Canadians and Italians like each other. Italian culture has formed a deep part of the Canadian fabric, and Canadians buy hundreds of millions of dollars of goods from Italy every year. However, there have been some hiccups recently in the trade relationship between Canada and Italy, highlighted by the protectionist measures being used to block […] Read more
Opinion
Must Reads
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Ag Day – Opportunity provided by a Rural Economic Development Minister
Opinion As part of the recent Cabinet shuffle, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the opportunity to expand the Cabinet table…
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All sides will win under recent orphan well ruling
Last week’s Supreme Court decision establishing that bankrupt oil companies cannot renounce their environmental responsibilities strikes the appropriate balance between…
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Acreage not best way to judge a farm’s success
How many acres do you farm? It may seem like a straight-forward, natural question, but it isn’t always a comfortable…
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Self-help group leads way in Ethiopia
Two years ago, Mulusew Kebede had never imagined owning a business. On her small farm near Woldiya, Ethiopia, Kebede, aged…
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Recommended utopian diet admirable but impractical
There is nothing wrong with setting the bar high when it comes to planning a diet that will be healthy…
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Diplomatic uncertainty still weighs on canola markets
ICE Futures canola contracts trended higher over the course of the week ended Jan. 25 as the market saw a…
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Stories from our other publications
Shelving rail costing review puts gov’t on wrong track
It’s puzzling that both the governing Liberals and the Conservative government before them have avoided a full costing analysis for moving grain by rail. Rail companies are regulated with maximum revenue entitlements on grain transportation, in part because there are only two major carriers, so farmers are justified in seeking to know how much it […] Read more
Protect yourself from scammers pretending to be CRA
Have you received a phone call from someone claiming to be with the Canada Revenue Agency demanding payment? Have you received an email from the CRA requesting personal information, such as your social insurance number or driver’s licence? Maybe they even said you were eligible for a refund? If you provided information, you may have […] Read more
Culture shift is difficult, but ag has shown it is possible
I’ve been noticing a significant culture shift within the industry lately, one that will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the long-term health and sustainability of farming. As an industry, we’ve minimized the powerful stigma that exists around mental health. Industries, just like people, typically won’t change unless they have to. However, low points or […] Read more
More transparency needed on fertilizer prices
Many analysts complain about a lack of grain price transparency in Western Canada, but grain prices are readily available compared to pricing information for fertilizer. Scores of analysts weigh in each day on what’s happening in the marketplace and whether prices are likely to go higher or lower. By comparison, fertilizer pricing is a black […] Read more
Farmers need more carbon tax analysis
Last week’s front-page story by Robin Booker was a substantial piece. After filing a series of requests through the federal Access to Information Act to determine what, if anything, the Canadian government had done to determine the effect of the pending carbon tax on farmers, Robin searched through a mountain of information to determine that […] Read more
Letters to the editor – February 14, 2019
Food guide debate needs some clarity My comments are not directed at the revised Canada Food Guide. In many respects, it is the old guide with a fresh coat of paint, where meat is back in the bad books, plus dairy, but good advice on more fruits and vegetables. My comments concern some of the […] Read more
Ag Day – Opportunity provided by a Rural Economic Development Minister
Opinion As part of the recent Cabinet shuffle, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the opportunity to expand the Cabinet table with the creation of a ministerial position focused on rural economic development. We congratulate Minister Jordan on her appointment and welcome the addition of another voice at Cabinet that can speak to, among other things, […] Read more
All sides will win under recent orphan well ruling
Last week’s Supreme Court decision establishing that bankrupt oil companies cannot renounce their environmental responsibilities strikes the appropriate balance between economic opportunity and the environment. The 5-2 decision released Jan. 31 means that trustees who oversee disbursement of assets belonging to insolvent companies must first use the proceeds from those assets to clean up abandoned […] Read more
Acreage not best way to judge a farm’s success
How many acres do you farm? It may seem like a straight-forward, natural question, but it isn’t always a comfortable question to answer. Plus, the answer can be open to a lot of interpretation. You’ve probably been asked the question repeatedly if you engage in conversations at farm trade show booths while talking to vendors […] Read more
