companies to pay their leases and complete reclamation work on abandoned wells
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s a wet spot originating from an oil well in Anthony Bruder’s pasture that his cows won’t drink from. “I’ve seen cows walk up to it, sniff it, and then walk a half-mile to the other end of the field to drink from the lake,” said Bruder, who farms near Twin Butte. “If the cows […] Read more
Oil bust could mean skyrocketing property taxes
Some Alberta municipalities are being hit hard as oil companies stop paying
Reading Time: 2 minutes With oil prices bottoming out around $30 a barrel, oil companies are scrambling to save money — sometimes at the expense of farmers. “Some companies are just deciding not to pay the annual rentals,” said Daryl Bennett, who represents the Action Surface Rights Association in southern Alberta. Last year, the Surface Rights Board had more […] Read more
Open Farm Days: This is how you connect with consumers
Yes, there were questions about GMOs and hormones in meat, but the farm visitors were just ‘amazed’ by what they saw and learned
Reading Time: 4 minutes As farm leaders, Humphrey Banack and Kent Erickson are well aware that consumers are increasingly critical about how their food is produced. So they were expecting tough questions when they put up the ‘Come On In’ sign for this year’s edition of Alberta Open Farm Days. But that’s not what happened. “They were amazed at […] Read more
Drop in oil values a double-edged sword for Canadian ag
CNS Canada — As oil prices plunge across North America, the impact on Canadian farmers is starting to be felt in several conflicting, but noticeable ways, according to Prairie farm leaders and market-watchers. As of Friday afternoon the price of oil had fallen to just above C$66 a barrel, with some analysts predicting it would […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
