Karen Briere

A two-year pilot project in southeastern Saskatchewan will measure the value of ecological goods and services that agricultural landowners provide to the public. The Lower Souris Watershed Committee will use more than $530,000 from the federal government for the project. “We’re doing a pilot to try and determine what the costs are to landowners to […] Read more

The incoming Saskatchewan Party government might want to put wild boar control on its rural legislative agenda. Leader Brad Wall noted that his appearance at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention Nov. 8 pre-empted a presentation on the animal. “Apparently I’m more familiar with the sheep industry,” he quipped, referring to an NDP advertising […] Read more

Premier-designate Brad Wall says the Saskatchewan Party is well aware of its rural roots and its responsibility to the province’s farmers. Wall, elected to lead a majority government Nov. 7, made his first public appearance a day later at the Regina midterm convention of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities. The Saskatchewan Party won all […] Read more

The cattle industry might be in a slump but Canadian Western Agribition entries are holding steady. President Shannon McArton said Nov. 9 entries of purebred and commercial cattle are similar to last year and on par with the three year average. About 4,000 head are expected on the grounds for next week’s 37th edition of […] Read more

The Grain Services Union says the process of merging the former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and Agricore United into one company known as Viterra isn’t going smoothly in some cases. The union, on behalf of its country operations and maintenance bargaining units in Saskatchewan, has asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to step in to protect […] Read more

It could be the end of the year before birds are back in Pedigree Poultry’s broiler breeder barns. A labour shortage is hindering the dry cleaning that must precede wet cleaning and disinfecting, all necessary after the business at Regina Beach, Sask., was hit with the deadly H7N3 avian influenza. Fewer than 10 people are […] Read more

MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Steve Hughes watched in his rear-view mirror as the semi came up fast behind him. Too fast. He pulled his grain truck to the right and onto the rumble strip that marks the shoulder along the Trans-Canada Highway. Still, the semi slammed into the back end of Hughes’ truck with such […] Read more

Saskatchewan voters looking through election platforms for new and innovative agricultural policy likely will be disappointed. The New Democrats and Saskatchewan Party haven’t gone too far beyond promising to continue existing funding or tinker with current programs. If returned to office, the NDP has pledged to maintain its relief of education tax on property and […] Read more

Mark Wartman’s goal is to have knocked on every door in the Regina Qu’Appelle Valley constituency by the end of this election campaign. That doesn’t include the rural portion of his riding, however. He’ll reach those voters by phone. The man who has been Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister since February 2004 says he isn’t ignoring rural […] Read more