Volatile weather over farm fields in Manitoba punctuates conversation around resiliency both on farm and in policy-making halls of government.
Tag Archives Editorial
We need to talk about resiliency
Metaphorical and actual storm clouds punctuate resiliency conversation
Soil: the great unifier
Senate soil report highlights shifting focus on core issues
Senate report, "Critical Ground: why soil is essential to Canada's economic, environmental, human and social health," marks a pivotal shift in how we value soil and soil health.
Editor’s Take: Reflection key to ag labour challenges
Agriculture has to face its workplace shortfalls.
Editorial: Do you know your cybersecurity risk?
Farms and agricultural businesses are in danger, and most don’t know the extent of their problem. As reporter Janelle Rudolph notes in our front-page story in the May 30 issue of the Co-operator, Canadian producers, agribusinesses and farm groups have all felt the sting of a cyberattack within the past few years. Technology and digital
Editorial: The bill’s coming for bad roads
It’s been a good spring for bad road stories. To be fair, it’s prime time for it — the season of frost boils, weight restrictions and ruts from vehicles and machinery on gravel roads that are still firming up. Even by the standards of spring, though, it feels like it’s been hard to drive any
Editorial: Grain business consolidation and concentration
Press releases are often notable because of what they don’t say. Then again, sometimes they unintentionally speak volumes. For example, consider the official statements coming from the Glencore team related to their role in the continuing consolidation and concentration of the grain handling business in Canada. In 2012, when Glencore announced it was acquiring Viterra,
Editor’s Take: Accounting for change
A life of spreadsheets might not be for everyone, but accountancy is important work. It’s how we measure success, track expenses, and how we hold people and organizations accountable. A new report from one of Canada’s major accounting firms, Deloitte Canada, proposes a different application for accounting principles, one that farmers may not be accustomed
Editorial: Prop 12 pork sector proposition a fascinating case study
California’s Proposition 12, which sets minimum space standards for pregnant sows that produce pork destined for sale in California, has become a fascinating case study of voter-consumer behaviours as data emerges on the effects. More importantly, it’s a case study with ominous overtones for Canadian farmers as they watch the coveted U.S. market splinter along
Editor’s Take: Reducing risk is better than insurance — and a lot less costly
Farmers aren’t the only ones dealing with risk management dilemmas these days. Insurance costs are rising rapidly across the board. One industry website recently suggested that car insurance rates in Ontario could climb by as much as 25 per cent, or about $600 per vehicle. One reason is the inflated cost of cars, which obviously
(Guest) Editorial: Time to farm with nature
I’m increasingly convinced that legislation to protect nature on farmland from ourselves is a necessity. Aside from the environment, there are practical political and economic reasons to support hypothetical restrictions on the removal of woodlots, fencerows, tallgrass prairie and the like. And if we are proactive, there is opportunity to lobby for frameworks that support
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
