DoMoreAg says a variety of support resources are available but it can sometimes be a challenge for producers to find them
It would cost about $7 million to establish a national farm mental health support line that all Canadian farmers could access 24/7, according to DoMoreAg. Co-founder Lesley Kelley said there are lots of mental health resources available; the challenge is for people to locate them. That’s why the non-profit organization, which was established four years […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Feds form ministerial committee on P.E.I. potatoes
Five federal ministers will work to restore trade of fresh potatoes from Prince Edward Island. Agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced today that a ministerial co-ordinating committee would begin meeting next week to work on the issue. The U.S. banned imports of P.E.I. potatoes Nov. 22 after the discovery of potato wart and has asked for […] Read more
Irrigation groups still interested in merger
Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association and Irrigation Crop Diversification Corp. see benefits but remain cautious
A plan to merge the producer and research arms of irrigation in Saskatchewan is still unclear. Two organizations, Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association and Irrigation Crop Diversification Corp., have talked for years about amalgamating. Last year, they used funding from the province’s Industry Organization Development Program to hire a consultant. At the recent annual irrigation conference, […] Read more
Cantaloupe production can encounter size snag
Saskatchewan-grown cantaloupe is in demand for its sweetness but it doesn’t always meet size requirements for stores. “In order to sell into retail, we do need to meet some specifications,” said provincial vegetable specialist Connie Achtymichuk. There are specific sizes in the North American market, she said, but retailers can alter those if they know […] Read more
Taking stock proved key to a successful farm transition
Leaving the farm was a 10-year process for Brent and Pam Sattler. The couple, now retired from their Milestone, Sask., farm to a home in Warman, said it’s never too early to start thinking about a succession plan or an exit strategy. They began farming in 1986 on land Brent’s grandparents had moved to in […] Read more
Choosing the right guide for successful succession
Picking a professional to help with a farm transition is a critical consideration, but it can be as simple as who answers the phone. That’s how Brent and Pam Sattler came to hire Ray Riel — although he had been recommended through a farm succession planning course. They say it took a few meetings to […] Read more
Sask. announces trespass laws will take effect first of the year
Saskatchewan’s changes to trespassing laws finally take effect Jan. 1, 2022. The amendments that place the onus on individuals to obtain permission to be on private property were passed in 2019 but not proclaimed. The government announced this fall the Trespass to Property Amendment Act and the Trespass to Property Consequential Amendments Act would come […] Read more
Former researcher gets trial date
A former federal research scientist at the Swift Current research centre will go to trial after a preliminary hearing last week. Yantai Gan, 65, was charged in November 2019 and released on conditions until the hearing Dec. 13-14. On Dec. 16, he was bound over for trial in Court of Queen’s Bench but a date […] Read more
PM asks ag minister to focus on labour
Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says an agricultural labour strategy will be released in phases as Ottawa tackles issues around temporary foreign and domestic workers. Her new mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said developing a strategy should be her immediate priority. Bibeau said in an interview that work has been underway for a […] Read more
House agriculture committee starts session with new chair
Kody Blois, a Liberal MP from Nova Scotia, is the new chair of the standing committee on agriculture. Conservative Alberta MP John Barlow and Bloc Quebecois MP Yves Perron are vice-chairs. The committee held its first meeting Dec. 16, and Blois said before the members got down to official business that in his two previous […] Read more
