Reading Time: 3 minutes Refocus. Rebuild. Strengthen partnerships. That was the mantra of the Vermilion Agricultural Society as it navigated the pandemic. The first year, the society hosted a fireworks display, there were a few equine clinics and a whole bunch of quiet times. Faced with the same prospect in 2021, the society decided it was a good time […] Read more
Volunteers rally to the cause during pandemic pause
Land prices set a sizzling pace as buyers outnumber sellers
Alberta saw a much smaller price rise on average, but it depends where you farm
Reading Time: 4 minutes The drought didn’t put a damper on land prices. The average price for farmland across the country shot up 8.3 per cent last year, according to the latest price survey by Farm Credit Canada. That’s up nearly three per cent from the 5.4 per cent rise seen in 2020. “I’m not surprised that farmland values […] Read more
Alberta ag societies aiming to ‘get the summer off the ground’
Reading Time: 4 minutes The past two years have been challenging for everyone, including Alberta’s agricultural societies. But many are now gearing up for an active summer. “They’re very hopeful that summer will be open and without restrictions,” said Tim Carson, CEO of the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies. “The mood is quite positive. For the most part, everybody […] Read more
2021 was a very robust year for Canadian ag
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canadian farmers contribute nearly $140-billion to the economy, says a new snapshot of the sector from AgCanada. “Despite COVID-19, the drought in Western Canada, the flood in British Columbia and other trade disruptions, the overall agriculture sector saw growth in 2021 and is expected to continue to perform well in 2022,” the department said. It […] Read more
A shipping container fix may be coming
Reading Time: < 1 minute Bulk shipping rates are way down but getting past the pandemic is likely key to fixing the shipping container mess, says a provincial crops market analyst. “Relief in container shipping rates should occur within months following a decline in COVID-19 cases and easing of restrictions, as consumers turn more of their attention to out-of-home spending […] Read more
Bunge says sanctions may have ‘adverse effect’ on Russian operations
Reuters — Global agricultural commodities trader Bunge said continued conflict in Ukraine and stinging sanctions on Russia could have an “adverse effect” on its operations in the breadbasket region. Bunge and rival agribusinesses ADM and Cargill suspended operations in Ukraine last week after Russia invaded its neighbour. But none have stopped their business in Russia […] Read more
Canada shuts ports to Russian ships over Ukraine invasion
Russian firms' Canadian holdings also under scrutiny, Freeland warns
Toronto | Reuters — Canada ratcheted up pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine by shutting ports to Russian-owned ships and saying on Tuesday that holdings of all Russian oligarchs and companies in the country are under review. Canada has announced a slew of measures to isolate Russia, including imposing sanctions on Russian President […] Read more
Ukraine’s ports to stay closed until Russian invasion ends
London | Reuters — Ukrainian ports will remain closed until Russia’s invasion ends, the head of Ukraine’s Maritime Administration said on Monday, adding that the port of Mariupol has sustained damage from Russian shelling. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, calling its actions a “special operation.” “The ports will be shut until the end of […] Read more
Photography book of old grain elevators a labour of love nearly two decades in the making
Reading Time: 4 minutes Wooden grain elevators occupy a special place in the hearts of many, but rural folk aren’t the only ones for whom these structures carry an irresistible appeal. Chris Attrell, a born-and-raised urbanite, got bit by the elevator bug in 2003 — the day the grain elevators in the southern Alberta town of Champion came down. […] Read more
Tax records show decline in Alberta farmers’ income
The StatCan data isn’t easy to parse, but the trend in recent years has been downwards
Reading Time: 2 minutes Even before the pandemic and the drought, Alberta farmers — along with their Canadian counterparts — saw their incomes drop, according to the latest report from StatCan. “Farm families in Alberta earned the highest average total income nationally for a second consecutive year in 2019,” the federal agency said in a recent report. “However, their average […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
