Farmers can work closely with industry and maintain a strong, independent voice, say farm leaders within the oat and canola industries. Western Canada’s nascent wheat grower organizations are split on how and whether to work with processors, marketers and other parts of their crop’s value chain. However, the oat and canola industries say they are […] Read more
Tag Archives Special Report
Can farm groups partner with industry yet be independent?
Cereals Canada: one voice for farm groups?
There was a time when farmers grew grain, sold it to the local elevator and that was that. Now, producers are expected to work with grain companies and life science corporations on objectives that benefit the entire grain industry, from farm to food processor. Most farmers acknowledge that collaboration is necessary, but some producers are […] Read more
Consensus critical when determining course of action
Cereals Canada intends to be guided by the consensus opinions of its members, says Cam Dahl, the organization’s president. If farmer representatives aren’t in favour of a particular initiative then it’s not likely to proceed, he said, regardless of what the rest of the board thinks. “I can’t see Cereals Canada going forward in a […] Read more
Keeping kids safe on the farm
Accidents happen in all occupations but farming is particularly dangerous because it’s where families live, play and also work. The tasks change with the seasons, but the risks to children are constant and the youngest family members are often the most vulnerable. Farm parents are no different than other parents, except that they live, work […] Read more
Teaching safety to youth
Laura Nelson said many families have shared their stories with the centre during its 17 years of safety education programming for rural schoolchildren. Families often approach the centre, hoping to strengthen what it does by sharing their own stories, said Nelson. “Families come to us because they don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” […] Read more
Match work to ability
Young workers should:
Young workers should be physically and mentally capable of tasks assigned to them on the farm, says an agricultural health and safety specialist. Glen Blahey of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association said the Model Policy for Canadian Youth Employment in Agriculture is a voluntary set of guidelines to help keep young farm workers safe. Adapted […] Read moreTraining, adult supervision needed
Mike Prud’homme has heard all the excuses: “I’m not going very far.” “I know what I’m doing.” “Nothing is going to happen.” The Canada Safety Council’s national co-ordinator for off-road vehicles says operators must treat these machines like motorized vehicles with all the inherent dangers. “Stuff happens very fast,” he said, noting how distractions such […] Read more
Identifying hazards minimizes liability
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The increasing popularity and numbers of agritourism farms present special challenges for operators. Marsha Salzwedel, a research specialist with the National Farm Medicine Centre in Wisconsin, said that means paying greater attention to safety protocols to minimize accidents and limit liability. She told the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association annual conference […] Read more
Is it time to relax land ownership restrictions?
Deb Smith’s blood boils when she thinks of her son having to compete with a $234 billion pension fund to buy a parcel of farmland. That is what could happen in the wake of the recent ruling by the Saskatchewan Farm Land Security Board that the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is eligible to buy […] Read more
Which statistics?
Number of organic farmers in Canada:
Verifying the number of organic farms in Canada is not an easy task. News releases and promotional materials from organic groups often report that the number of certified organic farms grew by 66.5 percent in Canada from 2001-2011. That number is from federal census data, but organic industry estimates tell a different story. The number […] Read more
