Reading Time: < 1 minute Deb Foisy of Debs Greenhouse near Morinville will offer her tips on how to use social media to boost sales in a Dec. 6 webinar. Although her greenhouse operation is “a destination garden centre,” Foisy has expanded her online efforts in the past two years and “will share the successes and challenges she’s encountered,” said […] Read more
Get the lowdown on online marketing
Webinar on offer Dec. 6
Temper tantrums: There’s way too much drama on some farms
A Facebook post on hand signals prompted an outpouring of comments from farm women subjected to angry tirades
Reading Time: 4 minutes This summer, a young female farmer posted the following message on Facebook: My husband is the worst ever at hand signals. Ten yrs. farming together and I still have no freaking clue what he is trying to signal to me. It would help if he actually used conventional signals and not his own secret signal […] Read more
Father-son farmers win Ag Innovation awards
One pair found a better way to unplug the combine, the other a quick way to measure harvest losses
Reading Time: 4 minutes The newest agriculture equipment, services, and technologies — not just in North America, but in the world — are set to hit Red Deer in November. One of the highlights of Agri-Trade is the Ag Innovation awards. “It is always difficult to get it down to three winners,” said Rod Bradshaw, an Innisfail-area crop and […] Read more
All the iron is still there, but Agri-Trade has a new dimension
There’s still acres of farm equipment to be seen, but also an opportunity to upgrade your personal skill set
Reading Time: 4 minutes When you think of a farm equipment show, a motivational speaker talking about personal development might not spring to mind. But it’s exactly what women who attend Agri-Trade said they wanted to see at the popular Red Deer event. “Attendee surveys brought a strong message that there were a lot of women in agriculture who […] Read more
Where’s the beef? New food guide puts focus on ‘proteins’
Meat is being ‘merged’ with plant-based sources of protein in the revamp of Canada’s Food Guide
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s Food Guide is getting revamped for the first time in 10 years — and there’s lots of speculation, especially on social media, about whether meat is being given a thumbs down. “It’s not as harsh as that, really,” said Joyce Parslow, director of consumer relations with Canada Beef. One of the guiding principles of […] Read more
The four factors that are changing agriculture
Don’t look back, the world is changing far too fast, says an American author and farmer
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re not ready to adapt and communicate with the public, you could lose your place in agriculture. “In agriculture, we tend to hang on to the best of the past,” said Jolene Brown, farmer, author and well-known speaker. “You’ve all heard the phrase, ‘If you always do what you’ve always done, you will get […] Read more
Millennials — how to cater to the new majority
The age cohort now in their late teens to early 30s will be the majority by 2050
Reading Time: 2 minutes When it comes to targeting millennials, emphasize sustainability and ethical business practices, as well as convenience and flavour variety. In 2015, there were 9.5 million Canadians between the ages of 15 and 34 years old. “As a group, they’re more ethnically diverse and well educated than any previous generation,” said Ava Duering, a competitiveness analyst […] Read more
Ag students can win $1,500 award
Application deadline is May 5
Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications are being accepted for the 2016-17 Excellence Award for Agricultural Students. There are three awards (first place is worth $1,500) for the best responses to this question: Certain segments of the general public question the way food is produced, and have misgivings about the use of new technology. What concrete steps would you, as […] Read more
Farm shows can boost your bottom line, says Agri-Trade attendee
John Kowalchuk can point to a host of innovations on his farm that began with something he saw or heard about at the Red Deer event
Reading Time: 3 minutes Twitter is the new coffee shop for farmers, but there’s nothing like talking face to face. Which is why John Kowalchuk is a faithful Agri-Trade attendee. “The fact you can network and talk to other people about their experiences, I think that’s a big part that makes Agri-Trade what it is,” said the Rumsey-area farmer. […] Read more
Come together: Beef industry gathers under one roof at national conference
Inaugural conference shows there is an appetite for all parts of the beef industry to work together for the common good
Reading Time: 3 minutes They came from across Western Canada and as far away as New Brunswick. And all of them were passionate about beef. The inaugural Canadian Beef Industry Conference, held at the beginning of August, was more of a success than anyone anticipated. More than 650 people from all sectors of the beef industry came from across […] Read more
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