Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta farm employee injury claims have more than doubled since workplace compensation coverage became mandatory for farms on Jan. 1, even though the number of workers being covered is only up by two-thirds. During the first six months of the year, 395 claims were filed by farm workers and 356 claims were accepted by the […] Read more
Workplace compensation claims on farms jump sharply
But the claims offer an opportunity for finding ways to make farms and ranches safer for everyone, says farm leader
Oil lease defaults hit new record
Landowner compensation claims more than doubled last year and have already doubled again this year
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
Glencore sees renewables not cost competitive until mid-century
London | Reuters — Renewable energy will not be cost competitive with fossil fuels until 2050, Glencore said on Tuesday, much later than energy organizations forecast and supporting the mining and trading giant’s case for continued investment in coal. Glencore, whose non-mining holdings include Canadian grain handler Viterra, has said coal is still an investment […] Read more
Farm debt at record highs — but top lender not worried
While FCC says most farmers can handle their debt load, financial expert Merle Good says some are ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farm debt has hit a record high, bringing back some unpleasant memories of the 1980s debt crisis. But we’re not there yet, said farm business expert Merle Good. “In 1980, we had huge inflation and huge interest rates,” said Good, a longtime tax specialist with the provincial government who now runs a private consulting business. […] Read more
Harvesting good ideas from farmers across North America
Reading Time: 4 minutes During this busy summer’s growing season at The Jungle Farm, Blaine and Leona Staples also found themselves harvesting good ideas from a winter business trip. Their U-pick, greenhouse, strawberry patch, market garden, and ‘agri-tainment’ operation near Innisfail has been constantly expanding since the couple came back to her family’s farm in 1996. A half-acre of […] Read more
EU bids to seal CETA as U.S. deal prospects fade
Bratislava | Reuters –– European Union ministers took steps Friday to approve a contentious free trade deal with Canada, while France and Austria demanded that talks towards a similar agreement with the United States should stop. Both deals have triggered demonstrations by unions and protest groups who say they will spark a “race to the […] Read more
Noxious weed found throughout Alberta
Noxious Weeds: Wooly Burdock
Reading Time: < 1 minute Woolly burdock is found throughout Alberta and will grow in most soil types. It prefers moist, loamy, and well-drained soils which are in direct sunlight. This noxious weed is commonly found on disturbed sites, but has also been found growing in gardens for herbal use. Woolly burdock can only reproduce by seed, but is self-fertile […] Read more
Canada, China agree to tighten trade ties
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada and China said Thursday they would start exploratory talks on a free trade pact, but gave few details about a possible extradition treaty for Chinese fugitives which has triggered criticism in Canada. Canada’s Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, elected last year, is trying to improve ties and increase trade with […] Read more
Systems set to ship Canadian wild rice to China
Canadian wild rice producers, warehousers and processors interested in exporting to China now have a certification system in place to do so, clearing the way for Chinese market access. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday released details of a new certification program in which the agency can approve Canadian wild rice processing, warehousing and […] Read more
U.S. lawmakers skeptical of ag chemical, seed merger wave
Washington | Reuters — U.S. lawmakers expressed concern on Tuesday over a wave of mergers among companies that sell farmers their seeds, herbicides and insecticides, worrying that the deals could lead to higher prices and less innovation at a time of dropping farm incomes. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said the proposed mergers […] Read more
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