(Yuma, Arizona) – From the desolate, moonscape-like look of the surroundings here, complete with a never-ending vista of foreboding mountains, scattered rock, tumbleweeds, cacti and dirt devils, it’s hard to imagine this part of the world is popularly called America’s winter salad bowl. But it’s true. Farmers in the vast and sparse extreme southwestern part… Read More
Category: Advocacy
A new training and education facility built to promote Canadian beef officially opened its doors on Monday. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, joined beef industry officials for the opening of the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence in Calgary, Alberta. “Our government is proud to see this… Read More
Farmers and others involved in Canadian agriculture visited more than 500 classrooms across the country this past week during the fourth annual Canadian Ag Literacy Week. Led by Agriculture in the Classroom, with support from Farm Credit Canada, the program is designed to encourage grade 3 to 6 students to learn about agriculture through reading books, watching videos and meeting… Read More
The great thing about social media — like Twitter and Facebook — is that it provides a megaphone for farmers, a group of people who have struggled for decades to be heard by consumers. The flipside is, of course, that technology doesn’t discriminate; a megaphone for farmers is a megaphone for everybody else, too. Which… Read More
Not surprisingly, like any livestock farmer I’ve ever met, you’ll find me enjoying a glass of milk, a steak or a hard-boiled egg on any given day. And as a conventional farmer, I believe in the safety of the food system I produce for, so am not likely to buy organic. They are things I’ve… Read More
Five farmers have been awarded funding through a program called “Back to Ag”— the funding supports the cost of adaptive technology that injured farmers or agricultural workers need to return to farming. Created by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) and supported by Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF), the Back… Read More
Rob Meijer, president of Canada Beef Inc, gives an explanation of The RoundUp App, and some insights into the hope for future versions. Canada Beef Inc and BTI Brand Innovations have created an app to help consumers find, cook and learn about beef. Get the “Roundup App” and learn how to buy & cook delicious… Read More
Fear is often based in misunderstanding — no one wants to be seen a fool, or, worse yet, no one wants to make a mistake. Our information-saturated worlds have collided with a new-found interest in food and health at a time when the average consumer doesn’t have a strong understanding of science and chemistry. This… Read More
Last week’s announcement of a new BSE case in Canada involving a cow born in 2009 has many in the beef industry nervously watching cattle prices and fearing border closures. This is a very natural reaction based on what transpired in May 2003 —the American border closure bankrupted many and financially crippled still more ranchers… Read More
Major commodity groups in Ontario have joined forces to make high-profile public pronouncements against the swelling tide of sentiment over their use of pesticides. But at least one organization is not in lock step with the rest Members of some of the largest farm organizations in the province, such as Grain Farmers of Ontario, Ontario… Read More
Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan, a new group designed to connect consumers to farmers across the province, has announced its first board of directors. “We’re so pleased to have a slate of directors on board who represent the different stakeholders involved,” says Adele Buettner, executive director of FFC SK. “Not only will farmers and ranchers be… Read More
One of the reasons agriculture is an exciting space to work in is that it offers solutions to problems that affect everybody, not the least of which is human illness. The intrinsic link between agriculture and health is not something that most people, including politicians, fully realize or value. Too often the story about modern ag and… Read More
Remember seasoned sergeant Phil Esterhaus (actor Michael Conrad) in Hill St. Blues, who warmly but firmly reminded the squad “Let’s be careful out there!” as they filed out of his daily briefing? Well, the same applies to farming – it’s safer than police work, but it certainly has its hazards, not the least of which… Read More
Damian Mason is a professional speaker, writer and farm owner who believes farmers should treat their operation like the profession it is. “I want them to stand up for themselves, I want them to be prideful in what they do and where they’re from, I want them to treat it as a profession,” Mason told RealAgriculture’s… Read More
Every year, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture calculates the date by when the average Canadian has earned enough income to pay for their annual grocery bill, and dubs the day “Food Freedom Day.” This year, Food Freedom Day occurs on Friday, February 6th — one day earlier than in 2014. With 2015 being the “International Year of the Soils,” the… Read More