One challenge that many farmers face is how to pass the reins of an operation to a successor and how to get out of the way, but not go away. Dick Wittman learned plenty of valuable lessons managing a family-operated 20,000 acre crop, cattle, and timber operation in northern Idaho. He now heads Wittman Consulting, specializing… Read More
Category: Labour
UFCW Local 401 says its members who work at Cargill’s High River beef processing plant have voted 71 per cent in favour of the most recent agreement offered by Cargill, averting a strike or lockout that was set to begin December 6. The latest offer from Cargill included retroactive pay, signing bonuses, a 21 per… Read More
When it comes to skilled labour needs in agriculture, we’re very good at identifying and quantifying the gap. However, as an industry where we’ve lagged is in making progress on the action items required to fill that gap. Cam Dahl, general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council, says that while the labour shortage is not… Read More
Unionized employees at Cargill’s High River, Alta., processing plant will vote on a new bargaining agreement beginning December 2nd, and ending on December 4th. “We are encouraged by the outcome of yesterday’s (Nov. 30) meeting with the union bargaining committee representing our High River team,” a Cargill spokesperson said in a Dec. 1 email to… Read More
For the second consecutive year, Thunder Bay, Ont. dairy farmer Peggy Brekveld will lead the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the province’s largest general farm organization. Brekveld was elected president by OFA’s board of directors after the conclusion of the organization’s annual general meeting on Monday, Nov. 22. Mark Reusser and Drew Spoelstra were re-elected as… Read More
Addressing the shortage of workers in agriculture, “everything related to the climate transition,” and preparing for an upcoming meeting with her provincial and territorial counterparts — those are the first three priorities Marie-Claude Bibeau mentions when asked about her to-do list as she returns as Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Following a third consecutive… Read More
Lisa Thompson, MPP representing the Ontario riding of Huron-Bruce, recently stepped up to lead the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. In Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet, Thompson has held two other cabinet posts, including Minister of Education. She says that even though she is only now moving into the agriculture post, agriculture and… Read More
The Successors is a RealAgriculture podcast series hosted by Kara Oosterhuis focusing on agriculture from the perspective of the up-and-coming generation. What does it take to make critical decisions? How do you navigate developing a leadership style? Why do we sometimes need to take the advice of others, and understand that tomorrow is another day?… Read More
On Monday, June 21, the federal government announced the easing of some travel restrictions for fully vaccinated Canadians returning to Canada. The Quarantine Act is still in effect however, requiring farm workers to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Canada. Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) says that the requirements of the act, including transportation, food, wages, and… Read More
Addressing the growing labour and talent shortage in Canadian agriculture is going to require a multi-pronged approach of awareness, education and training, and connection between job seekers and job opportunities. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is building off a successful first year of the Feeding Your Future initiative with a full year of virtual… Read More
After a 30 month negotiation period between the longshoremen and their employer, as of April 13, there is a partial strike at the Port of Montreal. Greg Northey, vice president of corporate affairs with Pulse Canada, says the negotiations really picked up last summer when there was a total of 15 strikes, with one that… Read More
The effects of COVID-19 on agriculture were surprising, and some sectors of the industry were affected more than others — grain and oilseed operations fared much better than say, intensive horticulture crops, in terms of labour. For this RealAg LIVE! host Kara Oosterhuis is joined by Debra Hauer of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council… Read More
Farmers in Ontario’s vegetable- and fruit-rich Simcoe area took to the streets on Tuesday, in a show of solidarity and protest of the health region’s Section 22 order. Organized by local asparagus farmer Frank Schonberger, the protest was to bring awareness to the plight of farmers in the area who are struggling to meet the… Read More
The federal government has clarified how temporary foreign workers (TWFs) will reach farms this spring, in the face of requirements to stay in Government Authorized Accommodation (GAA). So long as temporary foreign workers travel privately to their farms and can safely complete their mandatory 14 day quarantine on-farm, they will not need to complete the three-day… Read More
The federal agriculture minister tried to address some of the questions coming from farms and other businesses that employ temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in a news conference on February 12. Employers of TFWs have been seeking clarifications regarding the federal government’s international travel restrictions and COVID-19 isolation protocols, as workers arrive for the upcoming growing… Read More