Saskatchewan officials are looking at what they can do to iron out a wrinkle in a program they hoped would compensate livestock producers for snow storm losses. The province announced after April snow storms that cattle producers who lost calves could receive money through the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program if their rural municipalities declared disasters. […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Program puts students on the land
The One School One Farm project connects urban children with rural landowners while helping to restore natural habitat
It’s fitting that Elizabeth Bekolay’s initiative, One School One Farm, obtained its charitable status on Earth Day last month. Connecting urban students with rural landowners is a passion of hers and what better day to celebrate? The biologist, who teaches at Saskatoon Public School’s outdoor school south of the city, said the idea to make […] Read more
Wildfire warning issued
Saskatchewan public safety officials are reminding residents to be prepared for potential wildfires this spring. In a briefing for reporters earlier this month, the Public Safety Agency’s Chris Clemett said people should fire-proof their property now. “Areas in southern Saskatchewan, which have been snow free for several weeks and were not impacted by the recent […] Read more
Producers want climate recognition
Canada’s grain farmers want to be acknowledged for their contributions to climate solutions, rather than vilified for emissions, the standing committee on agriculture heard during recent testimony. Susie Miller, executive director of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops, said more than 600 farmers with whom the organization consulted said they want recognition for action they […] Read more
Sask. funds ag field research projects
Six recipients are sharing $484,778 from Saskatchewan’s strategic field program for research projects this year. The federal-provincial cost-shared program funds projects at the field scale to demonstrate and evaluate certain practices and technologies. The idea is to provide producers with new information to enhance their long-term sustainability and competitiveness. The 2022 projects include: $158,660 to […] Read more
Siblings bond over clothing business
Rural and farming themes play a major role in the rural Saskatchewan company, which markets clothing and accessories
RADVILLE, Sask. — An offhand remark a year ago led three Saskatchewan siblings down a business path they never imagined. Kacy-Jae McLean wasn’t even there when her husband Chris joked he was tired of being her “arm candy.” But her sister, Emma-Leigh Pirio, was, and she immediately responded with, “you mean her farm candy.” And […] Read more
Carbon sequestration strategies vary across the country
Prairies are ahead of the East in carbon sequestration because of reduced tillage, but it doesn’t work as well in the East
Agricultural soil will play a huge role in the push to zero emissions by 2050, but their diversity makes a one-size-fits-all policy impossible. Dr. Susan Wood-Bohm, distinguished fellow at the Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute, said there is no single solution because climate and soils are so different across the country. The Prairies are far ahead […] Read more
Grassland loss called major environmental issue
Cattle producers tell House agriculture committee the country needs land use strategy to preserve its native grasslands
Stopping grassland conversion into cropland or other purposes is critical if the agricultural industry is to meet its environmental commitments, says the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Duane Thompson, a Saskatchewan producer and chair of the CCA’s environment committee, told the federal standing committee on agriculture that a national land-use strategy could help protect the environment while […] Read more
Transition payments seen as environmental target solution
Professor says current government programs have not been able to solve the country’s ‘implementation problem’
A York University professor says transition payments could help Canadian farmers adopt and adapt to environmental policies. Rod MacRae, associate professor in the faculty of environmental and urban change, said Canada has an “implementation problem” when it comes to policies for environmental improvement. He said the problem has been around for decades and cuts across […] Read more
Ag census: Off-farm work increases
Canadian farmers continue to work off the farm for financial security. The number of operators working off the farm grew by 3.8 percent, according to the 2021 agricultural census data, with 47.7 percent reporting they had off-farm jobs. There are 125,280 operators with off-farm jobs, compared to 120,665 five years ago. The proportion who work […] Read more
