Mary MacArthur

Alberta’s livestock industry has developed a plan to divert livestock in case the American border closes. While the chance of a U.S. border closure is remote, it was “imperative” a plan be put in place to divert livestock in case of border delays, said Tim O’Byrne, the Alberta Farm Animal Care Association livestock handling specialist. […] Read more

EDMONTON – A move to shift power within the organization that recommends which cultivars should be chosen for registration has been defeated. The shift would have granted more authority to smaller sub-groups that review registration requests for new cultivars and pass along their recommendations to the overarching Prairie Registration Recommending Committee for Grain. The PRRCG […] Read more

Canterra Seeds hopes to appeal a decision that rejected interim registration of a fusarium-resistant wheat. Canterra, the agent for the wheat Alsen, has applied to the Prairie Registration Recommending Committee for Grain to appeal the refusal of an extension of the grain’s interim registration. Margaret Coyle said they must wait to hear from the recommending […] Read more

Good fences make good neighbours, but good fence rules make better neighbours, an Alberta MLA hopes. Since 1980 in Alberta, landowners on both sides of the fence were supposed to share equally in the cost of building and maintaining a fence on property. But as fences got bigger to hold deer, elk or wild boar, […] Read more

VANCOUVER – With less than a month to the deadline for signing a new national farm policy, farm groups remain adamant that part of the new deal should be put on hold for another year. “No farm organization in Canada is ready to meet their producers and say, ‘this is good,’ ” Quebec farm leader […] Read more

VANCOUVER – Having an effect on international farm policy is like beating back a plague of locusts with a fly swatter, says the head of a global farm policy organization. With only a handful of staff and a limited budget, the International Federation of Agricultural Producers isn’t capable of influencing policy positions that affect farmers […] Read more

VANCOUVER, B.C. – While looking over delegates at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s annual meeting, a visitor couldn’t be blamed if they thought Alberta was the poor country cousin. Tables were full of delegates from Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada, but there were only two representatives from Alberta. “It’s an embarrassment to Alberta farmers […] Read more

VANCOUVER – Like a polite dinner guest, federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief asked his hosts how he should spend the final $600 million in agriculture transition money. But members of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture are doubtful the dinner guest listened to their answers. “I want to know your suggestions how we use it,” Vanclief […] Read more

EDMONTON – A trace of genetically modified material was found in a shipment of Canadian non-GM brown mustard exported to Europe in November and December, says the chair of the Canadian Mustard Association. “The European community of mustard buyers knows Canada has no GMO varieties of mustard, yet when they did a test, they found […] Read more

Paula Bordeleau believed her request was reasonable to move a proposed gas well from the north side of her home to the south side to reduce pollution. Her son, Coleman, has breathing problems. With the prevailing winds coming from the north, she wanted to minimize the amount of pollution coming from a proposed well into […] Read more