Election promises of a federal renewable fuels mandate have topped up the tanks of ethanol and biodiesel enthusiasts. “It’s great news for ethanol. It’s great news for Western Canada,” said Lionel LaBelle, president of the Saskatchewan Ethanol Development Council. Doug Hooper, executive chair of Canadian Bioenergy Corp., the largest distributor of biodiesel in Western Canada, […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Organic products hit mainstream
When a company like Wal-Mart serves notice it will expand its interest in organics, it is either a sign of the evolution and maturation of the sector or a sign of the apocalypse, depending on perspective. “We are particularly excited about organic food, the fastest-growing category in all of food,” Wal-Mart chief executive officer Lee […] Read more
Maltster taps into organic beer trend
A Saskatchewan maltster is attempting to tap into the growing market for organic beer. Prairie Malt Ltd. has received two international designations enabling the company to start buying organic wheat and barley and processing it for markets around the world. Chantelle Donahue, the company’s barley supply merchant, said the new venture will provide a small […] Read more
Organic marketer ceases operations
One of the oldest and most influential organic marketing associations on the Prairies is closed for business. Marysburg Organic Producers is winding down operations after a 12-year run as a supplier of certified organic grain to wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers in Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan. The Spalding, Sask., company, once touted as […] Read more
Avian flu threatens canaryseed
Canaryseed sales could soon suffer from a case of avian flu, warns a special crops market analyst. There are early indications the hysteria over avian influenza may cut into pet bird sales, said Brian Clancey, editor of the Stat Publishing newsletter. “From that perspective there is a potential for a spillover impact into the birdseed […] Read more
U.S. pea crop could set record
American growers should seed their first million-acre pea crop next spring, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. “Dry pea seeding in 2006 could rise by a third or more, with expected gains strongest in the Northern Plains,” said the USDA in its Dec. 16 Vegetables and Melons Outlook. Growers planted 804,000 acres in […] Read more
Pulse centre demands royalty from outsiders
Canada’s top pulse breeding program is cracking down on American freeloaders. For years farmers in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States have been buying royalty-free pea and lentil seed developed at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre and paid for by Canadian growers through check-off dollars. These American growers are increasingly competing […] Read more
Farmers need urban ally in tax battle, says CTF
If Saskatchewan farmers want to resolve the decades-old education tax issue once and for all they must enlist the help of urbanites, says the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “I think that’s how we can get our win. We can get our win if we put pressure on the NDP’s core supporters,” said David MacLean, Saskatchewan director […] Read more
Cherry orchard bets on sweet tooth
LUMSDEN, Sask. – One year after establishing his organic cherry orchard, Dean Kreutzer found himself waging a war of biblical proportions. Standing on his 40-acre plot of land, a distraught Kreutzer watched as a plague of grasshoppers descended on his tree seedlings. “I was out there with a shovel going, ding, ding, ding,” said Kreutzer, […] Read more
Announcements may start carbon credit trade
Two carbon credit trading developments signify Canada is finally making progress on that front, say those who hope to one day capitalize on environmentally friendly farming practices. The establishment of a Canadian commodity exchange specializing in carbon credits, and a multimillion-dollar agreement between a Canadian agricultural firm and a large utility company, are signs that […] Read more
