This story has been edited to include the vote result. With a strike deadline looming on December 6, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 (UFCW) who work at Cargill’s High River beef processing plant have voted against a new contract offer this week. The union that represents over 2,000 workers at the… 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
The governments of Canada and Ontario are funding two new multi-year mental health initiatives, specialized to support the agriculture sector. More than $7 million dollars through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership will go towards The Guardians Network, a new program modelled after the Farmer Wellness Program, pioneered by mental health specialist Deborah Vanberkel. The program will… Read More
Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers regional nominees have been announced and the national event is set to take place December 2 and 3. The program recognizes farmers between 18 and 39 from any area of agriculture, with a few criteria. Carla Kaeding, COYF program manager, says that outstanding young farmers are people that excel in agriculture,… Read More
Running is one of those activities that can be very polarizing: many seem to either love it or hate it. For this episode of the Fit Farmer podcast, co-hosts Shaun Haney and Gary Chambers brought in someone who actually knows what he’s doing, because neither co-host is super confident in the running department. Justin Kurek of… Read More
It would seem that no one has ever told the Jochums that “too many cooks spoil the broth.” Günter, Crystal, and daughter Fiona Jochum farm together just west of Winnipeg, Man. But they don’t just farm as a family, they also farm with Gunter’s brother-in-law. All told, there are a number of managers, and Günter… Read More
The strike is over at John Deere, as union members at over a dozen Deere facilities in the U.S. have ratified a new six year agreement. In a statement issued late Wednesday, the UAW says its John Deere members voted 61% to 39% in favour of the tentative deal that was reached on Friday. The… Read More
Since the 40s, the number of farms in Canada are fewer and larger, a trend that holds every census. But digging in to a layer below that, are all farms getting a bit bigger year-over-year, or what does that dynamic look like? Plus, what factors are driving that average? Al Mussell, research lead at Agri-Food Economic… Read More
Union representatives have presented Cargill’s vice president of labour relations with a strike notice for the High River beef processing plant. “Our members will be commencing a strike there on December 6th, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. The High River plant will be the initial location of the strike, but we reserve our constitutional right to… Read More
With the latest federal election behind us, it’s time to dig in to the task at hand: lobbying this new government. This week, federal, provincial, and territorial ministers are gathering to discuss business risk management, and the next ag policy framework. We also got the Conservative’s shadow cabinet. To break this all down, host Kelvin… Read More
Understanding how multi-generation farms approach big-picture topics can help farm management teams (i.e. family members) better navigate difficult conversations on the future of the farm. In this second part of a discussion with Justin Funk, managing partner of AgriStudies, podcast host Shaun Haney explores how differences in how generations set goals, measure progress, use technology, and… 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
This Fit Farmer topic can be likened to when a parent tells their child to eat their vegetables, or how a person knows they should floss their teeth, but never do it. On this episode of the Fit Farmer podcast, hosts Shaun Haney and Gary Chambers talk about stretching and the associated benefits, and why… 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. How does one tackle farming, and having a full-time job off of the farm? What are some things you can do to keep yourself organized? Why are the relationships of those around you crucial… Read More
When different generations work together in the farm business, conflict can arise over responsibility, ownership, succession, and day-to-day operations of the farm. Justin Funk, managing partner of AgriStudies, has done extensive research on what makes intergenerational farms unique in how they operate. In this Mind Your Farm Business podcast, Funk shares how differences in doing… Read More
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