As an industry, agriculture rarely makes it into mainstream media. When it does, many within agriculture lament that it’s a negative story, heavily biased, or poorly researched and too basic. Toban Dyck is someone who wears many hats. He serves as director of communications for the Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers, but he’s also a… Read More
The climate change and land use report released last week by the United Nations generated plenty of headlines and tremendous discussion. But the media coverage of The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) really missed the mark, says Dr. Frank Mitloehner, University of California, Davis animal science professor and air quality extension specialist. This week… Read More
The 4th annual Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition has come and gone at the Calgary Stampede. The competition provides Albertan youth ages 11-24 with an opportunity to speak up for agriculture through a little healthy competition, with opportunity to further on into the national competition (Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture) held during the Royal… Read More
Behind the scenes, to front and centre, women have always played a critical role in farming and in the agriculture industry. In this episode of Mind Your Farm Business, host Shaun Haney speaks with three women from unique backgrounds and stages of their careers, to talk about their perspective on the challenges and opportunities that… Read More
Farming and ranching organizations across western Canada are collaborating with a University of Waterloo research project to better understand producers preferences when it comes to conservation programs. Research lead, Dr. Jeremy Pittman says a big question they’re hoping to answer is how they can make both agriculture and species at risk thrive on Canadian landscapes…. Read More
It seemed like a rare opportunity to bring agriculture to the fore when, in 2014, the United Nations’ General Assembly declared it to be the International Year of Family Farming. At the time, it said the declaration was to “raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farming by focusing world attention on its significant role in eradicating hunger… Read More
Glenna Banda has been on the job for just one month, but she has a clear vision of agricultural education in Ontario’s classrooms. Banda is the new executive director of AgScape, Ontario’s ag in the classroom organization, which has worked with Ontario educators since 1991 to build awareness and understanding of the importance of our… Read More
Seventy-plus years ago there was no Take Your Pet to Work Day or National Milkshake Month, but there was a Farmer’s Day. First declared by the United Farmers of Alberta Co-operative Ltd. in 1945, the second Friday in June has been a day to celebrate and recognize all that farmers do and contribute to our… Read More
Public speaking. For you 4-H-ers out there, you’ve probably competed in an agricultural-based public speaking competition before, whether it was to your excitement, or you were doing it because it was mandatory in your district. Growing up outside of the 4-H sphere, and not living in a big centre, these were skills I didn’t really… Read More
Throughout her professional life, JoAnne Buth has seen change; forged relationships; and said ‘yes’ to opportunity. Born in Vernon, B.C. and later residing in Winnipeg, Man., Buth served as a senator for more than two years, representing Manitoba. Before becoming a senator, she spent roughly 13 years with the Canola Council of Canada, first as… Read More
Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit has announced the winners for this year’s Agriculture Student Scholarship Program. The top prize winner receives a $4,000 scholarship towards agriculture-related post-secondary studies, while three runners up receive a $2,000 scholarship. This year’s grand prize winner is Caylee Dorval of Glaslyn. Dorval created a three-minute long video describing and showing… Read More
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and its members are calling on farmers and allies to contact their government representative over the increase in animal rights activists’ activities and the lack of prosecution of charges. There has been a marked increase in activist activity on farms and roadsides in Ontario over the past few months. At… Read More
Several Ontario producer groups and at least one lawyer are sounding the alarm on animal rights activists getting off scot-free in the province. Livestock producer groups are speaking out after a court decision this week to drop charges against an animal rights activist who recorded her trespassing on a Lucan-area hog farm multiple times in… Read More
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau has announced 4-H Canada will receive up to $3 million over three years for the development and delivery of innovative programs and initiatives across Canada. The funding comes from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) AgriCompetitiveness program. Minister Bibeau made the announcement to a group of 70 4-H youth… Read More
A shortage of butchers and issues with the current Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program has been a struggle for Canadian processors, says the Canadian Meat Council (CMC). To address the issue, the Canadian government has announced a three-year agri-food immigration pilot project to bring full-time, non-seasonal agriculture workers to Canada. The pilot will include policy… Read More