Noble efforts have been made to try bringing rural and urban Canadians closer. And now, with the Trans Pacific Partnership being signed, expect those efforts to intensify. Agricultural journalists and communications professionals are paying attention to this imperative. “Fixing Fences: Bridging the Rural-Urban Divide” was the theme of the 60th annual Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation... Read More

After more than five years of negotiations, trade ministers and negotiators in Atlanta announced the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal on Monday morning. Negotiations continued into the night on Sunday, delaying a joint news conference that was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon. According to New Zealand's trade minister, negotiations on dairy trade only ended... Read More

Grains this week were mixed as the market was chasing weather, export trade data, and harvest headlines. We ended the trading quarter this week, and oats was the biggest loser, dropping 15% over the course of it, followed by Chicago wheat (-12.8%), soybeans (-12.1%), canola (-10.6%), and corn (-10.5%). From a currency perspective, the Canadian... Read More

A U.S. government agency has identified what it believes is the most likely way the devastating PED virus entered the country and infected millions of pigs. The findings are both surprising and a reminder that biosecurity plans must be thorough. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service considered 17 plausible scenarios that could explain... Read More

Statistics Canada has raised its production estimates for wheat and canola, but there’s a good chance the final numbers after harvest will be higher, according to the head of ProFarmer Canada. The September StatsCan estimates, based on a survey of 9,300 farms conducted between September 3 and 13, were released on Friday morning. The all-wheat... Read More

There seems to be some confusion regarding the intentions of the Conservative government at the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, particularly in regards to supply management. The entire dairy industry, the federal NDP, federal Liberals, and anyone that would never send a Christmas card to Stephen Harper feel that supply management is bound to be busted... Read More

Farmers watched as planters and seeders of all sizes, shapes and capabilities rolled down the field during the planting and seeding demonstration at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock last month. Some planted at 10 MPH while others showed off their ability to plant multiple crops, combine seeding and tillage, or the flexibility to plant... Read More

  Editor's note: Andrew Campbell, who farms in southern Ontario, served as the moderator for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture's national ag leaders debate on Wednesday. A summary of the debate can be found on our live blog. An open letter to three federal election candidates in my riding: Mr. Bev Shipley (Conservative incumbent) Mr.... Read More