Farm, agrifood groups say government understands the importance of temporary foreign workers to agriculture
WINNIPEG — The federal government’s new policy on immigration will not have huge consequences for agri-food processors or farmers, say spokespeople for the Canadian Meat Council and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Last week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a plan to cut the number of temporary residents in Canada to curb population growth from […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
Research aims to boost heart healthy oil in oats
Genetic modification was used to increase the amount of oleic acid in the grain, which could also apply to other crops
WINNIPEG — Oats are already a superfood, considering they contain healthy compounds such as beta-glucan that help lower cholesterol and control blood sugars. However, scientists at McGill University in Montreal believe it’s possible to make oats even healthier by improving the quality and quantity of the oil in oat grains. The researchers have found a […] Read more
Producers lose their climate villain reputation
MINNEAPOLIS — There is an idea, widely spread in the media, that agriculture must be fixed. The standard narrative is that modern farming is destroying the atmosphere with greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, farmers should stop using fertilizer, no longer raise livestock and grow only organic hempseed — or quinoa. Related stories in this issue: However, […] Read more
![A top-down approach [to regenerative agriculture] can work, maybe, but it does have limitations. Some food and agriculture companies have realized that this movement should be handed back to farmers, says University of Washington geologist David Montgomery. | File photo](https://static.producer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/22141434/03-RKA121018_david_montgomery2-660x420.jpg)
Regenerative agriculture resumes bottom-up approach
MINNEAPOLIS — In 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of artificial intelligence, David Montgomery was encouraging farmers and the agricultural industry to make a major shift. The University of Washington geologist and author of the book Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations was a regular speaker at farm conferences across North America. Related stories […] Read more
Sustainability has a problem
MINNEAPOLIS — Mars has a problem. Not the red planet, but the company. It’s one of the largest human and pet food companies in the world, posting $50 billion in revenue last year. Related stories in this issue: Global sales have been increasing, and this year the privately held company acquired the Kellogg’s line of […] Read more
NFU calls for efficacy testing of non-fertilizer supplements
WINNIPEG — The federal government should re-instate efficacy testing for non-fertilizer supplements, says the National Farmers Union. The current system, where it’s unknown if products work or not, is a cost and a risk for Canadian growers, the NFU says in a report published Oct. 21. “‘Farmer buy-and-try’ should no longer be the norm for […] Read more
Low-carbon fertilizer plant planned for U.S.
MINNEAPOLIS — A Swiss firm is planning to build a green fertilizer plant in Washington state. If everything goes according to plan, it could be operational by 2027 and the company may deliver some of its low-carbon fertilizer to western Canadian farmers. Atlas Agro, which has headquarters in Zug, Switzerland, has completed the engineering study […] Read more
Province aims to create food corridor in southern Alberta
Invest Alberta has a mandate to attract food processors to the region and support the expansion of existing businesses
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A few years ago, when Jason Kenney was premier of Alberta, the provincial government conducted a study on investors. The government wanted to understand global investors, how they perceived Alberta and how those perceptions affect the province. The result was a wake-up call — global players don’t think about Alberta; it’s not […] Read more
Producers report favourable potato crop yields
Early results suggest the Canadian crop could be one of the largest on record and a dramatic increase from five years ago
WINNIPEG — Potato growers won’t duplicate last year’s record crop, but 2024 will likely be a solid year for yields and national production. Statistics Canada and United Potato Growers of Canada don’t have official figures because the harvest is still underway but early results suggest the crop will be smaller than the 128 million hundredweight […] Read more
Researchers develop battery powered by soil
It’s hoped producers will use the batteries to power the in-field sensors that are becoming more common in agriculture
WINNIPEG — There can be billions of micro-organisms in a single gram of soil. That massive population of bacteria and fungi deliver many functions for crops, such as breaking down nitrogen molecules so the nutrient becomes available to plants. Scientists in the United Kingdom have learned that soil microbes can also perform a task unrelated […] Read more
