The Alberta and Saskatchewan governments have announced funding for provincial programs under the new Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). The five-year federal-provincial-territorial agriculture framework is set to begin this weekend (April 1), as Growing Forward 2 comes to an end. Alberta Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay was in Calgary on Monday, where he announced $406 million… Read More
Month: March 2018
From Manitoba and Colorado, today’s show starts off with a discussion on the opioid crisis, with new numbers out showing the impact it’s having, both in urban and rural areas. Then: Today’s ag news, including possible optimism about NAFTA progress, and amendments to the rail bill in Ottawa, which farm groups requested. Jim Wood, chief… Read More
Perhaps more contentious than the buy versus rent debate is the question of when and why to incorporate the farm. The federal government proposed sweeping changes to how taxes were calculated for corporations last summer. The changes were met with significant push-back from the farm community, as the new rules would have a significant impact… Read More
While most pastures across Saskatchewan were blanketed with snow this past winter, the landscape will change quickly as warm weather arrives. Native prairie plants such as northern wheatgrass and needle-and-thread will soon spring to life, however their undesirable counterparts, such as leafy spurge, will too. Leafy spurge is a perennial invasive weed many farmers and… Read More
Update, March 29: Bill C-49 passed third reading in the Senate on Thursday afternoon, sending the bill, with the Senate’s amendments, back to the House of Commons for MPs to consider after the two-week Easter break. The Senate transport committee has approved several changes to Bill C-49 that had been requested by farm groups. After… Read More
Planting is just around the corner, and if you’re in full-on crop planning mode you’re likely curious about what’s new, what’s old, what’s repackaged, what’s the best bet for herbicides in 2018. Lucky for you, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs weed management specialist Mike Cowbrough faces an avalanche of these questions every… Read More
It’s a busy Tuesday! Host Shaun Haney starts off the show with some feedback from the audience, all the way from Colorado. Then, on the show: Top Ag News, with Kelvin Heppner. Crop health notification technology, with Richard Marsh of Farmers Edge. Announced surprise audits for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and an update on… Read More
The Manitoba government has decided it will not apply a carbon tax to fuels used for heating or cooling barns and greenhouses or to run grain dryers — an exemption that was not announced when the Pallister government rolled out its carbon pricing plan last fall. The province originally said farm diesel and gasoline would… Read More
Want to apply 75 fewer pounds per acre on corn ground next year, and possibly achieve a higher yield? Peter Johnson, agronomist for RealAgriculture, has the answer: apply red clover to the wheat crop now. Wait, you say, you tricked me! This isn’t a secret at all. And you’re right: frost seeding red clover in… Read More
When you let your name stand as chair of an organization, you never know what challenges you’ll face. For Mark Brock, who stepped in as chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario in 2015, there was little time to adjust to the new leadership role. As he was nominated, the organization was facing one of its… Read More
Farmers Business Network (FBN) has initiated an aggressive plan to expand into Canada. Launched as a Silicon Valley start-up with backing from venture capital funds in 2015, FBN started as a platform for aggregating data across millions of acres to provide U.S. farmers with information for crop input purchasing and agronomic decisions. Since then, FBN… Read More
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has a new executive, led by a rancher from British Columbia. David Haywood-Farmer of Savona, B.C. assumed the role of president at the CCA’s annual general meeting in Ottawa on Friday, following a two-year term as CCA vice president. The implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is a… Read More
Host Shaun Haney says he isn’t one for conspiracy theories, but he starts off the show with a discussion on Walmart’s potential move into agriculture and drone surveillance. Will farmers who comply to retail demands be paid more? Or will those who don’t, be dropped? Then: Top Ag News, with Kelvin Heppner. Agronomy Monday feature… Read More
There’s very little routine from one day to the next in farming. Equipment breaks down, weather changes, animals need help, truck drivers call, neighbours drop by to visit — it’s what keeps every day interesting, but it also makes sticking to a disciplined fitness plan difficult, especially when it comes to seasonally busy periods. In this latest… Read More
It sounds like a futuristic farming scene, but researchers in central Europe are working on developing an autonomous farming system where drones and robots work together to control weeds, starting in sugar beets and sunflowers. Seven partners across four European countries are involved in the Flourish Project, an effort to create an autonomous, robotic system… Read More