Being selected as a 2013 Nuffield Scholar led Clayton Robins, a rancher from Rivers, Manitoba, around the world. It was a journey that began by shining a light on grasses with high concentrations of water soluble carbohydrates, and eventually, meant turning up the house lights… “It branched into everything from looking at rumen physiology, ruminant... Read More
Category: Podcasts
From the reported merger talks between two giants in the ag input industry to limited talks about the proposed farm labour legislation in Alberta, here’s this week’s TWORA podcast, featuring perspectives from John Masswohl, Ian Brodie, Brian Voth, Derek Jamieson and Richard Phillips: Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
As field equipment grows in size and complexity — not to mention price — it's important to know how to use a machine before the start of peak busy season. Mistakes can be costly, both financially and in terms of safety. What if there was a way to practice driving a combine without all the... Read More
If you look back 35 years, there have been plenty of changes in Canadian agriculture and the environment in which farmers and agribusinesses operate. There are fewer farms now than in 1980, and they make up a smaller portion of eligible voters. While the societal contributions of farmers are no less important, governments tend to... Read More
Many of the Canadian companies who participated in Agritechnica — the world's largest ag trade show — in Germany last month were there as part of a delegation led by the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, also known as STEP. As president and CEO Chris Dekker explains below, STEP is a unique private-public partnership that... Read More
The P&H Milling Group, with support from the Ontario government, is building the first flour mill in Ontario in 75 years. Ontario Minister of Agriculture Jeff Leal made the announcement on Monday at Parrish & Heimbecker’s Hamilton Harbour location, where the new bulk mill is expected to commence operation in 2016. The expansion will allow... Read More
The World Trade Organization has given Canada and Mexico the go-ahead to retaliate against the U.S. for the discrimination caused by American country of origin meat labeling rules. The arbitrators’ decision issued Monday gave Canada permission to implement retaliatory tariffs worth up to C$1.055 billion per year. While the approved figure is less than the... Read More
In the day-to-day operation of a farm it can be a challenge to set aside time to chat about what the next generation expects in taking over the business. “Hey Mom/Dad/Uncle… I want you to know this is important…” sort of discussions are important because they help establish expectations, which are needed to begin a... Read More
Haven’t we seen this before? Traders and analysts were expecting Statistics Canada to peg the 2015 canola crop at around 15.6 million tonnes in the agency’s latest production report released Friday morning. Pre-report guesses ranged between 14.5 and 16.4 million. Most farmers reported better than expected canola yields at harvest, so everybody was expecting the... Read More
The Alberta government’s omnibus Bill 6 would impact farms and ranches by making Workers Compensation Board coverage mandatory, providing Occupational Health & Safety regulation in agriculture, implementing new labor laws and giving farm workers the ability to unionize. While the bill would affect agriculture, some of the complications in the communication of Bill 6 details... Read More