This week the Ontario government passed Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act. Among other changes to workplace laws, it will mean an increase in the province’s minimum wage, from $11.60 to $14 on January 1, and $15 on the same day in 2019. With other provinces potentially following suit, the potential impacts are… Read more »
Tag: Kelvin Heppner
TechTour: More Than Photos — The Many Applications of the UAV
Pretty field pictures and awesome harvest videos aside, drones, or UAVs, are proving their worth on the farm through field scouting and development of management zones for precision farming applications. But there are many that see drones as an overblown camera or a fun toy, not fully recognizing the present usefulness and future potential of the… Read more »
Disappearing Coffee, a New It Vegetable, and Great Canadians: The 2017 FarmTech Wrap Up
What’s the new it vegetable for 2017? You heard it here first: it’s beets. But after sitting down with the Rt. Honourable Brian Mulroney, General Roméo Dallaire, and Olympian Clara Hughes, you’d think Kelvin Heppner and Lyndsey Smith would have much more to talk about than beets…and they do, it just wouldn’t be a RealAgriculture… Read more »
Beef Market Update: 2017 Starting off on Firm Footing
We’re kicking off the Beef Market Update with likely the most positive-sounding Anne Wasko we’ve heard since last spring (it’s not her fault, dem cattle markets, you guys). Kelvin Heppner steps in for Shaun Haney in this latest look at beef and cattle prices across Canada and into the U.S., and Wasko can’t help but… Read more »
High Optimism, the Jacket Caper, and Amateur Gumshoes: CropSphere Wrap Up
It’s a busy week in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, this week for CropSphere and the Crop Production Show. RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney, Kelvin Heppner, and Peter Johnson got together to wrap up the week-long conference. There was a surprisingly high level of optimism at the show with farmers looking ahead at 2017 as a new opportunity and a… Read more »
Kickin’ Tires – Ep 12: Intelligent Machines and Iowa State Troopers — Highlights from Farm Progress ’16
Back home from the US Farm Progress Show in Iowa, Bern Tobin and Kelvin Heppner take over the Kickin’ Tires podcast for this episode to reflect on what they saw and heard at the massive farm equipment and technology trade show. With crowds exceeding 100,000 over three days, many companies use Farm Progress to launch… Read more »
What If…? Examining Bayer’s Proposed Monsanto Takeover
Monsanto and Bayer both confirmed late Wednesday that there’s been communication between the two companies about Bayer buying Monsanto. If a deal between the two ag giants is reached, it would certainly have an impact on Canadian agriculture, particularly in the Western Canadian canola market. RealAg’s Shaun Haney and Kelvin Heppner took some time on Thursday… Read more »
TWORA — Refundable Levies, Retro Equipment and Lentilpalooza: From Crop Week & Beyond — Jan 14
It’s the year of pulses in more ways than one. We’re covering all the Crop Week and CropSphere events in Saskatoon this week, including the buzz about lentils and peas, the unveiling of Versatile’s retro look and the premiere of a short film on maintaining ag’s social license. A new report shows greenhouse gas emissions… Read more »
Beef Market Update: Cattle Market Rallies on U.S. Weather…For Now
Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock, in conversation with guest host Kelvin Heppner. . It’s an interesting time for cattle markets, with the Canadian dollar hitting record lows, weather in the United States putting pressure on supply estimates, and the recent repeal of country-of-origin labelling (COOL). In fact, as we start off the new year, we’re seeing a pretty… Read more »
Farming Under a Liberal Government — Will Much Change?
The 2015 federal election is being described as a “change” election. As with the Alberta election earlier this year, the electorate wanted change, and that’s what they’re getting. However, many rural areas where local economies rely on agriculture did not vote Liberal, and so there was a fair amount of groaning and complaining among farm circles… Read more »
What Makes a Great Provincial Agriculture Minister?
The role of a provincial agriculture minister is complicated. On one hand, they’re supposed to be loyal to their party and leader and on the other, there’s an expectation that they stand up for farmers and the agriculture sector. It’s easy to point a finger at the flaws and mistakes of a provincial agriculture minister, but… Read more »
TWORA — Outdoor Farm Shows, New Crop Marketing & Satellite-Based Yield Estimates — Sept 17
From the Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock to Big Iron in Fargo and across Canada, here’s this week’s update on harvest, markets and Canadian farm news: Poll: Indoor or Outdoor? Which Farm Shows are Best? Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
MYFB — Ep. 7: How Do you Manage Currency Risk?
Is there an ideal exchange rate for Canada’s agriculture industry? That depends, of course, on what you’re selling or what you’re buying, and it’s rare to win on both sides of that equation. What’s more, farmers have no control over currency changes, so how can farmers best prepare for managing currency risk? That’s the topic… Read more »
MYFB — Ep. 5: Leverage the Value of Experience Through a Peer Advisory Group
Coffee shop talk is often revered and repeated, but is it completely honest? What if, instead of comparing your farm and farm practices across the fence row, you instead sat down with farmers from one hundred kilometers away and compared notes? What could you learn? That’s the concept behind formal peer advisory groups, explains Dr… Read more »
MYFB — Ep. 3: Balancing Farm Risks, Rewards and Opportunity
There are seven common types of risks to your farm business. There’s price risk, weather risk, production risk and more, but have you thought about opportunity disguised as risk? If you’re comfortable playing the odds on big projects or plays, how do you find balance in other parts of your farm business? How do you… Read more »