If the pulse industry is seeking a promoter of fababeans, they couldn’t find a more enthusiastic spokesperson than Armand Friesen. “I’m certainly open to talking about fababeans. Especially now with the fertilizer and feed costs, it’s a tremendous crop to get into,” said Friesen. He is growing a half section of the legumes this year […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
U.S. conservation program turns bitter
This is Part 1 of a two part series examining the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). (Part two is available here.) This week, Western Producer reporter Robert Arnason talks with North Dakota producers who say that wildlife groups have hijacked the mandate of the CRP, which was designed to take marginal land […] Read more
Ruling opens conservation land to haying, livestock grazing
Wildlife groups and cattle producer associations are describing a compromise court ruling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s critical feed program as a victory for their members. On July 24, U.S. District Court judge John C. Coughenour ruled that the critical feed program could go ahead but only for producers who signed up for the […] Read more
Co-operatives wrestle with brand problems
What comes to mind when the word “co-op” is mentioned? When the British co-operative association Co-operators UK asked that question earlier this decade, not all the answers were expected or pleasant. Many Britons described co-ops as old-fashioned and inefficient, said Peter Couchman, a British co-operative consultant. Couchman, who spoke at the annual meeting of the […] Read more
Inspection plan causes little stir
Proposed changes to reduce government inspections at feed mills and meat packers is not the potential disaster many critics say, said a spokesperson for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “Visual inspection, which we all know now, isn’t scientifically worth a whole lot,” said Rob McNabb, general manager of operations with the cattle group. “You need to […] Read more
Eye in the sky keeps track of field colours
In trucks rolling down grid roads by Biggar, Sask., or bouncing across hayfields near Amaranth, Man., the cab commentary can sound similar this time of the year. The driver will often turn to the passenger and say, “hmm, it looks a lot greener this year compared to last.” Well, thanks to Agriculture Canada and Statistics […] Read more
Man. soybeans behind schedule
Like most prairie crops, soybeans could use a blanket this year. A cool spring and chilly overnight summer temperatures have delayed the oilseed’s development in Manitoba’s Red River Valley. “We are a week or 10 days behind, but if we can get some warm days and warm nights, that will be overcome,” producer Andrew Saramaga […] Read more
Traders anticipated latest crop news from U.S.
As events go, the July 11 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates was a non-event. In what has become a volatile market, with limit moves based on the smallest morsel of news, the estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture barely budged prices. “Friday’s report came out as close to expectations as any report ever […] Read more
Check out feed wheat market
It pays to shop around when marketing feed, even midgrade wheat as the end of the crop year approaches, because the domestic feed market is paying strong prices. If wheat is graded as feed at the local elevator, think twice before accepting the first offer for the truckload, says Brenda Tjaden-Lepp, a Winnipeg market analyst. […] Read more
CFIA worker fired over document
The firing of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency employee for disclosing a confidential document was a “heavy-handed reaction,” says the head of a union representing federal government employees. “We have filed a grievance,” said Michele Demers, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. Biologist Luc Pomerleau was fired July 4 for […] Read more
