Spices, pedigreed seed | Eskdale Seed Farm goes with the flow as markets change and prices rise
LEROSS, Sask. — The Heggie family has found themselves in the land reclamation business this fall. It was another wet year on the family’s Eskdale Seed Farm near Leross. With harvest complete and previously flooded areas dry, Robert Heggie and his two sons, Kyle and Joel, are trying to reclaim the 1,400 acres they were […] Read more
Robin Booker
Stories by Robin Booker
Cyberbullying can have deadly consequences for teens
Help your child avoid becoming a target of cyberbullying:
Part of growing up includes acquiring emotional aptitude and taking responsibility for how others are affected by our actions. However, children and youth can be cruel to each other while they are maturing, as illustrated by the events leading up to the recent suicide of 15-year-old Amanda Todd in British Columbia. Public concerns over bullying […] Read more
Durum supply tight but price remains steady
Durum prices might strengthen in the new year, but the rally may come too late to hold acres as producers consider more profitable crops when making next year’s seeding decisions. Jim Peterson, marketing director for the North Dakota Wheat Commission, said 2012 world durum production was 1.3 billion bushels, down slightly from 2011 and down […] Read more
B.C. ag minister searches for meat inspection options
Ottawa pulls back | Some fear that giving abattoir staff responsibility for inspections will damage credibility
Questions surrounding who will assume responsibility and pay the costs for meat inspections once the federal government pulls out are beginning to escalate in British Columbia. Ottawa plans to pull out of providing inspection services at some meat-packing plants in the province at the end of next year. B.C. agriculture minister Norm Letnick said the […] Read moreFood samples pass test
None of the 879 samples of children’s food tested for pesticide residue in a Canadian Food Inspection Agency study exceeded maximum residue limits. The Children’s Food Project collected food samples, including cereal, dairy, fruit and vegetable based products that were sold as infant and toddlers food in Ottawa and Gatineau, Que. Seventy-five percent of the […] Read more
Lessons learned in biosecurity exercise
A simulation of a poultry disease outbreak held in early October provided lessons for animal health experts. Thirty-five animal health practitioners participated in the simulation, held at the University of Alberta research farm. They included personnel from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Alberta Agriculture. Brad Andres, emergency program manager for Alberta Agriculture, said the […] Read more
Chinese interest in flax likely to rise
China will continue to increase imports of Canadian flax, but some Chinese importers aren’t just looking for flax seed. Linda Braun, executive director of the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission, says they also want consumer-ready food products. When Braun participated in a Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership mission to China In September, she talked to Asian […] Read more
STARS improves rural, remote emergency response
STARS air ambulance began operating out of a temporary hangar near Saskatoon’s airport Oct. 15 and has the ability to transport patients within more than 500 kilometres from the city. Rod Gantefoer, executive vice-president of Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society, said the helicopters’ versatility, including the ability to land on highways, parking lots and close […] Read more
Disease outbreak simulation provides chance to learn
A simulation of a poultry disease outbreak offered a chance for animal health experts to gain some hands-on experience. Thirty-five animal health practitioners participated in the simulation, held at the University of Alberta research farm. They included personnel from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Alberta Agriculture. Brad Andres, emergency program manager for Alberta Agriculture, […] Read more
Camelina growers attract $150K
Dragons’ Den | Three Farmers gets cash infusion following TV sales pitch
A Saskatchewan business has received national attention after a successful bid in the Dragons’ Den. Natasha and Elysia Vandenhurk convinced Arlene Dickinson, a marketing and communications expert, to invest $150,000 in exchange for a 20 percent stake in Three Farmers, a camelina oil producing company. The idea for producing camelina culinary oil in Saskatchewan began […] Read more
