REGINA — Grain and General Services Union workers employed by Viterra will vote on the company’s latest final offer over the next two weeks. Locals 1 and 2, representing country operations and head office staff, respectively, were set to walk out at 2 p.m. today if a deal had not been reached. In a website […] Read more
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GSU members vote on Viterra final offer
Workers will be working to rule during the voting period
Owner raises alarm after sheepdog goes missing
Alberta RCMP treat the disappearance as a theft but caution they do not believe an organized crime ring is involved
CALGARY — The theft of a dog from a farm near Cochrane, Alta., has sparked fears by its owner that criminals may increasingly be targeting such animals in rural areas of the province. Such crimes are likely being underreported by producers, said Aynsley Foss of Foss Hollow Farms, whose dog, Dixie, was stolen Nov. 27. […] Read more
Protein may be oats’ next step
WINNIPEG — In a laboratory at the University of Manitoba, Lovemore Malunga held up a Ziploc bag containing a whitish-light brown powder. He opened the bag and carefully poured the powder into a small, plastic container. A master’s student, Vanessa Alexander, placed the container on a scale. She adjusted the scale to account for the […] Read more
Seeding dates can be tricky
WINNIPEG — The science around canola and seeding dates can be confusing. Plant early in May to maximize yield or seed later to avoid flea beetles, frost and re-seeding costs? “(There’s) always lots of questions (about seeding date),” said Chris Holzapfel, research manager with the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation. “It can be a difficult […] Read more
U of S hires lentil, fababean breeder
CALGARY — Unlocking the potential of lentils and fababeans to sustainably boost the bottom line for prairie farmers is the goal of a scientist who has been appointed an Agri-Food Innovation Fund Chair at the University of Saskatchewan. Pulses have been consumed by people for millennia, said Ana Vargas, who will head the university’s lentil […] Read more
Producers urged to send carbon tax message
Campaign looks for natural gas and propane receipts so that they can be used to pressure Ottawa to approve exemption
CALGARY — Producers are being urged to join a Canada-wide campaign to send federal politicians the message that carbon taxes on natural gas and propane must be lifted off the necks of farmers and ranchers. The #ShowYourReceipts initiative is encouraging producers to share their natural gas and propane expenses with the Agriculture Carbon Alliance, said […] Read more
Oat protein challenges beta glucan in heart health race
WINNIPEG — Beta glucan fibre in oats became a big deal in 1997, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that eating oats “reduced the risk of coronary heart disease.” Health Canada followed the FDA lead more than a decade later when it agreed that beta glucan lowered blood cholesterol. Related stories: Oat sector […] Read more
El Nino does strange things with prairie winter weather this year
WINNIPEG — The weather in December, as many Canadians noticed, was abnormal. As an example from the Prairies, the average daily high in Saskatoon was 0.5 C for the first three weeks of the month. That’s eight degrees warmer than the normal daily high for the month of December. Barrie Bonsal, a research scientist and […] Read more
Ag warned of artificial intelligence challenges
Technology leader says agriculture industry has been slow to adopt AI tools but also faces a crisis in public confidence
CALGARY — An expert told a conference of agricultural leaders that Canada must deal with a crisis in public confidence in artificial intelligence, likening it to the monster under the bed. Surveys have shown many Canadians don’t understand AI, and how it can provide a leg up for industries such as agriculture, said John Weigelt, […] Read more
MPs call defining ‘emergency’ key to new transport rules
Ag committee identifies emergency management and hours of service as main concerns with proposed regulations
Truck drivers can legally exceed their regulated hours if it’s an emergency, but when does animal welfare meet that description? That was among the topics tackled as the House of Commons agriculture committee released its report on challenges facing the livestock transport sector. The report, Striking a Balance: Electronic Logging Device Requirements Impacting Animal Transportation, […] Read more
