Canada’s agriculture minister will get a Quebec dairyman and grain farmer turned rookie Liberal MP as his new parliamentary secretary. Jean-Claude Poissant, who won the re-formed Montreal-area riding of La Prairie for the Liberals on Oct. 19 by a spread of almost 5,900 votes over Bloc Quebecois contender Christian Picard, was named Wednesday as parliamentary
Que. dairyman named parliamentary ag secretary
Become a chinchilla farmer in your spare time
Our History: December 1968
Prairie farming has a history of exotic livestock ventures that offered more promise than results. This ad for prospective chinchilla ranchers ran in our Dec. 5, 1968 issue. In an unusual move, we ran a front-page editorial to bring attention to the need to dry grain from the disastrous 1968 harvest. The editorial said that
Feed was ‘most plausible’ source of BSE in Case 19
Canada’s food safety agency is still tracking down the last herdmates of the country’s 19th domestic case of BSE, but will otherwise assume the Alberta cow most likely caught the disease from traces of proteins in its early feed. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Nov. 30 submitted its final report on Case 19 —
Alta. to tweak farm worker bill for ‘clarity’
With consultations only just out of the gate and the legislation awaiting second reading, the Alberta government already plans to amend Bill 6, its farm and ranch worker protection bill, for “greater clarity.” While not mentioning recent vocal protests over the bill, provincial Labour Minister Lori Sigurdson announced Tuesday the bill will be amended to “make clear what
Farmers sought for farm labour study
The research will help address critical shortages
The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council is conducting focus groups with farmers to examine the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for apples, crops, honey, mushrooms, potatoes and turf. These NOS will then be used for training programs based on what producers indicate are the best ways of doing business, a CAHRC release states. To date, 20
Poultry, eggs from seven U.S. states still blocked at border
While the U.S. has declared itself free of high-path avian flu, Canada is still warning cross-border travellers not to bring in poultry or eggs from seven previously affected states. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on Thursday — a.k.a. Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. — rolled out a statement to remind travellers that Canada’s restrictions
Alta. farm bill applies to paid workers only, minister says
UPDATED, Nov. 28, 2015 — New legislation applying Alberta’s rules on workplace standards and workers’ compensation to farm workers is meant for farms’ paid employees — not for family members or neighbours helping out on family farms. The province’s labour minister has said as much after stormy early going in the government’s consultations on Bill
Throne speech takes aim at nutrient loading
Selinger also plans to move on taking rail lines out of Winnipeg's core
More legislation to cut nutrient loading into Lake Winnipeg and other water bodies is among the shorter-term commitments in the Selinger government’s latest throne speech. In the speech, delivered Nov. 16 by Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon, Premier Greg Selinger pledges to “work with all partners to reduce nutrient loading” in Lake Winnipeg and work to prevent
GTA police track down alleged cheesenappers
Three Toronto-area men face theft charges after a tractor trailer load of cheese took a late-night road trip in the wee hours Wednesday. The truckload of cheese had been reported stolen from the Brampton, Ont. area on Tuesday, York Regional Police said in a release. The YRP said they then got a call shortly after
Women’s 2015 conference focus on healthy soil
The Winkler event was well attended November 15 to 17
“Don’t treat soil like dirt.” It is a living breathing organism and we must treat it well to sustain our future. That was the closing message at last week’s Manitoba Farm Women’s Conference delivered by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) land management specialist Marla Riekman. This is the 29th year of a conference
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
