Roberta Rampton

Farmers can double or triple the “horsepower” in their businesses by putting to work the skills and talents of all family members, according to management consultant Rob Napier. But all too often, farmers overlook human resources by leaving their spouses out of major decisions. Family teamwork has never been more important than in this period […] Read more

Alliances between farmers and marketers are becoming increasingly important as the value of Canadian agricultural exports grow, says the head of the George Morris Centre in Guelph, Ont. Larry Martin said much of this growth is driven by consumer-ready products, but while those markets hold opportunities for farmers, they are also more complex and risky […] Read more

Wearing blue jeans and sneakers, the boys walked into the agriculture minister’s office, bold with the sincere optimism only found in the young. They emerged 45 minutes later with cheeks slightly redder and faces somewhat downcast. Harley Shepherd, 13, and Daniel Kliever, 14, farm kids who live just east of the Saskatchewan border near Elkhorn, […] Read more

Don Neufeld hadn’t yet seen Harley Shepherd and Daniel Kliever on the news, discussing their concerns about hog barns near Kola, Man. But he said he figured the boys were likely to have a strong impact on urban viewers. In the past few years, the grain farmer and municipal councilor from Kola has been in […] Read more

More Manitoba livestock producers may have to file plans with the government about how they intend to spread manure, and find ways to store their manure during winter. A panel studying livestock expansion in the province since June has returned its recommendations to the government. It suggests the government classify farms with at least 300 […] Read more

The prairie hog industry had the wind sucked out of its sails Jan. 15 with an announcement that capped pressures to expand hog production. Canadian industry giant Maple Leaf Foods said it will buy rival Schneider Corp.’s pork slaughter and processing plants in Winnipeg for $45 million. The move will help Maple Leaf increase slaughter […] Read more

An upcoming debate in the United States over whether the government should ban food made from hemp will likely be fraught with rancor and politics. But Berkeley, California, researcher Gero Leson hopes a recent study on hemp food will inject some science into the public comment period on the proposed rules. The peer-reviewed toxicological study […] Read more

For months, hog industry insiders have been wondering why Schneider Corp. hadn’t moved on applying for permits for a plant expansion it announced Jan. 31, 2000. On Jan. 15, 2001, they got some answers. Schneider revealed it won’t invest $125 million in Winnipeg. Rather, it will sell its processing operations to rival Maple Leaf Foods. […] Read more

Now that the holidays are over, farmers are checking out market prospects and crop production shows while turning their minds to the 2001 growing season. Analyst Randy Strychar expects oats to figure prominently in cropping plans in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan this year. Strychar, who runs Statcom Ltd. in Vancouver, said he thinks oat acres […] Read more

Farmers have taken advantage of some profitable forward prices to sell more than 250,000 tonnes of the 2001 oat crop. The heavy forward selling indicates oats will be a popular crop option this spring, say analysts, especially for farmers in the eastern Prairies. But interest has less to do with oat prices – which so […] Read more