Michael Raine

Consumer concern over chemical and biological residues in dairy and meat products is causing repercussions in the cattle industry. In the United States, the federal agriculture department reported earlier this year that a study of higher-than-allowable levels of residues were caused mainly due to farmers failing to follow withdrawal times of veterinary medications. The study […] Read more

The federal and Saskatchewan governments have announced plans to spend $12 million researching new crops over the next three years. The new money comes from the Agri Food Innovation Fund, a $91 million commitment from Ottawa and Saskatchewan to replace money from the Gross Revenue Insurance Program. Saskatchewan announced its withdrawal from the safety net […] Read more

Pulses are racing at the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan. Long-term financial support has been announced for the centre through a provincial farm organization. The Saskatchewan Pulse Crop Development Board is providing $340,000 annually for the next five years, along with 320 acres of land for pulse crop breeding programs. “We have […] Read more

Brown bags are OK for lunch, but they are not appreciated by the certified seed industry. Seed growers’ costs are rising from regulations and royalties on new varieties. Increasingly, they are being rejected by farmers who turn to their own bins for lower cost seed or who buy “brown bag” common seed. “We have to […] Read more

Achieving optimum seed depth is a critical challenge faced by winter cereal growers. The fall-seeded crops require the proper conditions to protect them from freezing winter temperatures. And seeding at the right depth to avoid winterkill is probably most essential, according to Saskatchewan consultant agrologist Larry Koturbash. “This can be a major problem faced by […] Read more

Woodstone Foods Corporation of Portage la Prairie, Man. continues to travel a rocky financial road, with the Court of Queen’s Bench acting as traffic cop. In April the company applied for bankruptcy protection and by November a meeting of creditors had secured debt restructuring agreements from all but one creditor. Woodstone produces food fibre from […] Read more

Saskatchewan medicinal herb growers hope to overcome supply problems by working together. A meeting of 18 farmers in Arborfield, Sask. last month laid the seedbed for a new pooling system for marketing and profit sharing. Twelve of the farmers agreed to meet through the winter to plan strategy and co-ordinate which medicinal crops members should […] Read more

Heavy rains and flooding from early snow melt have caused extensive damage to California crops, say agronomists and farm organizations. In the Central Valley region, surrounding Sacramento, industry officials are concerned about 150,000 acres of winter wheat that is threatened by flood waters from rivers and streams. In areas where levees have broken and fields […] Read more

The Prairies is not normally the place one expects to find a national Christmas tree winner. But Geordie McKay and his family, of North Battleford, Sask., have won the top place in the annual Canadian National Christmas Tree Competition’s Scots pine category and fourth prize overall. “I guess people never considered trees as viable crop […] Read more

EVANSBURG, Alta. – A year after an oil well blowout spewed oil over an Alberta farmyard, one farmer affected and the oil company have yet to settle on compensation. Amoco Canada and farmer Franz Richter have not agreed to compensation for cattle losses and herd impact from an oily spray that landed on Richter’s farm. […] Read more