Sitting on multiple boards during a lifetime is an invaluable experience. Having dedicated board members involved in policy and agriculture commissions can spark real change for agriculture in Canada. Jeff Nielsen spent time as a director of the Alberta Barley Commission, and as the chair — through the position's various names — of Grain Growers... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has officially announced the membership of the Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council. The council is a central component of the Food Policy for Canada program, that was announced in 2019. The announcement, which was part of the virtual Food Systems Summit Dialogue, convened by the Arrell Food Institute... Read More
The Western Canadian grain trade, with the support of the Prairie provinces, is launching a campaign to push for changes to "outdated and problematic" federal rules around the oversight of Canada's ports, mainly driven by cost increases at the Port of Vancouver over the last few years. The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) says its... Read More
Grain companies have laid out their priorities for the current review of the Canada Grain Act, with consultations underway until April 30. There have been multiple attempts to update the Act going back to the early 2000s, but they've all been derailed before reaching the point where the legislation was changed. As Wade Sobkowich, executive... Read More
Everyone has a different motivation to get involved in agricultural policy — sometimes family is an influence, other times it's the drive to advocate on behalf of a certain commodity. Essex, Ont., farmer Brendan Byrne was elected at the beginning of February to the position of chair for Grain Farmers of Ontario. Before being appointed,... Read More
Sometimes when you find yourself waiting in line at the elevator you get grouchy. Sometimes though, you find yourself leveraging that grouchiness into a role in shaping agricultural policy. Devon Walker runs a grain farm near Lashburn, Sask., with his wife and their three girls, and just recently transitioned to the full management of the... Read More
The federal agriculture minister tried to address some of the questions coming from farms and other businesses that employ temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in a news conference on February 12. Employers of TFWs have been seeking clarifications regarding the federal government's international travel restrictions and COVID-19 isolation protocols, as workers arrive for the upcoming growing... Read More
The theories range from "evil" American milk making its way into Canada, to mistreatment of cows or mysterious supplements fed to cows, to enzyme activity; but any sort of factual explanation for why some Canadians are saying butter has either changed consistency at room temperature or changed in flavour since August 2020 remains a mystery.... Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario has elected its new board chair. Brendan Byrne is the director for District 1 (Essex) and has served on the board since 2015. He farms with his father and family in Essex County. GFO represents Ontario‘s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers. “I’m honoured to be elected the next... Read More
John Guelly, also known as "Mr. Clubroot" across the prairies, has dedicated the last six years of his time to the Alberta Canola Producers Commission (ACPC), and that time has now come to an end. The outgoing Region 5 director spent time on a variety of committees for ACPC, including chair of the research committee,... Read More