farmers watching sunset

Elections and the value of showing up

If farmers don’t speak, it will be others, who may not understand our industry, who decide who goes to Ottawa

There is an old saying in politics, “policy is set by those who show up.” Not always those with the best and brightest ideas and not even always a majority. The first and most important step on the road to being an influencer is to show up. Canadians will elect a new House of Commons

The union representing federal scientists says the Harper 
government’s war on science continues.

AAFC Lethbridge library takes a hit

The department says it is modernizing information delivery, the union says it is trashing valuable research

The library at the Lethbridge Research Centre of Agriculture Canada has been stripped of years of valuable research documents in the Harper government’s latest purge of science, says the union representing 15,000 federal scientists. However, the department insists the dispatch of the library’s collection for recycling is part of “modernizing the delivery of library services


In 2014, nearly one million Manitoba acres were too wet to seed and thousands of acres of crop were damaged by too much moisture.

Risk management review task force seeks farmer input

It’s looking for ideas to mitigate the impact of increasing severe weather on producers

Everybody complains about the weather, the old saying goes, but nobody does anything about it. Well, Manitoba’s Agriculture Risk Management Review Task Force can’t fix the weather, but it wants to hear Manitoba farmers’ ideas for mitigating its impact. “We’re hoping there will be some real thinking out of the box by people on the

dairy cow

Trans-Pacific Partnership talks worry dairy farmers

Foreign supplies want access to Canadian markets

Canada’s powerful dairy industry expressed concern June 26 that it could suffer if talks to create a Pacific trade treaty open up heavily protected Canadian markets to more foreign competition. Some of the 12 nations taking part in negotiations on a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) want Canada to start dismantling supply management, which protects dairy, egg


U.S. Senate building

Progress on COOL, but Canada still threatening retaliation

U.S. Senate and Obama administration need to act quickly, warns Agriculture Minister Ritz

While the House of Representatives has voted strongly to repeal the country-of-origin labelling program, the Senate and the Obama administration need to act quickly as well, warns Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. Otherwise Canada along with Mexico will be putting their case for retaliatory duties to a special meeting of the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement

Canadian agricultural minister Gerry Ritz

Canada ups the ante in COOL dispute

Canada is seeking more than $3 billion in tariffs

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is warning Canada will play hardball with American politicians who block legislation to scrap the U.S. country-of-origin labelling (COOL) program on beef and pork imports. Canada formally asked the World Trade Organization June 4 to approve slightly more than $3 billion a year in retaliatory tariffs on American food and consumer


honey bee pollinating a flower

Health Canada continues to assess neonic herbicides

There is debate over how much damage would be incurred by corn and soybean producers if neonics are banned

Health Canada is seeking more information from farmers and technical experts before it completes its assessment of neonicotinoid pesticides. A TV network received a leaked version of the report, which environmental groups said proved neonic pesticides should be banned. In an emailed response, the department said the draft report, which has been shared with agriculture

aerial view of a chicken farm

Wild birds have higher resistance to flu virus

With bird flu ravaging barns in the U.S. and knocking at Canada’s door, 
it might be time to reconsider how poultry are raised

For years, poultry producers have been breeding something in their barns other than birds. Avian influenza. Long present in wild bird populations, the low-pathogen version of the virus has entered barns, remaining there until a series of mutations turned into something else — something deadly. “We have been playing with fire,” said Earl Brown, a


egg flats

Trade talks set to divide farm communities

Some groups want a trade deal even if it means sacrificing supply management

High-level negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) scheduled for Guam this month have opened a rift in Canada’s farm community that successive governments have tried to prevent. Livestock and grain groups have gone public with a demand the federal government fully engage in the talks and, while they don’t actually say it, essentially be prepared

vintage newspaper advertisement

Requests for Ottawa to take over grain terminals

Our History: May 1909

This ad from the May 1909 The Grain Growers’ Guide offered Brandon-manufactured windmills ranging in price from $60 to $160. In 1908, the Nor-West Farmer had been purchased by the Grain Growers’ Grain Company (later United Grain Growers) and had become the official “organ” for the organization. Much of the May issue was devoted to