Taking out or putting in, say, 10 million acres of American production in CRP over two or three years has a significant, albeit slow, impact on global markets.

Comment: First USDA quick fix. CRP expansion and reform

Incoming U.S. agriculture secretary has signalled a boost could be coming to the long-standing program

On his way out the door last month, former House Ag Committee chairman Collin Peterson, just off a hammering re-election defeat, offered the nation one final idea: the incoming secretary of agriculture should be empowered to enrol up to 50 million acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) over the next five years. Yes, 50

Many consumers are revisiting their relationship with animal proteins, both at the meat counter and in the dairy products section.

Comment: Plant based still a thing despite COVID-19

Sales are still growing quickly in this relatively new market space

Think plant protein is just a passing fad? Think again. People are buying. Despite the pandemic and the chaos surrounding containment and vaccination rules, consumers are quietly enjoying the products made from plant proteins and milk alternatives. According to recent data offered by Nielsen, since the start of 2020 sales of vegetable protein products have


Comment: Underpaid ‘heroes’

As grocery companies pay executives millions in bonuses their lowest-paid staff are at high risk

Almost everyone agrees that grocery store workers should earn better wages, especially during a pandemic. In Canada, their hourly rate hovers around $15 an hour. New hires get about $13 an hour, while the highest paid earn almost $50,000 annually, or about $25 an hour. In a high-volume, low-margin world, salaries are what they are,

The last thing rural communities need is a further silencing of their own voices in the decisions that impact their very foundations, like local public schools.

Comment: The education fields are frozen

So why is the provincial government sowing the seeds of reform now?

For everything there is a season and growing up in a small rural community, I recognize this is certainly the time of year when we take time to pause following months of hard work. The animals still need tending but the crop is in the bin. Winter has arrived. This past year has brought many



Many political and farm leaders in rural communities howl about the evils of “big government” and “socialism” even though big government social programs keep their communities from disappearing.

Comment: ‘Why are you giving extreme voices so much attention?’

Taking a break from a long-standing tradition is a sign of the divisive times

Around this time of year, I usually feature comments from readers whose views differ from those found here the previous 50 or so weeks. At least that’s how it has been for at least 25 years. Not this year, however, because I received a reader email Dec. 9 that asked me to stop highlighting these


Editor’s Take: The winter of our discontent

Ordinarily at this time of year my colleagues and I would be headed west to Brandon, for the annual Manitoba Ag Days at the Keystone Centre. The first time I ever attended — being a transplanted Saskatchewanian — was more than 20 years ago, as a young reporter under the tutelage of my editors and

Over 10 years, the federal government is offering millions of dollars in agriculture-related incentives to assist producers in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

Comment: Farmers should get on board with green future

Not fighting climate change is no longer an option

Ottawa’s recently announced plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the cost of carbon over the next 10 years was met with predictable outrage from many in the agriculture sector. Already frustrated over having to pay for carbon uses, many farmers see the expanded plan as a crippling tax that ignores previous efforts made


It was a year for the history books, indeed, and certainly filled with major food-related stories.

Comment: The top 10 food stories of 2020

It was an action-packed 12 months for the agriculture and food sector

The year 2020 was as unusual as they get, with no shortage of stories. Some flew under the radar because of the pandemic, but this list is based on how some food-related stories will probably have long-term implications, whether they were related to COVID-19 or not. At number 10, the apparent end of Tim Hortons’

Comment: Stepping up to help Prairie farmers

Comment: Stepping up to help Prairie farmers

Provinces need to do their part to fund improvements to AgriStability

Farmers face many risks these days – the impacts of a global pandemic on the supply chain, the trend towards protectionism in trade, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, to name a few. Solutions on how to deal with those risks vary considerably, depending on who you ask. As the prime minister’s special