Reading Time: 2 minutes A pair of new reports are urging government to do more to save good farmland from being lost to agriculture. And there’s a lot that has been lost already, according to researchers at the University of Alberta. “Analysis of satellite imagery shows that between 1984 and 2013, the amount of land in urban uses in […] Read more
Do more to save farmland, say two new reports
U of A study says hundreds of thousands of acres have been lost while Senate committee calls for help for young farmers
Dodging the taxman may be costing you
Paying some tax makes sense, but cash deferrals and pre-buying inputs don’t always, says accountant
Reading Time: 3 minutes Some of the farmers Rob Strilchuk works with seem to think that $1 is too much tax to pay. “I have clients who spend $100 to save $15 in tax,” said the MNP accountant. “I get it. I don’t want cash to go to Revenue Canada for any of my clients, either. But there is […] Read more
Steel tariffs could rebound on farmers here
It’s not clear what impact tariffs will have on farm equipment but any increase will likely be passed on
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s unclear if the new steel tariff proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump could be bad news for Canadian producers when it comes time to buy new farm equipment. If the tariffs are imposed, U.S. manufacturing companies would pay 25 per cent more for imported steel and 10 per cent more for imported aluminum, unless […] Read more
Alberta library gets FCC grant for bilingual programming
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Falher Library/Bibliothèque Dentiger is one of 10 community groups to receive a grant from the FCC Expression Fund. “This library is a vibrant bilingual learning and social centre serving two municipalities and the surrounding area,” said Farm Credit Canada. “FCC funds will allow this BiblioTECH to expand and promote its French e-learning resources and […] Read more
‘What’s in the field?’ program adds new component
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture for Life is enhancing its ‘What’s in the field?’ program to give consumers more information on what they see when driving by fields and pastures. The program, which is entering its third year, provides signs (at no cost to producers) that identify the crop being grown in a field or the breed of livestock […] Read more
Ag societies gearing up for the summer — and beyond
Reading Time: 2 minutes Summer may seem like a long way off but across the province, tens of thousands of volunteers are gearing up for the annual frenzy of festivals and summer events. “All indications from our members are that they’re prepared, ready to go, and do what they normally do for their communities in 2018,” said Tim Carson, […] Read more
What was the real bottom line on your farm in 2017?
Cash accounting can save you taxes, but it doesn’t give you a true picture of profitability
Reading Time: 2 minutes Was your farm profitable in 2017? Now is the time to find out by converting cash statements to accrual income and expenses statements, says a provincial farm financial specialist. “The majority of farms still report their incomes and expenses on a cash basis via their annual income tax returns with the goal of avoiding or […] Read more
‘Realistic, simple and doable’ is key to farm safety plan
Alberta AgSafe modelled on B.C. program that makes listening the cornerstone of its approach
Reading Time: 5 minutes A safer farm begins with three questions, says a longtime farm safety consultant in B.C. What’s the problem? What have you done about it? How can you prove it? “We’re pretty good at ‘a’ and ‘b’ – we recognize the problem and we try to fix it, although sometimes we take shortcuts or monkey-fix it,” […] Read more
AgriSpirit Fund applications due this month
Application deadline is March 29
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications from registered charities and non-profit organizations in rural Canada are now being accepted for the FCC AgriSpirit Fund. The fund will award $1.5 million in funding this year. The application deadline is March 29. Rural community groups can view the eligibility requirements, past projects and apply online by visiting ‘FCC AgriSpirit Fund’ on the […] Read more
Farmer-led AgSafe program helps producers tackle farm safety issues
Farm Safety Week: The program is free, designed to be practical, and can be tailored for individual farms
Reading Time: 4 minutes Better farm safety can start with small steps. Even a simple act like hanging a sign can play an important role in preventing a disaster. “We have these lockout tags that say ‘Lockout. DO NOT OPERATE,’” said Donna Trottier, extension co-ordinator of the AgSafe Alberta program. “There was an incident a farmer told me about. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
