Economic considerations have driven growth of the Jersey breed in Canada. The number of dairy herds that contain Jerseys has increased to 1,188 from 607 in 2001, says Jersey Canada. Growth of the breed is most pronounced in Quebec, where the number of herds containing Jerseys has more than tripled in the last nine years. […] Read more
Stories by Bryn Levy
Raw milk co-op closes down
An Edmonton-area farm has had to stop shipping raw milk to its customers following a visit from the head of Cow Share Canada, which promotes unpasteurized milk. Michael Schmidt visited the Beulah Novelty Food Co-op and found that the operation wasn’t adequately testing animals for disease. “One of the core standards for Cow Share Canada […] Read more
Tax credit proposed for volunteer firefighters
Delegates passed a resolution to lobby the federal government for a $3,000 income tax credit for volunteer firefighters. The original resolution called for volunteer firefighters working more than 200 hours per tax year in emergency response or training to receive the credit. It was amended on the floor to reduce the number of hours to […] Read more
Delegates call for economic stimulus
Delegates to the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities midterm convention passed a resolution calling for massive stimulus to the agriculture sector. The resolution called for SARM to lobby the federal government for a $250 per acre payment for farmers, in addition to whatever they would receive under crop insurance and AgriStability programs. It said the […] Read more
More information wanted on EU deal
A resolution opposing a free trade deal that Canada is negotiating with the European Union has been tabled. The resolution said the trade deal would prevent farmers from saving, reusing or selling their seed. Concerns were also raised that the treaty would interfere with local governments’ authority by forcing them to accept competition from outside […] Read more
Delegates vote to carry on with four-year terms
A motion was defeated that would have excluded rural municipalities from amendments to the Local Government Election Act that would elect councillors to four-year staggered terms starting in 2012. The motion argued that four-year terms would discourage participation because positions typically don’t pay well and four-year terms would pose a financial burden. The motion was […] Read more
Sask. RMs want bounty to cull beaver population
The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities has made it clear that the only place where beavers are welcome this year is on the backs of nickels. SARM will lobby the province to institute a $20 bounty on the flat-tailed rodents. Delegates to the association’s midterm convention in Saskatoon passed six resolutions either calling for a […] Read more
Pushing toward 2015
The Canola Council of Canada is upbeat about the progress of its plan to produce 15 million tonnes of canola by 2015. “One thing that’s clear over the last three years is that we’ve made another jump in terms of what farmers are putting in and farmers’ commitment to canola,” said council president JoAnne Buth. […] Read more
Farm sitting service has big plans
A database for farmers who need someone to tend their fields when they are away may not have wowed the investors on CBC’sDragon’s Den, but Frank Campbell remains unbowed. “I want this thing to succeed,” said the president of AgriConnect. “There’s such a need out there, and it’s such a good solid idea, dragons aside. […] Read more
Cattle producers demand action on feed crisis
TISDALE, Sask. – Emotions ran high at a Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association district meeting in Tisdale last week. “For the last seven years we’ve been running on hope and optimism, and nothing ever changes,” said Lynel Person, who travelled nearly 200 kilometers from Preeceville, Sask., to address the Nov. 3 meeting. “For me, that hope and […] Read more
