Public image | Despite a growing chorus of criticism in media, an anti-activist group says popular opinion is on farmers’ side
Ryan Gosling and his dog, George, recently weighed in on the controversial issue of gestation crates. The famous Canadian actor thinks farmers shouldn’t be allowed to put sows into gestation crates for even a few weeks before being moved into open housing. Any time in confinement for an animal is “something I would never dream […] Read moreNews
Star power adds new dimension to ongoing sow stall debate
Land rehabilitation helps boost grass production
B.C. operation | Environmental programs help rancher put more cattle in pasture
LUMBY, B.C. — Keith and Cheryl Altwasser had a lush crop of grass late last month on their 160 acres near Lumby in British Columbia’s northern Okanagan Valley. That considerable grass cover might not have been possible without long-term planning with the Environmental Farm Plan program, the Farm Riparian Interface Stewardship program and the B.C.’s […] Read moreAlta. RMs fear being left on their own to rebuild
Rural municipalities do not want to be forgotten as rebuilding and repairs begin across flood-ravaged southern Alberta. “Although there seemed to be some big initial contact from the government, it seems to have dropped off,” said Bob Barss, president of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties. He said he saw considerable damage during […] Read more
Feds recognizing co-ops’ political, economic clout
The Conservatives were elected in 2006 with overwhelming support from rural Canada, where co-operatives are strong, but a national co-op leader says they may not have understood the sector. Bill Dobson, president of the Canadian Co-operative Association and a former president of Alberta’s Wild Rose Agricultural Producers, said many Conservative MPs had a learning curve […] Read more
French, English co-ops unite for stronger political voice
A national organization that speaks for the entire country will be an enormous benefit, says Canadian Co-operative Association president
Canada’s co-operative political structure is undergoing its most radical change in more than a century as English and French-speaking co-op organizations join into a national organization. Prairie co-op leaders will be at the forefront of managing the transformation, including newly elected Canadian Co-operative Association president Bill Dobson, a farmer from Paradise Valley, Alta., who is […] Read moreRitz’s extended stay draws mixed reaction
Most farm leaders commenting on the reappointment of Gerry Ritz as agriculture minister said that after speculation about a new minister, the news adds stability. “I think he has been a successful agriculture minister,” Grain Growers of Canada president Stephen Vandervalk said from his Fort Macleod, Alta., farm. “We look forward to working with him.” […] Read more
Dark skies spell trouble for fields
Severe storm destroys crops | Tornadoes wreak havoc across southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba
Severe weather that slammed southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba has ended harvest hopes for some farmers. Hail losses ranged from light to 100 percent in an area from Weyburn, Sask., to Pipestone, Man., from the July 13 storms. Murray Bantle, chair of the Canadian Crop Hail Association and chief operating officer of Co-operative Hail Insurance […] Read moreToday’s farmers not to blame for contamination of past: report
Today’s farmers aren’t responsible for most of the phosphorus that is slowly killing Lake Winnipeg, concludes a draft study examining the issue. However, heavy phosphorus use in the past is haunting the vast watershed that feeds the rivers that lead into the world’s 10th largest body of fresh water. “The phosphorus that’s in the system […] Read more
Wheat shows resistance to nematodes
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. — Root-knot nematodes are destructive root parasites that infect thousands of plant species, including horticultural and field crops. About 2,000 plant species and subspecies are at risk of infection, and the nematodes cause about five percent of global crop loss. The worm larvae infect plant roots and cause galls that drain nutrients, […] Read more
Pullet producers waiting for decision
Canada’s 550 pullet producers are waiting for a decision from Ottawa on whether they can form the newest supply management agency. Pullet Growers of Canada, which represents farmers who raise birds for the Canadian egg-producing sector, applied to the Farm Products Council of Canada for agency status during public hearings in Ottawa and Winnipeg. Sector […] Read more
