Other industry organizations will need to take over key functions now performed by the Canadian Wheat Board if the single desk is eliminated, says an American wheat industry leader. Alan Tracy, president of U.S. Wheat Associates, said the elimination of the single desk could leave a void in farmer advocacy, market development, customer support, export […] Read more
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CWB end will leave void, says official
Aid to East Africa slow and inadequate
Robert Fox, executive director of Oxfam Canada, says little time is left to avert catastrophe. The United Nations has officially declared a famine in parts of Somalia. Yes, a famine, in the 21st century and in a world that produces more than enough food to feed everyone. Because of years of internal conflict and stalled […] Read more
Colourful spiked flowers add excitement to garden
Plants that produce tall spires covered with individual florets creating spikes of flowers provide texture and architectural interest to the garden. Tall spikes contrast with the many rounded forms in the border and immediately catch our attention. Lupins, one of the first spikes to appear in the garden, often bloom in June. Since they are […] Read more
GM crops needed to aid hungry
Activists are doing poor people a grave disservice by continuing to oppose genetic modification, says a former director of agriculture and rural development for the World Bank. “Frankly, what I think Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have done is a crime against humanity in generating the opposition,” said Robert Thompson, senior fellow at the […] Read more
Western Producer Ag Notes – for Aug. 4, 2011
SEEDS FOR SPORT Twenty-three minor hockey teams in Western Canada are sporting new hockey jerseys, following a contest run by Pioneer Hi-Bred. Prairie hockey players entered the Hockey Jersey Bonanza to win new jerseys for their teams. Entrants submitted a drawing or short story about their hockey dream or why hockey is important to them […] Read more
Grasslands National Park formation marred by conflict
Within the borders of Grasslands National Park lie old homesteads still referred to by family names. Larson, Belza, Gillespie, Walker and others are now part of history. A cowboy hat display at the Prairie Wind and Silver Sage museum and gallery pays respect to these early ranches. The park made its first major land purchases […] Read more
U.S. should expect subsidy cuts: expert
American farmers should brace for deep cuts to their farm subsidy programs, given the cost-cutting mood of the U.S. Congress, says one of the authors of the 1985 farm bill. Robert Thompson, senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, said there won’t be as much money to fund programs in the 2012 farm […] Read more
China extends canola agreement
Canada has secured continued access to its top canola market. China agreed to extend a temporary arrangement allowing canola shipments infected with blackleg disease to be processed at five crushing plants located outside of the country’s rapeseed growing regions. “This is tremendous news for our canola producers and processors and is a testament to our […] Read more
German tractor driven out by demand for luxury
OLDS, Alta. — Willie Klanten prefers the comfort of his John Deere tractor with its GPS, stereo and air conditioning, but he has a soft spot in his heart for the Lanz Bulldog. The Lanz Bulldog tractor first rolled off the assembly line in 1921 in Mannheim, Germany. Today, Klanten probably has Canada’s largest collection […] Read more
Restoring native grassland focus of park plan
Visitors to Grasslands National Park see lots of grass in the spring. It is green, but it’s not the kind of grass the park wants. It is crested wheatgrass, a boon to the ranchers who ran herds in these dry plains before the area became a national park. The wheatgrass takes over if left unchecked, […] Read more