Earlier this month, Morris Industries saw a change of ownership, with Calgary-based Avrio Capital and Lamont Brown Group acquiring a majority stake in the business. In the press releases and the media coverage of the investment, there was considerable emphasis on the fact that the company remains Canadian. In a conversation with Kelvin Heppner and… Read more »
Category: Poll
Poll: Is McDonald’s really a restaurant?
When someone suggests going to a restaurant to eat, does the well-known ________ chain with the golden arches come to mind? McDonald’s has certainly tried to enhance its image well beyond being a source for quick, cheap (and delicious) calories in recent years, upgrading its buildings with TVs, lounge areas, and other aesthetics to improve… Read more »
Should politicians talk agriculture on the urban campaign trail?
City dwellers may not have much connection to the farm these days but there’s growing evidence that they value the agri-food industry’s ability to produce high-quality, safe food and create jobs. That’s the conclusion of an opinion poll commissioned by Grassroots Public Affairs. The survey of 676 residents in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) indicates… Read more »
Poll: Do You Use Deferred Cash Tickets To Manage Taxes?
The federal government is proposing the elimination of deferred cash purchase tickets for grain sales — a tool used by farmers to manage cash flow for tax purposes from one year to the next. When delivering a listed grain (such as wheat, oats, barley, rye, flaxseed, or canola), producers have long had the option of asking… Read more »
The Canola Acre Cage Match: Liberty Link vs Roundup Ready vs Clearfield
In Western Canada, we have few acre battles that get much attention, but one that intrigues our editorial staff every year is the battle of the canola herbicide tolerance trait race. It really is a three-way cage match that has swings in advantage every year. All three systems have unique characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. So here… Read more »
Do Farmers Benefit When Grain Companies and Railways Have Friction with Each Other?
This week on RealAg Radio, Shaun and Kelvin debated whether farmers were benefitting from the spat between the railways and the Western Grain Elevators Association, and more specifically executive director Wade Sobokowich. See More: Railways Offering “Pretty Good” Performance, Amid PR Effort and Finger-Pointing What do you think? Is this finger pointing by the railways… Read more »
Who Should Canadian Farmers Be Cheering For In The U.S. Election?
Tuesday is the big day…finally… The entire world is going to take a giant breath of relief that the U.S. election is coming to a close. The storyline is well documented, circus-like in nature — a real life made-for-TV event like no other in our popular culture and political history. For Canadians involved in agriculture,… Read more »
Which Agribusiness Mega Deal Concerns You the Most?
Slumping corn prices have enabled an environment for mega agribusiness mergers and acquisitions. In the last twelve months, there’s been a steady stream of headlines about the latest and greatest combination of billion dollar companies that will purportedly deliver better products, savings to the farmer, more innovation, synergies, alliances, etc. In this economic environment for agriculture,… Read more »
“Continue the Fight for Neonics” says RealAgriculture Poll
A RealAgriculture reader poll suggests farmers and the agricultural industry want Grain Farmers of Ontario to continue the fight against the province’s new seed treatment regulations that restrict neonicotinoid use. Last week we asked readers: Should GFO Keep Fighting for Neonic Use? More than 75% of voters who cast ballots in the online poll indicated… Read more »
Should GFO Keep Fighting For Neonic Use?
After losing an Ontario Court of Appeal decision on the province’s new seed treatment regulations, what strategy should Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) now pursue on the neonic issue? We put the question to GFO chair Mark Brock. We’re also interested in your opinion. It appears the farm organization has three strategic options. Let us… Read more »
Has Farming Become a Thankless Job?
The discussion about consumers and farmers connecting can be exhausting, never-ending and downright frustrating for farmers and maybe even some consumers. Sometimes in any strained relationship people lash out, they vent, and they cry for smoother times. One of the disconnects to this relationship can be the role that the food company plays, but that’s… Read more »
Poll: Are You Participating in the BIXS Beef Information Exchange?
The Beef InfoXchange System or “BIXS” aims to add value to the Canadian cattle industry by improving communication and feedback between each link in the beef value chain. It was originally launched by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association in 2009, and in 2014 CCA partnered with ViewTrak Technologies to privatize the system. Now, another milestone announcement — an agreement with Cargill… Read more »
Poll: Do You Look Forward to Autonomous (Driverless) Tractors?
Since visiting Agritechnica in November, I have been sharing presentations on some of the cool innovations and products in agriculture. One of the most popular topics to discuss is the opportunity of autonomous tractors. The autonomous tractor product example that I chat about with audiences is the Greenbot. We’ve also seen Manitoba farmer Matt Reimer receive… Read more »
Poll: As a Farmer, Do You Watch or Listen to CBC?
This week at FarmTech we had the unique opportunity to talk to Terry O’Reilly, the host of CBC’s Under the Influence. Terry wowed the crowd with his insightful look at the power of storytelling. After the keynote, I heard a surprising number of RealAg fans sheepishly mention that they listen to CBC radio. Now, it’s not the… Read more »
Will Online Voting Boost Producer Participation?
It’s that time of year when commodity organizations are holding district meetings and director elections. Farm group leaders and staff are always looking for new ways to get farmers out and to boost participation in the process of deciding how check-off dollars should be spent, including the process of deciding who should sit on their… Read more »