In recent days, the warmer weather returned, the snow left the fields and the combines were back at work. It should have been a good time for farmers, drinking up the fields with their machines, but instead it will be another intensely stressful harvest. And if forecasts are correct, they’ll be facing snow again shortly. […] Read more
Opinion
Must Reads
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Ag debate a good airing but left many questions
Political debates offer parties the opportunity to explain their priorities and challenge their opponents. In that respect, the agricultural debate…
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Recognize ag technology’s importance
We love technology. Apple brings out a new cellphone and there are lineups around the block. Yet, when it comes…
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Maybe, just maybe, Trump’s right on trade. Maybe Canada should learn
Donald J Trump is appalling in many ways. Maybe in most ways. He's a bully and a liar. He encourages…
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U.S. farm aid covers up policy failure
You know you’re deep in the rabbit hole when bad news — say, a government report that shows steep cuts…
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Many non-farmers remain connected to agriculture
How do you run a big farmer event without farmers? That’s what I was pondering — a compelling rural mystery…
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Federal election must address agricultural issues
Anyone who checks out Maclean’s magazine’s policy platform tracker for the federal election campaign would be disappointed when they click…
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Stories from our other publications
Start planting the seed about the importance of soil health
What’s the big deal about soil? It’s all over the place. And anyway, it only affects farmers, right? That might be your first reaction upon seeing the title of this article. That’s because we really don’t talk much about soil, one of our most precious resources. I want to change that. Of course, soil is […] Read more
Anti-GMO EU takes Amazon crisis heat
European environmental organizations were among the first to publicly advocate against the commercial introduction of genetically modified crops more than 20 years ago. Since this time, these environmental groups have intensively lobbied to have GM crop production banned in the EU. Today, they’ve been successful in that effort, as Portugal and Spain are the only […] Read more
Feds’ climate program may be too costly
I recently received a call from a Saskatchewan farmer who said he’d dried grain only twice in 45 years — both times in recent years — so he was now looking to convert from propane to cheaper natural gas. He had read our Sept. 26 article in which Saskatchewan MP Ralph Goodale advised farmers to […] Read more
Expanding the farm at all costs can be disastrous
All the trade issues are well known. So is the weather risk. While farm income levels have been exceptionally strong over an extended number of years, the party in the grain sector seems to be ending. Finances are tightening up and the years ahead could be a struggle. As farmers, we often point out that […] Read more
Letters to the editor – October 10, 2019
Telling it like it is on climate change Re: Climate action takes on religious undertones, column by Kevin Hursh (WP, Sept. 26). Many thanks for this article. What a breath of fresh air that is. You describe your perceptions in an excellent, forthright and compelling manner. I have just one point to make on this. […] Read more
Could Canada run a two-track trade policy?
One track for the rules-following folks and one for the cheats?
We keep hoping this present worldwide binge of protectionism, geo-political bullying and bad-will will fade, subside and JUST GO AWAY! But if it doesn’t, what does Canada do? How do Canadian farmers adapt to that fact? It’s like with climate change: We hope it can be stopped, but if it can’t be, what do we […] Read more
Maybe, just maybe, Trump’s right on trade. Maybe Canada should learn
Donald J Trump is appalling in many ways. Maybe in most ways. He’s a bully and a liar. He encourages racism and xenophobia if it helps him politically. He’s undermining his nation’s constitution on a regular basis. His disgraceful conduct is coarsening American mores. But maybe he’s getting one thing right, or mostly right. Maybe, […] Read more
Ag debate a good airing but left many questions
Political debates offer parties the opportunity to explain their priorities and challenge their opponents. In that respect, the agricultural debate held Sept. 24 was moderately successful. Liberal Marie-Claude Bibeau, who was minister of agriculture in the Trudeau government, and Conservative agriculture critic Luc Berthold were handcuffed by their parties’ decisions not to release their agricultural […] Read more
Recognize ag technology’s importance
We love technology. Apple brings out a new cellphone and there are lineups around the block. Yet, when it comes to technology and agriculture, the same people that stand in line for the latest phone seem to want to go back to the technology of 1950. We had pesticide-free, grown without fertilizers, and non-GMO agriculture […] Read more
