QUEBEC CITY —The worldwide co-operative movement should consider non-traditional funding sources, such as non-co-operative capital funds and hybrid share structures to fuel growth, says a groundbreaking international study. But it will a delicate balance for co-ops between continuing to serve the needs of their members and their social economy values, while making investment returns attractive […] Read more
News
Co-ops urged to consider alternative funding sources
Rain in Kansas welcomed but area not out of the woods yet
Much of Kansas received 25 to 50 millimetres of rainfall last weekend, which is fantastic news for the state’s winter wheat crop, said a spokesperson for the Kansas Wheat Commission. Topsoil and subsoil moisture in Kansas was rated as short or very short before the rainstorm, and winter wheat was struggling to emerge from the […] Read more
Sask. company wins big on Dragon’s Den with camelina venture
A homegrown Saskatchewan business has received national attention after a successful bid in the Dragon’s Den. Natasha and Elysia Vandenhurk convinced Arlene Dickinson, a marketing and communications expert, to invest $150,000 in exchange for a 20 percent stake in Three Farmers, a camelina oil producing company. Natasha said they got what they were looking for […] Read more
Red Hat unveils new expansion with open house
REDCLIFF, Alta. — That little Red Hat sticker on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in western Canadian grocery stores means the food comes from growers in southern Alberta. The vegetables are handled and shipped from the Red Hat Co-operative, which has 40 active members who collectively grow vegetables in 110 acres of greenhouse. Red Hat will […] Read more
Farm building code update gets thumbs up
Farm building code update gets thumbs up
An initiative to update Canada’s farm building construction code has been met with approval from a national organization of builders. A representative of the Canadian Farm Builders’ Association (CFBA) was included in a group that made recommendations for updates to the National Farm Building Code of Canada, which was last published in 1995. The group, […] Read moreAG notes
Little Green Thumbs program growing Saskatchewan’s Agriculture in the Classroom is partnering with Agrium to expand the Little Green Thumbs program across Canada. The indoor gardening program for elementary students provides participating schools with a kit to grow a year-round fruit and vegetable garden in the classroom. The program, which started in four Saskatchewan schools […] Read more
Hydraulic lift raises spirits of stroke victim
Otto Wiest had a stroke eight years ago and the resulting weakness in his left arm and leg eliminated his ability to get into his tractor. It was frustrating for the 78-year-old farmer from Evansburg, Alta., who has worked the fields all his life. His neighbour, Scott Osborne, saw that frustration, and earlier this year […] Read more
Leadership needed to reduce hunger: professor
GM technology is expected to improve tolerance to extreme conditions and create more nutritious crop varieties
An Australian professor is convinced the human race is capable of producing enough food to feed nine billion people. However, Les Copeland of the University of Sydney is less convinced we will eliminate hunger, considering we now produce enough food to feed the world’s population but one out of seven people go to bed hungry […] Read moreHerbicide resistant weeds force greater herbicide use
Herbicide tolerant crop varieties have led to an increase in overall herbicide use in U.S. corn, cotton and soybeans, according to a recent study. Professor Charles Benbrook of Washington State University found that the emergence of weeds resistant to glyphosate has led to 239 million more kilograms of herbicide used in the United States since […] Read more
Man. MP named ag committee chair
A Prairie MP becomes chair of the House of Commons agriculture committee for the first time in five years and only the second time in more than two decades. Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Merv Tweed was elected last week. Tweed, elected in 2004, replaces Ontario rural MP Larry Miller, who has been chair since 2007. The […] Read more
