A research scientist who discovered glyphosate-resistant kochia in Alberta earlier this year now believes glyphosate-resistant weeds may also exist in Saskatchewan. Hugh Beckie of Agriculture Canada says officials have received kochia samples from southern Alberta and south and central Saskatchewan, which would be the first to be documented in that province. “From what I can […] Read more
News
Glyphosate resistance spreading: researcher
Author returns to Sask. roots for literary excellence award
Sharon Butala may live in Calgary now, but her heart continues to belong to the rolling grasslands of southwestern Saskatchewan and the lifetime of relationships she forged in the province. “When you start to get old you want to go back to your roots,” the writer said Sept. 18 after receiving the Cheryl and Henry […] Read more
Food, fundraising campaign kicks off
Food bank use has increased 13 percent in 2012, says Farm Credit Canada CEO Greg Stewart
Those who grow food in Canada might be surprised to learn that 900,000 of their fellow citizens use food banks each month. They might also be surprised that 600 food banks are located in rural areas, where it’s easy to see the abundance of food being grown. Farm Credit Canada last week launched its annual […] Read moreBattle for acres moving to fall
Buying patterns change | South America a factor
The world’s crop markets are far more dynamic than they were just a decade ago, and farmers are helping make that happen, says a leading American grain market analyst. The advent of massive South American soybean exports and better-planned North American production by farmers means pricing for the next crop year begins much earlier than […] Read moreMustard firm seeks capital
A Saskatoon company that manufactures pesticides and fertilizers from mustard seed will soon be seeking more capital to expand its business. MPT Mustard Products and Technologies thinks enough demand is developing for its products to justify doubling production at its new 12,000 sq. foot commercial-scale manufacturing facility. The plant produces five tonnes of fertilizers and […] Read more
CFA not impressed with farm plan
Growing forward 2 ‘frustrating’ | Deal pays little attention to innovation, says CFA president
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has issued the strongest farmer criticism yet of the new Growing Forward 2 five-year policy framework that will sharply cut farm support funding levels while promoting innovation. CFA president Ron Bonnett said the Sept. 14 Whitehorse deal to be implemented April 1 is frustrating for farmers. Government projections estimate federal-provincial […] Read moreGround beef recall expands
A ground beef recall has expanded across Canada and into the United States. More than 210 products from an XL Foods facility in Edmonton are included in the voluntary recall. It covers products processed from Sept. 16-22. The first recall involved beef products going back to Aug. 16 when tests detected E. coli O157:H7. The […] Read more
Mega-farms cause unease
This is the second in a series of stories exploring the trend toward mega-farms and what it means to agriculture By Karen Briere, Regina bureau
The transition of land ownership underway on the Prairies is unsettling to some. Investor-owned tracts and family operations as big as 45,000 acres are not what people are used to calling farms. But the new agricultural model is undeniably gaining ground, and there are still more questions than answers about how the mega-farm will change […] Read moreGrain farmers feel hog barn strife
Puratone stumbled into bankruptcy protection, owing Kyle Foster $33,000 to $35,000 for high-value feed wheat he had recently delivered. He’s not alone. Other farmers near Arborg, Man., are in a similar situation, as probably are those who farm near other Puratone, Big Sky and independent hog barns across the Prairies as the industry grapples with […] Read more
Scientists call GM study ‘scientific misconduct’
The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) is calling for a moratorium on genetically modified crop approvals in the wake of a French study that found serious health issues with lab rats that consumed Monsanto’s GM corn. “Health Canada must re-evaluate the safety of all GM foods based on these results and halt new approvals until […] Read more
