Entertainment farms that sell rural experiences instead of simply growing food could be the next big trend in agritourism, market gardeners told growers in Saskatoon in November. Allen Schernus, who operates The Garden outside Calgary with his wife Norma, cited Knott’s Berry Farm in California as an example. It began as a simple fruit growing […] Read more
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Farms extol rural experience
Environment report threatens expansion
A changing of the guard in the Manitoba cabinet is causing the provincial government to reconsider the implications of a proposed expansion at the Maple Leaf hog slaughter plant in Brandon. In early November, the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission released a report on the Maple Leaf expansion and an accompanying waste water treatment plant upgrade. […] Read more
Co-ops lost in new ag world
The agricultural industry needs to know where it’s going before new co-operative development can really take off, says a University of Saskatchewan professor and expert on co-ops. Murray Fulton told a Regina conference last week that lack of leadership or a clear direction for agriculture leaves co-op-minded farmers in limbo. They are not sure where […] Read more
Vanclief’s cull program panned
In what may be one of his last major policy announcements as federal agriculture minister, Lyle Vanclief has unveiled $120 million in cull cow compensation that has one thing in common with many other programs he has announced over six years – most provinces and the farmers it is designed for don’t like it. On […] Read more
Hog industry on pins and needles
Jack Moerman has seen the best of times and the worst of times during his 30 years of raising hogs in Alberta. He considers the past five years to be among the worst. Moerman, vice-chair of Alberta Pork, is a partner in a 300-sow, farrow-to-wean operation. He said the venture is barely staying viable and […] Read more
B.C. bison promoters pursue investors for processing plant
GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. – A group of northern British Columbia bison ranchers is searching for more investors to help boost sales of buffalo meat. The Northern B.C. Buffalo Co. hopes money from another 10 investors will be enough to allow them to develop a marketing strategy to sell their bison sausage and meat across the […] Read more
Eastern cattle visit west after BSE closes border
REGINA – While no one has said “Go west, young heifer,” that could well apply to some of Canada’s best purebred cattle from the central and eastern provinces. In any other November, many purebred producers from Ontario and Quebec would be in Louisville, Kentucky, showing their cattle at the North American International Livestock Exposition rather […] Read more
University adds rural campus
Students from rural Alberta wanting to attend university may have a more attractive option in further education than being part of a large city campus. The University of Alberta has signed a letter of intent to have Augustana University College in Camrose become one of its faculties. Rod Fraser, president of the U of A, […] Read more
Ontario ag minister ready to deal with feds
TORONTO – Steve Peters, Ontario’s new Liberal minister of agriculture, says it is time to improve agricultural relations with Ottawa, even as he insists he will stand up for the province’s interests. He wants to reassert Ontario’s role as a key agricultural player among the provinces. Peters wants to reverse years of increasingly testy relations […] Read more
Alta develops own cull cow aid program
The Alberta government has learned from the previous mistake of tying aid money to the slaughter of animals, says Alberta agriculture minister Shirley McClellan. Four days after the federal government announced a federal cull cow program tied to slaughter, Alberta announced its own mature animal aid program not tied to slaughter. “If we had gone […] Read more
