Farm Management Canada, in conjunction with the Wilton Consulting Group, has released a comprehensive report looking at not only stress and mental wellness within the farming sector, but also the impact mental health has on the business side of farming. In the report entitled Healthy Minds Healthy Farms, most farmers reported “undesirable coping mechanisms that… Read More
The Canadian government has opened up the application process for a pilot program to give temporary foreign workers who work in year-round roles in the agriculture industry a pathway to permanent residency. The three-year Agri-Food Immigration Pilot program, originally announced in July 2019, is aimed at helping employers in meat processing, mushroom and greenhouse production,… Read More
Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Minister David Marit has announced $10 million in funding to help livestock producers manage the impacts of COVID-19 related market disruptions. $5 million will go towards Saskatchewan’s share of the costs associated with participation in the national AgriRecovery set-aside program announced by the federal government May 5. The federal government is covering 60%… Read More
The federal government is providing $100 million to Farm Credit Canada (FCC) to administer an Agriculture and Food Business Solutions Fund. The fund is targeted at “proven, viable companies through unexpected business disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic,” and will support enterprises in the agribusiness and agri-food sector, including companies involved in primary production, agri-tech,… Read More
A recently announced wage top-up program could apply to farm and food industry workers, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the $3 billion in funding “to increase the wages of low-income essential workers” late last week, and a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) says that provinces and… Read More
Progress throughout history has never been linear and, often, a jarring event is needed to force us into facing uncomfortable truths about our own failures. That is not an indictment, but more an acceptance of the reality that progress requires understanding where we’ve fallen flat and then seeking to improve. There was much gnashing of… Read More
When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won the fall election, the agriculture industry knew that it would face real challenges being viewed as a priority industry. I think the challenge has become much bigger than even the greatest skeptics of Mr. Trudeau could have imagined. The prime minister’s announced $252 million in COVID-19 relief for the… Read More
The federal government has released its second round of support aimed specifically at the agriculture industry, and reaction to the $252 million (split between three initiatives) has been swift and consistent: it’s not enough. Below is industry reaction from several commodity organizations, including those to whom a portion of the targeted funds will flow. The… Read More
I was scanning through the news last week, and there was a really good transcription of the exchanges during the house agricultural committee with the Minster of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie Claude Bibeau. Some things really stood out to me from the transcript that showcase a problem as it sits today. What I’ve noticed is… Read More
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has put a number on the emergency fund it wants the federal government to provide for the agriculture and food industry: $2.6 billion. CFA says this amount is based on estimates of the immediate impacts of COVID-19 provided by agricultural commodity groups across the country. The emergency fund is… Read More
As we enter the second month of physical distancing and economic shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, discussions have begun on easing restrictions and potentially allowing some people to get back to work. But we don’t know how long that might take, or when it will happen, or what the economic recovery will look like… Read More
I’ve been thinking a lot lately, as I’m sure you all have been. We’re in a quarantine that doesn’t have a definite end. And if you’re an over-thinker like me, join the club — you’re not alone. There’s a lot of great advice out there. You could dig for eons on Google reading articles about… Read More
What happens if you, someone else on the farm, or one of your employees gets sick or must self-isolate during the spring planting or calving season? It’s a scenario every farm should prepare for in the midst of the current pandemic, says Jennifer Wright. A cough or a runny nose is usually not an excuse… Read More
Beef Farmers of Ontario, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Veal Farmers of Ontario, and the Ontario Sheep Farmers are collectively asking Ontario’s Premier and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to immediately move to fully fund the Ontario Risk Management Program (RMP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Representing over 50,000 Ontario farmers, the groups say… Read More
The governments of Canada and Manitoba will be providing a total of $160,000 through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to Direct Farm Manitoba to purchase a software platform that will allow Manitobans to order food online from local producers and farmers’ markets, the province says. The funding will also go toward the development of a network… Read More