Former French President Charles de Gaulle is often quoted as once saying, “no nation has friends; only interests.” It’s something to keep in mind as we approach what promises to be an interesting year. There’s a new volatile and unpredictable administration south of the border. As an example, the president-elect has selected Robert F. Kennedy […] Read more
Opinion
Advance planning plays key role in successful retirement
This article contains a cautionary tale about the Kash family, a fictional farming family that didn’t want to put any effort into planning for their retirement. Instead, they were aware of favourable tax rules that allow for transferring farm property to children on a tax-deferred rollover basis, and therefore their “plan” was to just give […] Read more
Sure-profit cropping options hard to find
The years of no-brainer cropping options appear to have ended, at least for now. The growing season ahead doesn’t offer the certain profits of previous times. Weather and markets are unpredictable, but in recent years you could contract a profitable price on many crops and with correspondingly high crop insurance prices, you could go a […] Read more
Do queen bees cause climate change?
Like most Canadians, I’m familiar with the fable of the boy who cried wolf. As everyone knows, shouting “wolf” at every opportunity didn’t end well for that boy. Something similar could be happening in the world of agricultural research. News releases about research projects in Canada often include a sentence or paragraph about how the […] Read more
Farmers demand improved rail policy
Nov. 7, 1885, was an historic day in Canada’s economic development with the momentous completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, marked by the driving of the last spike. This pivotal event not only symbolized the physical unification of the country but also ignited a tradition of profitable railways lobbying for governmental support that has persisted […] Read more
Deportation, tariffs expected as Trump’s second act
Every pre-election poll for the U.S. presidential race saw it as a too-close-to-call nail biter. Not one predicted the sweeping victory posted by former, now President-Elect Donald J. Trump. How did all miss the coming rout? And rout it was. Trump swept all seven of the swing states, a feat no candidate had pulled off […] Read more
Ag sector is trustworthy, so show it, don’t tell it
Those of us with a front-row view of agriculture in this country are shaking our heads over findings of the latest survey on consumer trust in the food system. When the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity recently canvassed 2,800 Canadians, it uncovered a sharp drop in public confidence. While 31 per cent said they believe […] Read more
Letters to the editor – November 21, 2024
Risky coal mines Alberta leads the country in cattle production, and it’s important to hear the concerns of ranchers regarding the proposed new coal mines at Grassy Mountain, Tent Mountain and elsewhere in southern Alberta. On Tuesday (Nov. 5) I was glad to be one of 10 or more Calgarians visiting a Nanton community hall […] Read more
Financial benchmarks play key role in a farm’s success
Many farms and ranches that come to my team often ask a similar big question: How can they get more out of what they already have? They know something isn’t quite right with their operation, but they’re unsure what it could be or where to begin. All around them, challenges arise — whether it’s finding […] Read more
Expect increased volatility with Trump’s return
What should Canadian agriculture expect from a Donald Trump presidency? There’s no shortage of opinions and analysis. Here’s what seems the most plausible. While the transition to Trump won’t officially happen until his inauguration on Jan. 20, many details of his intentions will be telegraphed in advance. As well, the team around him will become […] Read more
