Reading Time: 3 minutes In this instalment, we’ll continue our look at severe thunderstorms, and specifically, the most deadly part — tornadoes. While eastern parts of the Prairies have only seen a few isolated severe thunderstorms, parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta have already seen their fair share. I think most Canadians were more than impressed, and maybe a little bit […] Read more
Diving a little deeper into summer weather and tornadoes
Tornadoes are nearly impossible to study but we do know a lot about the mechanics of how they form
PotashCorp, Agrium choose new married name
Canadian fertilizer giants Agrium and PotashCorp have picked the new brand under which they plan to do business once their proposed merger clears. Calgary-based Agrium and Saskatoon-based PotashCorp announced Wednesday their new merged company, pending regulatory review and approvals, will be named Nutrien. “The new organization will be the global leader in reliable, low-cost crop […] Read more
Nuances in labour bill could be costly, says farm group coalition
Bill 17 has made the unionization process ‘substantially easier,’ upping the likelihood that farm workers will unionize, says an AgCoalition report
Reading Time: 3 minutes The devil is in the details when it comes to a new labour bill that will allow farm workers to unionize, among other things. “There are a lot of little things on the ag side that are really going to affect how farmers are going to have to manage their employees,” said Kent Erickson, co-chair […] Read more
Whole Foods CEO hints at another brand under Amazon
Reuters — After Amazon.com completes its takeover of high-end grocer Whole Foods Market, it might launch another brand with different standards, the grocery chain’s chief executive said in remarks reported in a securities filing on Monday. Amazon plans to keep the natural grocer’s high standards, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said, adding, “They’re not stupid […] Read more
No charges against Quebec’s ex-ag minister
Quebec’s director of prosecutions has decided not to pursue criminal charges against the province’s fired agriculture minister over allegations of “acts of a sexual character.” The province’s director of criminal and penal prosecutions (DPCP) announced in a release Monday that the office was “not reasonably convinced” culpability could be proven against the provincial member for […] Read more
Amazon moves into real-world stores with Whole Foods deal
Reuters — Amazon.com said Friday it would buy grocer Whole Foods Market for US$13.7 billion in a move that gives the online retailer a physical network of stores to distribute fresh food and other goods to millennials and wealthy consumers. Amazon, which is known for squeezing suppliers and has been experimenting with its own outlets, […] Read more
Agrium buys polymer maker’s ag chem applications
Fertilizer and ag retail firm Agrium has closed a deal for an Australian polymer maker’s ag chemical business, aiming to put it to work in fertilizer and pesticide application. Calgary-based Agrium said Tuesday it has bought Starpharma Holdings’ agrochemical business for A$35 million (C$35.3 million) via Agrium’s U.S. crop input arm, Loveland Products. The deal […] Read more
Keep watch for this potential new invader
Noxious Weeds: Puncturevine
Reading Time: < 1 minute So far uncommon to Alberta, puncturevine has all the makings of a potential headache to you and me, alike. What started as an annual herb in southern Europe has started spreading into Canada (in British Columbia and Ontario). Like most other weeds, this plant prefers areas of disturbed, bare ground and grows as a summer […] Read more
New Alberta portal offers detailed species and mapping info
Website profiles show where species are likely to be found and how they respond to human activity
Reading Time: 2 minutes Detailed information on hundreds of Alberta plant and animal species is now available online. The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute — a global leader in biodiversity monitoring — has created the Data & Analytics Portal to provide easy access to the institute’s extensive biodiversity-related data, reports, and maps. A key part of the portal is the […] Read more
Dow, DuPont merger wins U.S. antitrust approval
Reuters — DuPont and Dow Chemical have won U.S. antitrust approval to merge on condition that the companies sell certain crop protection products and other assets, according to a court filing on Thursday. The asset sales required by U.S. antitrust enforcers were similar to what the companies had agreed to give up in a deal […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
