Each year, we look at the top-read stories on producer.com. The results are interesting and wide-ranging.
Here are the top-10 online stories of 2018.
10. “Tractor trip ends in tragedy.” In July, Elmira, Ont., dairy producers Henk and Bettina Schuurmans travelled across Canada to promote Canadian dairy. After a collision with a truck on Highway 16 near Saskatoon, Bettina Schuurmans was killed and her husband, Henk, was severely injured.
9. “Aussie grain giant puts mega farm up for sale.” In June, one of the biggest farms in Australia, extending up to 495,000 acres, was listed for sale at a price tag of $72 million to $82 million.
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8. “Day of reckoning coming for pre-harvest glyphosate?” In August, reporter Robert Arnason observed that farmers who continue to use glyphosate as a desiccant prior to harvest are courting trouble.
7. “Cattle handling can damage families.” In July, cattle handling expert Dylan Biggs suggested the stress many families experience when herding, loading and processing cattle could have an effect on farm succession.
6. “Rural landowners walk fine line when defending their property.” In May, defence lawyer Don Smith explained that citizens do not have a duty to retreat when being victimized by property crime or violence, but he advised they should avoid the confrontation if possible.
5. “CWD found in new area of Sask.” In November, chronic wasting disease was discovered south of Melfort, Sask., marking its presence in 45 of 83 management zones in Saskatchewan.
4. “Teen takes different approach to farming.” A story in June detailed how Carson Ebeling, 14, of Lacombe, Alta., uses a 1950 McCormick Super W6 tractor pulling a 1929 John Deere steel wheel seed drill to farm 38 acres.
3. “Spectacular tractor collision near Westlock results in only minor injuries.” In September, the driver of a tractor suffered only a broken arm after the machine he was operating was involved in a collision with a semi-tractor-trailer carrying propane near Westlock, Alta.
2. “India hikes chickpea duty again.” In March, the Indian government raised the import tariff for chickpeas from 40 percent to 60 percent.
1. “40,000-acre farm goes organic.” In March, we reported that Travis Heide’s 40,000 acres of cropland in eastern Saskatchewan will go all organic by 2020, creating the largest organic farm in Canada.
