Reading Time: 3 minutes Emily Ritchie of Turner Valley was the senior winner in the first annual Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Calgary Stampede for her speech on the challenges facing the next generation of farmers. How many of you have a cellphone in your pocket? This is a new phenomenon but as times change, technology […] Read more
Passion and drive allow farmers to overcome any hurdle
Discover the power of social media – and use it
Reading Time: 3 minutes Aleri Swalwell of Strathmore was the junior winner in the first annual Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition at the Calgary Stampede for her speech on how farmers can use social media. Tweet — post — blog — viral — hashtag — inbox — bookmark — surf — hack — thread. Fifteen years ago these […] Read more
New verified beef program makes a timely debut
Revamped VBP program means producers can document their animal care, biosecurity, and environmental practices
Reading Time: 4 minutes The newly launched Verified Beef Production Plus program is taking Canada one step closer in its quest towards verified sustainable beef, says one of its designers. “This is just from my perspective, but we have always had early adopters — the people who believe in it — but there have never been clear market signals,” […] Read more
Schoepp: The short and sweet of who we are and what we eat
A survey of eating habits shows that tastes differ across the country, but food brings us together
Reading Time: 3 minutes We have a saying in our home that breakfast is the most important meal of the day — you should always make it home for breakfast. (When I was in my teens it was to make it home for breakfast and for the 3 a.m. milking!) Canadians do love to eat breakfast, especially in Quebec […] Read more
The great divide: Earls controversy has larger implications for beef industry
A move to woo customers with ‘certified humane’ beef ignited a firestorm — and highlighted the gap between producers and consumers
Reading Time: 5 minutes The decision by Earls Restaurants to stop using Canadian beef and move to American “certified humane” proved short-lived, but the issue is much bigger than one restaurant’s choice of suppliers. Earls quickly reversed the decision that sent waves of displeasure through the beef industry. But the controversy has highlighted both consumers’ lack of knowledge about […] Read more
Six numbers in agriculture to make you stop and think
It isn’t as quiet as you might think on the home front. Yes, today’s farms seem stable, but the next evolutionary wave is gaining energy
In 2009, total Canadian net farm income was $2.8 billion. Four years later, it was $10 billion more, with Statistics Canada’s saying a $5.6-billion rise in the total value of farm-owned inventories from the year before accounted for almost all of the increase in total net income in 2013 That inventory increase came from a[...]
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Awards competition for ag students
Students can gain up to $1,500 towards their education
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ag students can gain up to $1,500 towards their education in the Excellence Award for Agricultural Students competition. The award from Farm Management Canada and the Canadian Association of Diploma in Agriculture Programs encourages agricultural students to enhance their communication skills and raise awareness of the importance of farm business management. Entrants must submit a[...]
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Learn the ins and outs of direct marketing
Marketing Made Easy workshop in Calgary on Nov. 5
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Marketing Made Easy workshop takes place Nov. 5 in Calgary and Jan. 20 in Fort Saskatchewan. “This workshop examines selling products at Alberta-approved farmers’ markets and beyond,” said Delores Serafin of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “You will learn strategies for creating a lasting first impression, clearly identifying your target clients, and how to make[...]
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Forging deep bonds — one customer at a time
It’s a whole different world, but these Alberta farm entrepreneurs say direct marketing gets in your blood
Reading Time: 7 minutes Grazed Right Grass Fed Beef / Black Diamond As one of four children of one of seven brothers who jointly own the family ranch, Ben Campbell knew a farming career was simply out of reach. Even if he had the land base, the cost of starting a commercial-size herd is huge. “Cattle are so expensive[...]
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Twitter campaign to raise donations for Ag in the Classroom
Syngenta has launched a Twitter campaign to promote modern farming practices
Reading Time: < 1 minute Syngenta will donate $1 to Ag in the Classroom groups across the Prairies for every Twitter follower picked up by its #FollowtheSeed campaign. The tweets will be coming from Cam Canola (@CamCanola) or Sam Soybean (@SamSoybean) as they progress through the growing season to Oct. 31. The donations to Ag in the Classroom are capped[...]
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Cyber-Savvy Farmer
