After attending enough political conventions, they all start to blur together. Some memories stand out, though. One is being at a Saskatchewan NDP convention in Saskatoon (2016, I think) and seeing a rural member talking about agricultural policy. In the member’s mind, there wasn’t much of any agricultural policy in the Saskatchewan NDP’s playbook and […] Read more
Opinion
Must Reads
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![Gophers are a serious problem, which warrants serious coverage. However, every once in a while a freelance photographer sends us photographs of the irksome creatures, usually in the spring and always looking adorable. We can’t seem to resist, and into the paper they go. | Sandy Black photo]()
When the enemy is too cute for words
A newspaper like The Western Producer never wants to glorify a farm pest, but sometimes we just can’t seem to…
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![Newer, bigger equipment only gets the job done when you have enough people to keep everything running. | File photo]()
Increased seeding capacity not just about equipment
As we strive as grain farmers to cover more acres more quickly and efficiently, the emphasis is often on equipment…
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![Sulphur deficiency: know the signs, have a plan]()
Sulphur deficiency: know the signs, have a plan
Say you're walking through your wheat field and spot some yellowing on upper leaves, but the lower ones look fine.…
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![Farm families could benefit by embracing the concept of a predetermined transition. | File photo]()
Predetermined transition could ease farm succession
Discussion centred around transition tends to focus quite a bit on the generation that is exiting. Thinking about that causes…
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U.S., Canada have challenge selling green policies to farmers
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and United States President Joe Biden are fighting the same fight — to get farmers on…
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Stories from our other publications
Global trade a bulwark against economic challenge
Self-reliance is a laudable attribute in some instances but it’s not one Canadians should consider for themselves, or encourage in others, when agriculture is involved. We’re exporters. Our economy is structured around building stuff, growing stuff, digging stuff up and then shipping it out. Exports are about 33 percent of our gross domestic product, about […] Read more
Restore grain commission’s relevance
Media discussion in the run–up to the current Canada Grain Act review has focused on two issues: cost of Canadian Grain Commission operations and alleged duplication of services as grain companies push to replace independent CGC inspection with third-party inspectors. Cost and efficiency are important, and concern would be warranted if justified by the facts, […] Read more
When the enemy is too cute for words
A newspaper like The Western Producer never wants to glorify a farm pest, but sometimes we just can’t seem to help ourselves. I’m talking about the Richardson’s ground squirrel, more commonly known as the pesky gopher. These rodents are not the farmer’s friend, causing significant damage to hay, pasture and cropland. It’s been a serious […] Read more
Increased seeding capacity not just about equipment
As we strive as grain farmers to cover more acres more quickly and efficiently, the emphasis is often on equipment when more attention might be justified on the labour side of the equation. Newer, bigger equipment only gets the job done when you have enough people to keep everything running. How often do you see […] Read more
Predetermined transition could ease farm succession
Discussion centred around transition tends to focus quite a bit on the generation that is exiting. Thinking about that causes me to wonder how we could determine when someone actually started farming in the first place. We could say it was when someone started working on the farm, but that would be before they became […] Read more
Letters to the editor – May 13, 2021
Farmers be wary of gene editing The WP editorial, Canadian gene editing rule deserves farmer support, in the April 8 issue is entirely focused on the wrong issue. The central issue for farmers is, “will customers purchase food produced (or) created using gene editing?” It would seem our customers in Canada, Europe, South Asia and […] Read more
BLOG: Guess what? Farms are now poisoning the air you breathe
In the era we live, with Facebook friends who are experts in vaccines and social media influencers who have done “all the research” on viruses, communicating actual science is not an easy task. With all the noise on the internet — the jackhammers and buzz saws that drown out reasonable discussion — it’s hard to […] Read more
Easier to raise myths than sustainably produced beef
The beef with beef is spreading. It’s spreading myths. It’s spreading misinformation. And, it’s spreading a danger to the environment. A little bit of truth can go a long way toward making a lie seem right. Concerns about beef most recently arose following a move by food publisher Epicurious. The well-known online food site has […] Read more
U.S., Canada have challenge selling green policies to farmers
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and United States President Joe Biden are fighting the same fight — to get farmers on board with ambitious climate plans. Industry groups in both countries say efforts are already being made to reduce emissions. That is true in many instances, but as was pointed out in a recent Canadian Agri-Food […] Read more
