Samples are taken from a load of corn at IGPC’s Aylmer, Ont. ethanol plant. (IGPC.ca)

Ont. co-op swaps corn supply line for ethanol plant

Corrected, April 30, 2015 — Farmer co-operative IGPC plans to switch to Thompsons from Cargill as the main corn supplier for its southwestern Ontario ethanol processing plant, starting this fall. Thompsons Ltd. will start buying corn immediately for deliveries from Oct. 1 onward to the Aylmer, Ont. ethanol plant, IGPC (Integrated Grain Processors Co-operative) said in a



tractor seeding in a field

How does this year’s seeding progress compare to normal?

Last week, MAFRD cereal crop specialist Pam de Rocquigny posted a table on Crop Chatter showing average seeding progress from 2009-2013, based on crop insurance data. The publication is now discontinued, but until 2009 the provincial agriculture department published an annual statistical review which contained a table showing various weather-related dates (see below). It shows






Verlyn Olson. (Olson.myPCmla.ca)

Alberta ag minister named acting justice minister

Alberta’s agriculture minister is now also its justice minister. Premier Jim Prentice on Saturday appointed Verlyn Olson, MLA for Wetaskiwin-Camrose since 2008 and the province’s ag and rural development minister since 2012, as both acting justice minister and solicitor general. Prentice said his move follows having “asked for and received the resignation” of Calgary-Acadia MLA


(Dave Bedard photo)

Arbitrator named for CP talks with running trades

The federal government has named its arbitrator to settle a new contract between Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and its conductors, engineers, trainmen and yardmen. Labour Minister Kellie Leitch on Monday appointed lawyer and professional mediator George Adams as the arbitrator and mediator for talks between CP and its 3,800 unionized running trades workers, represented by