Farm succession connections

Good farm succession planning and environmental stewardship may not seem joined at the hip, but Jeremy Funk of the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba is examining a possible connection. The fifth-year PhD student is in the process of surveying farmers about their succession plans in an effort to explore the relationship

Land-Grab Warning

Canadian farmland is not immune to the global land grab that’s underway as corporations and countries position themselves for the prospect of future food shortages, the National Farmers Union says. “We may be on the verge of a new system wherein those who work the land do not own it – a situation that would


Smaller U. S. Cattle Supply Bullish

Agovernment report Dec. 18 showed a smaller-than-expected cattle supply. But analysts cautioned that the economic recession, which has been a drag on beef sales, may prevent long-term gains in prices. The USDA reported one per cent fewer cattle in feedlots as of Dec. 1 and eight per cent fewer young cattle added to feedlots in

Nothing Passé About Old MacDonald’s Approach

Manitoba’s farm media is full of the same story. The stories have different headlines and characters, but the main issue is as recurring as the beat of a drum. “What’s wrong with Prairie agriculture? What’s wrong with the AgriStability program? What’s happening to commodity, fertilizer, and cattle prices?” Sometimes columnists allude to the problems that


Why support farmers who don’t need it?

American President Barack Obama is creating a bit of a stir in agriculture circles. For one thing, he has indicated he’ll bring in a ban on meat packers owning cattle. This has been a long time on the wish list of American ranchers, who believe that when packers own cattle, they are able to manipulate