The COVID-19 crisis is forcing changes to how business is done in Canadian agriculture, driving a long-delayed move to digital business transactions. Deliveries from or visits to a supplier often doubled as social interactions in farm country, but that face-to-face culture is being supplanted by digital bits. Why it matters: Paper transactions and payments move
Going paperless: Pandemic makes digital a new reality
The COVID-19 pandemic response is driving farms and companies to paperless transactions
The wired farm
Will 5G networks kick off a wave of innovation for Canada’s farms?
Users of the Samsung Galaxy S20 phone will be the first to have access to 5G technology in Canada. Rural residents and farmers will have to wait much longer – if the technology ever arrives. Rogers announced in early March that it is rolling out 5G networks in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal, with 20
The ‘lightning rod issue’ of agriculture and climate change
There is a positive side to the story of agriculture and climate change. Why is it so hard getting anyone to listen?
Glacier FarmMedia – The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) recently painted a picture of Canadian agriculture and greenhouse gas emissions that runs counter to commonly held public perceptions. The CAPI paper said generally the sector has its house in order. Canadian agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions peaked in 2005 and have remained steady at about 60
Technology brings augmented reality to your dairy barn
Company overlaying data and reality in new system to help information management
Imagine looking over your barn full of dairy cows and being able to tell instantly which ones were in heat and which ones are up and down in feed consumption or milk. There are ways to do this now, with a phone or a tablet computer feeding information to the farmer as they move through the barn. However, Nedap
New meat recall prolongs Ryding-Regency shutdown
Ryding-Regency Meat Packers remains shut down, making an already tight processing capacity situation event more challenging for Ontario farmers. The Toronto company, along with St. Ann’s Food, announced a recall Tuesday of a long list of its products because of concerns with E. coli O157:H7. More products were added to the recall on Thursday. The
Food, farming not expected to be big election issues
Canadians don’t think that food and agriculture will be a significant issue in the current federal election. A survey conducted Sept. 9 and released Tuesday by Angus Reid Global with the support of Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab shows 31 per cent of Canadians believe food and agriculture will be a prime electoral issue during
Face to face marketing
These farmers are meeting their customers in person... and making more sales
Some young farmers are making direct-to-consumer sales an important part of their farm business plan. They’re using creative thinking on events and bringing new skills to the expansion of their businesses. Why it matters: Direct-to-consumer marketing can be an effective way for farmers to get more of the food dollar. But they have to have
Dairy farmers to get direct cash payment as trade compensation
Canadian dairy farmers will be getting direct cash compensation after the government gave up dairy market access to other countries in recent trade deals. The compensation follows promises by the Trudeau government — and the Harper government before it — that dairy farmers would be compensated in some form for the loss of market. Why
Agriculture foreign workers get new path to residency
Updated, July 15 — The federal government has announced a pilot program that will make it easier for farms and food companies to maintain workers they recruit from around the world. Ahmed Hussen, minister for immigration, refugees and citizenship, announced the program Friday at Maple Leaf Foods in Mississauga. Why it matters: There’s a labour
Tariffs made for ‘lean year’ for agriculture manufacturers
The lifting of the U.S.-Canada steel tariffs should make trade easier, but it might be too early to tell if it will reduce the cost of farm machinery
Despite dropped steel tariffs, one Manitoba manufacturer of agricultural equipment says it’s too early to be optimistic. “I think it’s just going to be a regular day of business,” said Darren Blazeiko, general manager of Cancade CBI Ltd. in Brandon. Why it matters: The tariffs have made imports of steel and equipment and exports of
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
