The amount of grain in storage at prairie elevators is growing quickly, following consecutive weeks of brisk producer deliveries across the West. According to the Grain Monitoring Program, managed by Edmonton-based Quorum Corp., producer deliveries to country elevators in Week 5 of the 2022-23 crop year exceeded 1.5 million tonnes. According to GMP, that pushed […] Read more
Brian Cross
Stories by Brian Cross
Foodgrains bank donations rose during pandemic
Canadian farmers offered record-breaking financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a Christian organization that provides help to needy and hungry people around the world. According to Julie Derksen, supporter relations manager with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, financial contributions to the CFB rose 33 percent between 2019 and 2021, jumping to […] Read more
A unique way to support charity
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank receives financial support through all kinds of fundraisers. Some involve growing crops and selling the grain. Others involve fundraising dinners. And some, like the one organized by Renske Helmuth, involve displaying and selling unique hand-made quilts. Helmuth is a prolific and award-winning quilter from Ontario. She has been quilting for 25 […] Read more
New name and focus for Alta. event
Alberta crop producers who were used to attending the annual FarmTech conference in Edmonton can meet live and in-person again in January following a two-year hiatus. Last week, the province’s four largest crop commissions – Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola, Alberta Pulse Growers and the Alberta Wheat Commission – announced the launch of a new “farmer-focused” […] Read more
Move into cheese making required leap of faith
Saskatchewan man leaves his desk job behind as he learns how to make cheese by hand using locally produced milk
A career in cheese making isn’t for everyone. But for Kevin Petty, it offers just the right combination of physical activity, artistry and autonomy. “Actually, it was partly out of frustration with all the desk jobs that I had previously,” says Petty, the founder and owner of Saskatoon Spruce, an artisanal cheesery based at Osler, […] Read more
U of A opens ag degree door to Lakeland College students
The two schools have signed a transfer agreement allowing Lakeland students to enroll in ag with full academic credits
Alberta’s Lakeland College has signed a student transfer agreement with the University of Alberta that will allow diploma graduates from Lakeland to transfer to the U of A’s bachelor of science in agriculture degree program. Lakeland officials announced last month that graduates from the college’s two-year diploma program in animal science technology (AST) will be […] Read more
CP disputes fatal derailment report
Canadian Pacific Railway said the Transportation Safety Board “misunderstood key facts” related to a fatal train derailment near Field, B.C., that killed three CP rail employees in February 2019. In a written statement, CP also claims that the TSB “misrepresented the facts” related to the derailment during a March 31 news conference in Calgary. The […] Read more
Thunder Bay season kicks off
Officials at the Port of Thunder Bay welcomed the first incoming vessels of the year March 30, marking the beginning of the 2022 navigation season. Two domestic laker vessels arrived at the northern Ontario port in the early morning hours of March 30, port officials confirmed in an email. The MV Michipicoten arrived at the […] Read more
Rail unlikely to be declared ‘essential’: expert
Former Canadian Transportation Agency chair says labour rules prevent gov’t from taking action specific to rail services
The recent and short-lived rail service disruption at Canadian Pacific Railway created uncertainty for rail shippers and caused further damage to Canada’s international reputation as a reliable supplier of commodities, say sources in Canada’s grain and fertilizer industries. Even so, it’s unlikely the railway industry will ever be designated an essential service in Canada, according […] Read more
New canola strategy focuses on innovation
Sector identifies key priorities where it feels it should focus its energies: performance, precision, protection and product
Canada’s canola industry has unveiled an innovation-based strategy aimed at solidifying canola’s position as Canada’s most valuable crop and one of the world’s most important oilseeds. The canola innovation strategy, released March 10 by the Canola Council of Canada, was the result of a year-long consultation process that involved stakeholder groups throughout the canola value […] Read more
