This story is part of a series looking into the pools of human talent within Canada’s population that could help fill the growing labour shortage that is crippling many farms. Farms are desperately short of workers. There are pools of workers right near many of these farms, but farmers don’t often look to them. They […] Read more
Opinion
VIDEO: Radio reporters hustle to get agriculture news on the air
Always cheery, endlessly moving, oddly young-seeming — that’s the average farm broadcaster at farm and agriculture events. If you’ve been to many farm shows, you’ve probably seen a few. They’re often found holding a microphone in the face of farmers stopped along the rows and booths of a show or some bigwig thrown into a […] Read more
Farmers’ grain price prospects continue to erode
If price predictions are correct, the 2024-25 crop year will see significant price declines for most crops. Wheat and flax are the only crops where prices may be a bit better than the crop year that just ended. The Market Analysis Group within Agriculture Canada issues regular outlooks for the principal field crops grown in […] Read more
One sick cow could indicate larger problem with the herd
Experienced veterinarians and producers can take steps to avoid livestock health issues. An observant set of eyes and use of the other senses can often provide clues about problems that led to illness, and those can pertain to the entire herd. It’s important to recognize whether an individual disease or health condition is a one […] Read more
Look back at Aug. 1, 2019, issue
This column is part of a series that marks the Western Producer’s 100th anniversary by taking a deep dive every week into a past issue of the paper. The front page of the Aug. 1, 2019, issue was a good news-bad news scenario. The good news was in a story about Alberta Agriculture researchers training […] Read more
Cloned animals add wrinkle to divisive meat labelling debate
Barbecue season is in full swing, and most Canadians take advantage of warmer weather to cook meals outside. It keeps houses cooler and it just seems to make food more delicious. Meat is by far the most popular food item to barbecue, and hamburgers top lists compiled by research firms and foodie websites, followed closely […] Read more
When is a grizzly hunt not a hunt?
Curiouser and curiouser,” said Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as didmany of us who are pondering the Alberta government’s contention that the latest plan to shoot grizzly bears isn’t a hunt. No, in double-speak, it is “protection of life and property from problem wildlife.” According to Todd Loewen, minister of silly stuff, the government […] Read more
Much to celebrate, ponder during Food Day Canada
There was grim news from the United Nations last week in a report about progress to end world hunger by 2030. The bottom line is that those efforts have stalled. In its annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, the UN said approximately 733 million people faced hunger in 2023. “We […] Read more
Much to consider when preparing farm’s next generation
In 2023, the Canadian Bar Association reported that $53 billion worth of land is expected to change hands as farmers retire over the next decade. Despite this, 88 per cent of farms lack written succession plans, and by 2033, 40 per cent of Canadian farmers will retire, marking a significant transition in Canadian agriculture. Additionally, […] Read more
Recent analysis on capital gains tax is misleading
Farmers now have another reason to bash the Trudeau Liberals — the increase in the capital gains tax inclusion rate. Unfortunately, many of the arguments against the tax don’t withstand scrutiny. Certainly, taxes of all kinds are too high in Canada. In the case of the federal government, the public employee contingent has ballooned, expanding […] Read more
