The folks at HelloFresh, a meal-kit company, probably didn’t intend to wade into the latest dairy debate in Canada when they released their global Christmas Cookie Price Index Study this week. The company compared the cost of ingredients — flour, eggs, butter, sugar and baking powder to bake a standard batch of Christmas cookies in
Editorial: Cookie context
Editorial: Rural connectivity gap widening
For some reason, the release of yet another report highlighting the deepening disconnect between urban and rural Canada over internet connectivity made me think of telephones. Growing up in rural Manitoba, where our telephone “party line” was shared by six large families, connectivity was often a topic of discussion. Sometimes the line was in use
Editorial: Farm policy for the future
It’s safe to say that most farmers in Canada don’t really know the history of farm policy developments in this country, and they don’t really care. What they do care about is whether supports will be there for them in their times of need — whether that’s when dealing with this year’s drought, last year’s
Editorial: An impossible dream? So was putting a man on the moon
If there is one book you should read during this summer of relentless sun and sweltering heat, pick up a copy of A Road to Fossil Fuel Free Farming by Manitoba farmer and researcher David Rourke. Despite the heavy subject matter, it has all the elements of a compelling read — a character worth knowing,
Editorial: Disruptive change is coming to our food sector
Farmers are no stranger to new technology and are usually quick to adopt developments that can increase production, or at the very least reduce the risk of losses. Most are well aware that the digital age is likely to bring transformative change to agriculture and food — even if they aren’t quite ready to fully
Editorial: Community spirit
The last time the military rolled in to help Manitobans deal with a crisis beyond their capacity to manage was in the spring of 1997 during the Flood of the Century. Troops, engineers and equipment were put to work building the Z-dike that ultimately protected Winnipeg from the potential of overland flooding creeping around the
Editorial: Effective ag stabilization programs a must
It’s tempting to look into the shadows for a deep, dark conspiracy behind the three Prairie provinces’ reluctance to fully support AgriStability. The farm income support program, cost shared 60-40 by the federal and provincial governments, compensates participating farmers if their farm income minus eligible expenses drops below a certain threshold. Farmers and their organizations
Editorial: Good times, great opportunities
It’s well documented that the pandemic has had an uneven effect on Canadian incomes and businesses. While some have suffered greatly due to the disruptions caused by lockdowns, others have experienced an unprecedented surge in spending ability, or alternatively, debt-reduction capacity, because of the limits on how and where they can spend money. Looking back,
Editorial: The carbon credit reality
Canadian farmers, industry and governments should pay close heed to the recent announcement that one of Canada’s largest food processors has inked a deal to buy carbon credits from American farmers. Maple Leaf Foods will pay $20 per tonne to U.S.-based Indigo Ag for carbon stored on American farms applying soil-building practices. It represents a
Editorial: Maintaining independent agricultural extension is key
The Manitoba government’s announcement that it will close agricultural offices and consolidate services this spring is a significant shift, but one that reflects a modern reality. As of April 1, public-facing services will be delivered out of 10 regional service centres instead of 21 and they will be staffed by provincial Agriculture Department representatives, crop
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
