Chicago | Reuters –– Forecasters are sending chills down some spines with a prediction that much of the northern half of the U.S. could see frigid weather next week similar to life-threatening lows the polar vortex brought to parts of the country in 2014. Anticipation of a freezing blast began to build this week when […] Read more
Polar vortex redux? U.S. forecasters say it could hit next week
U.S. forecaster sees weak La Nina likely to fade in early 2017
New York | Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday said weak La Nina conditions were present but favoured to dissipate in the coming months. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in a monthly forecast that conditions were likely to transition back to neutral during January through March. The report said […] Read more
Take these tips to the bank the next time you need a loan
When deciding whether to approve financing, lenders will look at the four Ms — money, markets, materials, and management
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you want to build a bad relationship with your banker, buy your combine on your credit card. “They hate that,” deadpanned Trish Booy, agriculture business development manager at BMO. “There’s a very big difference between short-term financing and long-term financing. Depending on where you are and what you’re going through, your financing needs are […] Read more
A new way to pass on the farm that may let you sleep easier
An intercorporate loan can protect retirement income, give the successor more control, and take care of non-farming children
Reading Time: 4 minutes [Updated: Dec. 12, 2016] – Merle Good has a new piece of estate planning advice for Canadian producers: “Create a damn shareholder’s loan.” “This isn’t a new idea, but it isn’t done as frequently as it should be,” said the farm business management expert. “This strategy allows us to do a lot of neat things […] Read more
Farmers exempt from new off-road helmet rules
Province requiring helmets on public land because there are so many ATV-related injuries and fatalities
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers and ranchers at work will be exempt from a proposed new law requiring off-highway vehicle users to wear helmets while operating on public land in Alberta. Amendments to Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act will require recreational users of all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and other such off-highway vehicles to wear helmets on public land. But the […] Read more
The lure of free land is drawing in a new type of homesteader
There is no shortage of young people wanting to be farmers, and some communities are tapping into that with offers of free or cheap land
Reading Time: 3 minutes Homesteaders. They came on the promise of free land. They stayed because they could not afford to turn back and root by root created the origin of the western agricultural world. The era of horses and pickaxes seems like a long time ago, but the reality is that free land is still very real in […] Read more
Couple protects picturesque Porcupine Hills ranch
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reno and Corine Welsch have ensured their 3,034-acre ranch in the Porcupine Hills won’t be turned into a subdivision or see its native cropland put to the plow. The couple recently finalized a conservation agreement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. “This conservation agreement gives me the freedom to run the ranch the way I […] Read more
Flower growers turn to weed ahead of legalization
Winnipeg | Reuters — Some Canadian flower growers are turning to weed, with the country’s plan to legalize marijuana for recreational use expected to spur a spike in legal sales of the drug. While medical marijuana is already legal in Canada, the Liberal government said in April it will introduce a law in 2017 to […] Read more
Tree pruning is a good thing when done properly
Reading Time: < 1 minute When done properly, pruning will produce strong, healthy, and attractive trees. “However, before pruning a tree, you need to understand why, when, and how to prune,” said Janet Feddes-Calpas, Stop Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED) co-ordinator. Rule No. 1 is don’t top a tree. “Topping is the practice of removing large branches and tops of trees […] Read more
Ag apprenticeship program opening doors for high school students
Two-thirds Alberta’s Green Certificate program grads find work and one-quarter go on to an agricultural post-secondary program
Reading Time: 3 minutes Two-thirds of high school students who complete Alberta’s Green Certificate program end up working in the agriculture industry. In a survey of recent program graduates, the province found that 67 per cent of students were successful at finding employment in agriculture after finishing the Green Certificate program and 63 per cent are still employed in […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
