Reading Time: 4 minutes A little holiday cheer is in high demand at Christmas tree farms this year. “There’s a big demand for our trees this season,” said Peter Kappeler, owner of Fir Ever Green Tree Farm near Falun. “It’s become a big thing to take the whole family out to the farm and get a fresh Christmas tree.” […] Read more
Tree farmers growing magic and memories this holiday season
Demand is up for fresh-cut Christmas trees this year — and getting them can be half the fun
Two new programs aimed at Class 1 licensing problems
Farm groups welcome reduced training option and grants for those wanting to be truck drivers
Reading Time: 2 minutes The provincial government has opened a pair of avenues that will make getting a Class 1 driver’s licence easier for some. New training rules — called Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) — were brought in following the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, which killed 16 people in April 2018. The accident prompted reviews of driver training […] Read more
Level-headed thinking — not unbridled anger — builds prosperity
The U.S. situation is a lesson on what happens when people can no longer see other points of view
Reading Time: 2 minutes Our closest, most important social and economic neighbour is having a rough time right now. As Canadians and members of the agriculture sector, we need to pay closer attention to it. That doesn’t mean speculating on how we might be economically impacted either. We need to watch the United States and learn what happens when […] Read more
Bow Island splash park gets funding boost
Reading Time: < 1 minute [UPDATED: Dec. 14, 2020] The Kale Porteous Memorial Splash Park in Bow Island is getting a boost from FMC’s Clean Fields, Community Yields program. The Clean Fields, Community Yields program was born in April when FMC staff saw a need to support community organizations and projects affected by COVID-19 disruptions. Retailers were asked to choose […] Read more
Coveralls and a tuxedo — symphony cellist has a second life on the farm
Reading Time: 4 minutes A lot of people who live on farms have off-farm jobs. But very few of those off-farm jobs involve wearing a tuxedo. However, cellist Victor Pipkin opted for his work coveralls and boots for a video of a solo mini-concert performed on his hobby farm near Onoway. Since the pandemic hit, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra […] Read more
Minks, staff positive for COVID-19 at B.C. mink farm
Coronavirus found in eight workers, five mink so far
A mink farm in southwestern British Columbia’s Fraser Valley is now under provincial veterinary quarantine and its staff self-isolating after several animals and workers tested positive for COVID-19. Fraser Valley Health, the regional health authority for the area, on Sunday declared an outbreak at the farm after eight workers tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus […] Read more
Let’s get intense — cattle producer amps the density in his system
Ryan Boyd will put 400 yearlings on a quarter-acre as part of a system to boost forage productivity
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ryan Boyd has travelled the world to see how producers graze their cattle, and has figured out how to make his cattle work for him. Strip grazing, high stocking densities and a diverse range of plant species are at the core of the system developed by the Manitoba farmer, who as a 2019 Nuffield Scholar […] Read more
Farmers protest across India against Modi’s farm market reforms
New Delhi/Mumbai | Reuters — Farmers’ protests against new laws liberalizing agricultural markets spread across India on Tuesday, as farm organizations called for a nationwide strike after inconclusive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. In eastern and western states, farmers blocked roads and squatted on railway tracks, delaying hordes of people getting to work, […] Read more
Grain, seed corn growers get access to seasonal worker program
Maple syrup also added to national commodity list
Growers of grains, oilseeds and seed corn and maple syrup producers may be able to get in on the federal Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) for the 2021 season. Federal Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough announced Nov. 27 the national commodity list (NCL) would be expanded to include seed corn, oil seed, grains and maple syrup […] Read more
In many Canadian homes, there’s not enough food
As farmers we tend to take abundance for granted but food insecurity affects one in seven people
Reading Time: 3 minutes I saw her as rich and sophisticated. She saw me as well fed and wildly free. I was visiting with my cousin who had lived her childhood and most of her adult life in the city. We were talking about food and she mentioned how poor they were — with so many limits on their […] Read more
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