Small farms provide local food to residents of the territory through grocery stores, farmers markets and the farmgate
WHITEHORSE — Farming in the Yukon is filled with obstacles and opportunities, says territorial agriculture minister John Streicker. People are increasingly giving it a try, clearing land to plant vegetables or establish livestock operations. He told the Canadian Federation of Agriculture summer board meeting that farm capital has risen by 30 per cent in the […] Read moreNews
Gov’ts agree to fund grocery code adjudication office
The short-term funding comes after all five major grocery retailers in Canada announce that they will sign on to the code
WHITEHORSE — Agriculture ministers have agreed to spend $1.2 million to fund Canada’s new grocery code of conduct. During their annual meeting in Whitehorse last week, ministers heard that all major retailers had agreed to the code. Walmart and Costco were the final holdouts. The money is short-term assistance to support the code’s adjudication office. […] Read more
Farmer interest grows in plant biostimulants
Companies that make these products say more education is needed as producers continue to explore products’ potential
LANGHAM, Sask. — At 2 p.m. on July 17, Ryan Bonnett and many other people at the Ag In Motion farm show near Langham were seeking a place in the shade. The temperature was around 30 C and the word “hot” came up in most conversations at the show. The afternoon temperature was also on […] Read more
Farmer transitions from milk to drones and beer
Milt and Tash Olfert leave the dairy business and start two new ventures: one in the air and the other in the brewery
Two years ago, Milt and Tash Olfert decided to sell their dairy cows and quota and leave the dairy business. The southern Manitoba couple ran a dairy until their two children were in their 20s and could decide whether they wanted a farming career. “We could tell when they were in high school the interest […] Read more
Feedlot transition takes many steps
Family hopes to make process smoother by using a business tool, hiring a facilitator and holding weekly team meetings
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — Les Wall has ownership in three feedlots and a desire to retire, so the Wall family knew they had to get serious about succession planning. The family spent years planning and thinking about the future, and then took a giant step forward by joining EOS Traction, a business tool designed to bring […] Read more
Bank of Canada cuts interest rates
OTTAWA (Reuters) — The Bank of Canada has trimmed its key interest rate by 25 basis points for the second month in a row, bringing it to 4.5 per cent, and said more reductions in borrowing costs were likely if inflation continued to cool in line with forecasts. The central bank had kept its policy […] Read more
VIDEO: Producers look for results from new crop varieties
LANGHAM, Sask. — After a century of existence, the Western Producer knows a lot about what farmers want to know and need to know. However, in a rapidly evolving agriculture industry, both farmers and the newspaper have been leaping forward with new questions and needs they want addressed. That’s been highlighted by the 100 Farmers, […] Read more
Researcher shares ag knowledge one soil pit at a time
Les Henry Award winner Jeff Schoenau from the U of S looks back on the lessons passed down from his late teacher
LANGHAM, Sask. — Standing in a soil pit at the Ag In Motion outdoor farm show near Langham July 17, University of Saskatchewan soil scientist Jeff Schoenau entertained and educated a crowd of about 50 people with the basics of soil science. Schoenau waved his arms around, dug into the soil layers with a knife […] Read more
Pulse grower-funded lentils near release date
Limagrain and Saskatchewan Pulse Growers say their new red lentil varieties will offer ‘significant yield improvement’
LANGHAM, Sask. — Saskatchewan Pulse Growers’ new breeding partner is poised to release its first varieties. Limagrain has small red lentil varieties ready for commercialization, Benzon Lorenzana, the company’s head of cereals and pulse research for North America, said during the Ag in Motion show. They will offer “significant yield improvement” for Canada’s lentil growers, […] Read more
Farmers handed new sclerotinia weapon
Glacier FarmMedia – Canola growers have new weapons against sclerotinia. The Canola Council of Canada announced June 26 that three sclerotinia-related links top the page of its Canola Calculator, an online hub that also provides resources and tools for harvest loss, blackleg yield loss estimations, seeding rates, plant density targets and more. The first addition […] Read more
