Richardson International isn’t just a grain company and regional player any longer, and it’s spending more than $30 million to prove it. A new Richardson Innovation Centre will be built in downtown Winnipeg, in the shadow of the Richardson Building, both as a way to develop new food products and to prove to buyers and […] Read more
News
Alta. aims to bolster local food sector
New provincial legislation will create a local food council and local food week and change organic certification
As demand for food grown and made in Alberta continues to surge, the province is hoping a slight boost to the sector will help it expand further. The province tabled the Supporting Alberta’s Local Food Sector Act in the legislature last week. Once passed, it will allow for the establishment of a local food council, […] Read more
Red Williams remembered as respected leader
U of S academic and researcher, who has died at 93, established deep connections in the Canadian agriculture industry
Western Canadian agriculture is mourning the loss of one of it most recognized and dedicated academics, teachers, extension workers and promoters. Charles Melville Williams, known as Red, passed away March 26 at the age of 93. During a career that spanned eight different decades at the University of Saskatchewan, Williams established deep connections in the […] Read more
Organic production continues to grow in Sask.
SaskOrganics has attracted a cross-section of organic and conventional producers to its various workshops
The number of organic farmers in Saskatchewan could soon eclipse 1,000, according to the president of SaskOrganics. Garry Johnson said interest in organic production is increasing, along with consumer demand for organically produced food. “There’s a great amount of interest right now,” Johnson said following the SaskOrganics annual general meeting in Saskatoon in late March. […] Read more
Winter wheat condition unclear
WINNIPEG (CNS Canada) — It’s still too early to assess how the western Canadian winter wheat crop fared this winter, but there is some uncertainty because of the unseasonably cold April temperatures. “We start losing cold tolerance, especially in March and going into April now, and that’s when you need to monitor temperatures or for […] Read more
Uniform plant stands boost seed yield
Researchers increased canola seed yield up to 32 percent at low-yielding sites and by 20 percent at higher yielding sites
Using her index finger, Justine Cornelsen pointed toward five small plants, clumped together in the corner of a plastic tray filled with soil. The canola plants were less than seven centimetres high because they had just emerged from the soil. Cornelsen, a Canola Council of Canada agronomist in Manitoba, took a quick look and then […] Read more
Case made for business plan
PONOKA, Alta. — About a quarter of Canadian farmers lack a written business plan even though it could increase profitability. A 2015 Ipsos Agriculture study called Dollars and Sense conducted in 2015 showed those with a written plan had a five times higher return on assets than those who do not, said Herman Simons of […] Read more
Feed barley price climbs higher than malt
Feed barley has been feeling pressure recently because of higher export volume and increasing corn prices
WINNIPEG (CNS) — A tight supply of barley has pushed feed prices higher than prices for malt barley in Western Canada. “(Feed barley prices) make some of these other prices look a bit ridiculous. There’s no demand from the domestic maltsters because they’ve all been plugged up ever since harvest,” said Rod Green with Central […] Read moreDairy processor modernizes
The federal government’s Dairy Investment Fund is investing up to $3.9 million in Fromagerie Bergeron in Saint-Antoine de Tilly, Que., to help the cheese processor install robotic equipment and further automate its production lines. The new production lines will help Bergeron market sliced, grated and different (Gouda-style) cheese sizes, in addition to raising its cheese […] Read more
AG Notes
Rancher receives forage leadership award Graeme Finn has been awarded the 2018 AFIN Leadership Award from the Alberta Forage Industry Network. Finn and his family run a cow-calf operation near Madden, Alta., and have incorporated intensive rotational grazing and winter grazing strategies into their management system. The award is designed to recognize leadership in Alberta’s […] Read more
