Paul Hetherington, CEO of the Baking Association of Canada says we need a better understanding of the public acceptance of genetically engineered wheat. Hetherington spoke at the Western Association of Wheat Growers’ AGM in early January, with a presentation entitled The world as it is, not as we may want it to be. In the presentation, he identified… Read More

Recently, I was asked to speak at the Alberta Ag Services Board’s 70th annual meeting. The theme centered around change and all that agriculture had evolved through in the last 70 years. From horse-drawn implements, to variable rate, sectional control-equipped seeding equipment, the last 70 years has literally been a technological revolution in producing food…. Read More

Guest Post By Dave McEachren (also known as @DeereDave on Twitter) On a recent trip to the mid-western United States, I had the joy of a Chicago O’Hare-connecting flight. Is that sarcasm, you ask? Not at all. Can you imagine over 180,000 passengers travelling through that one airport everyday…yes, everyday! During my time in the… Read More

Change happens fast in agriculture. Just a century ago, Canadian farmers were behind a horse and plow. Today, we talk about cab comfort, the potential for unmanned aerial vehicle spraying, smart phone apps and biotechnology. The seed industry is no different. The process of collecting and testing a sample of seed is continually evolving as well…. Read More

I remember reading an interesting quote that, paraphrased, said society was losing touch with where food came from and that the increase in urbanization was a death knell for rural life. The quote was from the 1920s. Shocking? A little, but it’s also an excellent bit of perspective for where we sit now, nearly 100… Read More

Pre-production work and fundraising has started for a million dollar film project aimed at informing people about the use of biotechnology in food and farming. “Know GMO: An Uplifting Discussion About Food” will explore the impact of genetic modification, asking questions about how to feed a growing human population, says Rob Saik, the executive producer… Read More

Why #GaryinGeneva Matters — Connecting with Canada's Overseas Customers

Panel thus morning about Grain Strategies exchange rates, freights, GMO’s, all in buying decisions #GaryinGeneva pic.twitter.com/UItItUj3Hb — Gary Stanford (@senatrstanford) November 13, 2014 Many in Western Canada may be surprised to learn that the Triffid flax fiasco of 2009 is still weighing heavily on the minds of some European customers. That’s according to Gary Stanford,… Read More

Whether it’s your favourite ag website, the radio or newspaper, Twitter, your area sales rep or the local ag extension office, farmers in Canada and most developed countries have many sources to turn to for expertise. Never mind scarcity, information overload is often a problem. But imagine farming without electricity, without a computer, without the… Read More

This Ruminating with RealAg podcast takes us back to the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference in Saskatoon, where we hear from Suzanne Bertrand, deputy director general at the International Livestock Research Institute, on the differences between Canadian and African adoption of genomics technology, and how genetically modified cattle could combat African Sleeping Sickness. Related: Julie Borlaug Kicks… Read More

A nitrogen-fixing bacteria species that indiscriminately colonizes plant cells is in the midst of an in-field exam. Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (Gd), a bacteria known for its symbiotic relationship with sugarcane, was selected for research into nitrogen fixation in other crops by Edward Cocking, professor and director of The University of Nottingham’s Centre for Crop Nitrogen Fixation. And, because of a unique ability… Read More

What’s a GMO? What do the letters GMO stand for? Do you try to avoid GMOs? Genetically modified organisms received some mainstream attention this week on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The late night comedian sent a reporter to a farmers’ market to find out how much people actually know about biotechnology and food. We don’t know the complete… Read More

Today, at the Canada-EU Summit in Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, signed a formal declaration marking the end of negotiations for the Canada-Europe Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The final text of the deal — more than 1,600 pages long — was also made public for the… Read More

 

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