Editor

If you don’t receive the Saskatoon daily news by paper or broadcast, you may not know that the University of Saskatchewan is under duress. The university has recently been saying it must cut $44.5 million in operating funds by 2016, and capital projects are also under review. Forty job cuts representing $2.3 million have already […] Read more

I learned many things at Crop Production Week, but the thing that slapped me in the head was how widespread herbicide resistant weeds are becoming. It started with Eric Johnson’s cautionary tale about Palmer amaranth, which has been described by some American agrologists as the perfect weed. Of course, that does not mean it’s an […] Read more

At the last possible minute, the United States managed to put the brakes on a plunge over its fiscal cliff, theoretically saving itself — and by export connection, Canada — from another recession. Not to be uncharitable, but the Jan. 1 deal does make one wonder if the timing of the whole thing was planned. […] Read more

The tree is not up, most of the gifts are not wrapped — or, for that matter, purchased — and the cards are not written. The nuts and bolts and butter tarts are not made. There is no turkey in the freezer. Sigh. Why do I leave Christmas to the last minute every year? There […] Read more

I was recently in Toronto to celebrate the induction of Barry Wilson, our Ottawa correspondent, into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame. Before the big night, however, I spent two days in Ottawa and was delighted to get Wilson’s Tour of Parliament Hill. Impressed as I was by all the statues, it was John Diefenbaker’s […] Read more

There’s nothing like a nice November downpour to re-mind you to take an umbrella everywhere you go, even in early winter. On the Wednesday of Agribition, it must have rained at least an inch. But I didn’t just need the missing um-brella outside. I needed it inside. Much has been written over the years about […] Read more

We recently published an op- ed by Michael Holden with the Canada West Foundation, who asked why we always talk about diversification when times are bad. Excellent question. We should be talking about it when times are good, when stuff like building buildings and buying machinery is actually affordable. Therefore, points go to the Sask-atchewan […] Read more

Farmers feed cities. I don’t need to tell you that, but it doesn’t hurt to explain it to urban folks. Farmers Feed Cities (FFC) is an Ontario group out to increase the “understanding of the value that farmers contribute to Ontario’s economic, physical and social health.” I’m sure you’ve noticed a big push from several […] Read more

I like to point out on a regular basis why rural Western Canada should not be ignored from investment, policy or economic points of view. Therefore, I greeted with interest a report providing perspectives on just these issues. The Conference Board of Canada released The Economic Contribution of Alberta’s Rural Communities earlier this year. Unfortunately, […] Read more