OLDS, Alta. – Randy Kaiser never wanted to be just another cowboy. He did not want to raise conventional cattle and deliver them to the auction every fall and accept whatever bid was offered that day. Instead he found a new way to sell his naturally raised beef. Along the way, he became politically involved […] Read more
News
Alberta cowboy rides path less travelled
Accident takes life of hog producer
Larry Friesen’s death has shocked Manitoba hog farmers.”This is going to leave a hole in the hog industry,” said Manitoba Pork Council chair Karl Kynoch about Friesen’s April 28 death after he fell from a barn roof on his farm near Rivers.”He was very involved and people knew him all across the country.”The 58-year-old represented […] Read more
Accused bomber has rural roots
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) – Saudi Arabian investors are looking to expand agricultural investments in the United States to secure long-term food supplies because of water shortages in the desert kingdom. Investments could include buying crop land, obtaining long-term land leases of 30 years or more, taking equity stakes in major food companies or contracting directly […] Read more
Letters to the editor – for May. 13, 2010
Crowns are safe In response to Ms. Sloan’s letter to the editor in your April 15 edition, I want to assure your readers our government has no plans to privatize crown corporations.Our support of the crowns can be seen in the dramatic increase provided for their capital spending programs to renew and expand their production […] Read more
Sask. new Weed Control Act will impose heavy fines
Saskatchewan has new weed control legislation but it won’t take effect until after this growing season. The Weed Control Act was passed recently to replace the 100-year-old Noxious Weed Act. However, it won’t be proclaimed until the fall. Provincial weed specialist Clark Brenzil said over the summer officials will determine which weeds fall into three […] Read more
Manitoba takes lead on humane cages
Embracing more humane cages hasn’t made Manitoba Egg Farmers popular with egg producers in Canada.”We took a bold move and went forward,” said Manitoba Egg Farmers chair Harold Froese to the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association April 28.”Now we are being considered even more than we were before (to be) leaders in the animal […] Read more
Liberals promise high speed internet
Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has promised that a federal Liberal government would connect all of rural Canada to high-speed internet within three years of being elected.It was the final plank in the Liberal pre-election rural platform that also includes a promise of a national food policy, incentives for health professionals willing to work in rural […] Read more
Research major plank in competitiveness review
The federal government should increase research funding, invest more in publicly funded variety development and make the variety registration system more flexible, says the House of Commons agriculture committee. In a report on agricultural competitiveness more than a year in the making, the committee said in a report published May 6 that the sector is […] Read more
Winnipeg says no to plan for chickens in back yards
Manitoba’s egg producers aren’t erecting barricades against an invasion of backyard chicken producers, says the chair of Manitoba Egg Farmers.But they aren’t encouraging the development of urban flocks.”We discourage it because of the huge health risk,” said Harold Froese to the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association.”Our fear is the risks, because we as an […] Read more
Barn fires kill cattle, hogs in Manitoba
Back to back barn fires last week killed 450 dairy cows and 5,000 pigs near La Broquerie in southeastern Manitoba. The first fire destroyed the Hausammann and Sons dairy farm, causing an estimated $10 million in damage, said Alain Nadeau, the community’s fire chief. The second fire razed three pig barns, resulting in a loss […] Read more
