Reading Time: 3 minutes Vulnerability is a word that I have taken to heart a lot in the past few years. We are vulnerable when we change, or seek change; vulnerable when we are left open to volatile weather or markets; and in agriculture, we are extraordinarily vulnerable when we are without data. The partial shutdown of the U.S. […] Read more
Data is too important to be left in the hands of others
Canada relies on the U.S for critical agricultural data, and that leaves us extraordinarily vulnerable
Political gamesmanship casts shadow over canola sector
China is still buying Canadian canola and the entire industry is hoping that doesn’t change
Reading Time: 3 minutes Concerns in the canola sector are mounting in lockstep with the growing tensions between China and Canada. “Everybody is very concerned about it,” a senior Canadian grain company official told Commodity News Service Canada. “If the conflict isn’t resolved, (canola) will be the obvious target, and that’s a deep concern to everybody.” The situation began […] Read more
Stalled farm bill could move fast after Democrat House win
Washington | Reuters – Congress may swiftly resolve a drawn-out impasse on the U.S. Farm Bill now that Democrats are poised to retake control of the legislative body, the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee said on Wednesday. Collin Peterson, ranking member and presumptive new chair of committee, said passing the crucial agricultural legislation was going […] Read more
Trump’s trade war looms over divided U.S. farm belt ahead of vote
Reuters – Chuck Wirtz voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, inspired by the then-political outsider, but the veteran Iowa hog farmer now has buyer’s remorse as the U.S. Republican president’s trade policy exacts a heavy toll on his business. Wirtz, 56, estimates the tariffs resulting from the U.S. trade war with China and […] Read more
Plebiscite on provincial beef checkoff being held
Vote is being held until Nov. 13
Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers are being urged “to get out and vote” in a plebiscite on whether to make the $2 provincial beef checkoff non-refundable. “This is your opportunity to have your voice heard,” said Norine Moore, chair of the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council. Currently, producers can request a full or partial refund of the checkoff. The […] Read more
Trudeau vows to impose carbon tax, opponents push back
Ottawa | Reuters – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday said he would fulfill a promise to impose a carbon tax on provinces unwilling to combat climate change, prompting instant protests from a voter-rich part of the country. Trudeau, whose ruling Liberals face an election in October 2019, told a news conference that all the money […] Read more
Five Alberta Wheat positions open
Deadline for nominations is Oct. 31
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Wheat is accepting nominations for one director and three regional reps in Region 3, as well as the director-at-large position, which represents all five of its regions. Elections for the Region 3 positions, if required, will take place at the Next Level Farming meeting at the Lacombe Memorial Centre on Nov. 13. Voting for […] Read more
Alberta Barley seeking nominations
Deadline is Oct. 31
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Barley is seeking nominations for 25 positions — two directors in Regions 5 and 6; one director-at-large for Regions 1, 3, 5, and 6; and 22 delegate spots. Any farmers seeking a director or director-at-large position must submit paperwork via fax to Alberta Barley at 1-403-291-0190 or by email to [email protected] by Oct. 31. […] Read more
Those who serve make a difference — for you and other farmers
Serving on a farm group’s board won’t earn you a medal, but the work benefits the ag sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes For Allison and Mike Ammeter, being a farmer goes far beyond actual farm work. “Farming is a whole lot more than putting seed in the ground and harvesting it,” said Allison Ammeter, who farms alongside her husband near Sylvan Lake. “A lot of it is looking at the really big picture — provincially, nationally, and […] Read more
Tariff relief for Canada’s farmers at issue in Quebec election
Montreal |Reuters – Quebec farmers want further relief from a global tariff dispute ahead of Oct. 1 elections in the mostly French-speaking Canadian province, which has seen a recent rise in nationalist sentiment. Quebec’s ruling Liberals, centrists but separate from the federal Liberal party, launched their campaign on Thursday. They trail in polls behind the center-right Coalition Avenir Quebec […] Read more