Deals in progress | Western Canadian group returns from latest trip
Officials leading a series of trade missions to Southeast Asia say the trips are slowly but surely securing new investment and markets that will benefit Western Canada. Delegates from provincial food processing associations in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia returned to Canada at the end of March from a two-week trade mission. They met […] Read moreStories by Dan Yates
Group touts nutritional qualities of feed oats
Organizers of the Equine Feed Oat Project have a message for U.S. horse owners: oats isn’t a four-letter word. The Prairie Oat Growers Association initiative will use science to defend and promote the grain to horse owners as part of an ongoing effort to rebuild oat exports to the United States. POGA commissioned Laurie Lawrence, […] Read more
Oat promotion plan targets equine diets
Demand from horse feed market rebounding
A prairie oat initiative is about to enter its next phase. The Prairie Oat Growers Association started the Equine Feed Oat Project as a way to increase demand in American horse markets for Canadian-grown oats, and EFOP co-ordinator Randy Strychar said the industry is beginning to see a turnaround. Efforts had focused on examining why […] Read more
Ranchers process from pasture to plate
BJORKDALE, Sask. — Scott and Marie Greenwood are making a habit of breaking the mould. They’re entrepreneurs — as most ranchers are — but in the last year and a half, they’ve added online proprietor to their list of duties, using the internet to sell their natural grass fed beef across the province. It’s a […] Read more
Regina man builds career based on close calls with Mother Nature
Tales of a storm chaser | Greg Johnson shares experiences as he travels through Tornado Alley
There are times when Greg Johnson sleeps while it’s sunny. And when it’s storming, the Regina-based storm chaser is on the road, travelling countless hours and thousands of kilometres to document tornadoes and extreme weather events across the United States. Johnson has followed some fantastic and terrifying weather events, even witnessing firsthand the aftermath of […] Read moreProcessing, marketing, supply challenge sea buckthorn growth
Sea buckthorn has been touted as a promising fruit for orchard owners for more than a decade, but the industry remains a work in progress on the Prairies. Processing raw products and finding markets and a consistent supply of berries have impeded progress, but growers and experts in the field still see room for the […] Read more
Sask. farmers learning lessons about water
Farmers trying to make the most of a bad situation may want to consider broadcasting canola in waterlogged fields, says an official with Saskatchewan’s South East Research Farm. While typically not a recommended practice, it could help producers recoup some costs when they’ve already applied fertilizer and conditions turn ugly, Lana Shaw of the non-profit […] Read more
Determining how family feels about farm transfer no easy task
A strong farm succession plan begins with a discussion about feelings rather than numbers, says a family business consultant. “That’s not where you start,” said John Fast, who spoke at a recent Farm Credit Canada forum in Saskatoon. “Not if you plan to have a happy family left at the end of the day.” Taxes, […] Read more
Taking education beyond academics yields benefits for family
Lynette Dyck home schools four of her children on the family farm outside of Swift Current, Sask. And in conversation with Dyck, it is likely that her three-year-old will probably make that five in a few years. She believes that educating a child at home, surrounded by family, yields net benefits that extend beyond academics […] Read more
Winter wheat promising, but problematic
When to seed | Field tests put winter wheat into pulse stubble with mixed results
Researchers in Saskatchewan are trying to crack the code that will allow prairie producers to fully realize the potential of winter wheat. Experts in the field have identified potential, but researchers told the University of Saskatchewan’s recent Soils and Crops presentations that more work is required to better understand the crop and identify best practices. […] Read more
