What if they gave an election and no one ran? Things haven’t reached that point, but as the Canadian Wheat Board director election officially got underway last week, no one had yet stepped into the ring to challenge the five incumbents seeking re-election. It’s still early days – the nomination period only opened Sept. 5 […] Read more
News
Slow start to CWB directors election
Peace farmers amazed at early harvest
SEXSMITH, Alta. – Harvesting tough, poor quality crops that are frozen into the ground or sprouted in the swaths is so common in the Peace River district that farmers are still amazed at the perfect harvest weather this year. Franklin Moller of Sexsmith, Alta., began harvest Aug. 20 and finished Sept. 5, the earliest he’s […] Read more
SWP boosts high speed internet
The days of dial-up internet may soon be a thing of the past for many Saskatchewan producers. The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and the information technology company VCom recently announced a plan to deliver wireless network coverage to more than 100 of the pool’s grain marketing and agri-product centres in Saskatchewan. The service is now available […] Read more
Sask. pork plant closes again
Twelve weeks after it reopened, Moose Jaw Pork Packers Ltd. has closed its doors again. The beleaguered slaughter and processing facility in Moose Jaw, Sask., suspended hog deliveries and shut down its kill floor Aug. 31 in what was described as a suspension of operations. Company officials wouldn’t talk to reporters before the Western Producer’s […] Read more
Collector still buying and selling
WETASKIWIN, Alta. – It’s taken almost 60 years for Stan Reynolds to collect thousands of antique cars, trucks, tractors, signs, arrowheads and other bits and pieces of Alberta history. It will likely take an auction sale each month for more than a year for Reynolds to sell off the extra antiques stuffed into sheds or […] Read more
Manitoba heeds flood concerns
The Manitoba government is exploring ways to alleviate flooding on farmland downstream from a dam it controls in the western part of the province. Affected producers say flooding downstream from the Shellmouth Dam has become more frequent during the past decade. Their main concerns are delays in seeding and damage the flooding causes to their […] Read more
Tomato project seeks to grow truly Canadian
A tomato growing project is designed to uncover each variety’s unique characteristics while also revealing its origins and breeding history. Seeds of Diversity Canada, which launched the Canadian Tomato Project, has 80 growers across Canada involved this year and wants to see more than 100 participating next year, said the group’s president Jim Ternier. “We […] Read more
Hot summer speeds Peace harvest
Dan Tschetter cannot remember finishing harvest in August – until this year. The field boss for the Peace View Hutterite Colony near Dawson Creek, B.C., said area producers usually run their machines into October and often November. This year, however, dry, hot weather advanced crops and reduced yields significantly. The colony’s canola yielded 12 bushels […] Read more
Biofuel strategy must help farmers, says CFA
The federal government must be prepared to boost its support for “energy crop” research and crop production support if Canadian farmers are to benefit from the expanding biofuel industry, says the country’s largest farm lobby. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture warned last week that if Ottawa does not offer Canadian farmers support and services that […] Read more
Blackleg protection may be found close to home
The blackleg family has a bunch of brothers, but two really stand out. One is a big bully, which often beats canola to a pulp. The other is a saintly type that protects the weak and helpless. A University of Manitoba researcher hopes to turn the saintly brother into the permanent protector of canola. “They […] Read more
