What makes a dairy farm sustainable? The definition of sustainability would suggest the future of Canadian dairy farms would rest heavily on environmental, economic and social factors. Farms need to respect the environment, make money and also reflect the aspirations of consumers and their growing awareness of animal welfare. In an era of increasing scrutiny... Read More
Category: Podcasts
The Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency is generally known for its work funding research and market development in the beef and pork industries, but the organization also has a vested interest in dairy. Whether its forage production, animal welfare or meat prices, dairy has more in common with other livestock industries than most recognize, says... Read More
The Chinese government has agreed to postpone tighter dockage standards on Canadian canola. In February, China indicated a new standard allowing no more than 1 percent foreign material would be implemented on April 1. As Reuters first reported on Tuesday morning, China's import policy changes have now been postponed until September 1, 2016. The Chinese... Read More
The entire seed industry value chain in Canada — from breeders through to grain companies —is adjusting to new Plant Breeders' Rights legislation following the ratification of UPOV '91 standards last June. As Lorne Hadley, executive director of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency, explains in the conversation below, the CPTA is working with all stakeholders... Read More
The ratio of workers to retirees in Canada has historically been around 5 to 1, however it's trending toward 2 to 1 in the next few decades. The implications this will have for government and the labour market was the topic of Andrew Coyne's talk at the Growing the Agri-Workforce Summit, as ag industry people... Read More
The number of soil tests in Manitoba with phosphorus concentrations below the critical level for crop production grew by 7 percent between 2010 and 2015, according to the new North American Soil Test Summary published by the International Plant Nutrition Institute. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec, as well as 13 U.S. states, all saw more... Read More
Do you grow wheat in a high-yield or low-yield part of the world? A farmer in the UK set the new record for world wheat yield in 2015, growing 16.52 tonnes per hectare or 246 bushels per acre. He broke the previous record of 233 bushels per acre set in New Zealand in 2010. In... Read More
In the summer of 2014, Cor Van Raay, a renowned agricultural entrepreneur in southern Alberta, donated $5 million to Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge to establish the Cor Van Raay Southern Alberta Agribusiness Program. And, as of last fall, the first initiative was offered under the program. The initiative is called the Agriculture... Read More
It's hard to believe, but we're into the final week of March already. This week's TWORA podcast includes part of a conversation with Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on what's in the federal Liberals' first budget for agriculture. We also hear from economist David Kohl on the importance of having a healthy amount of working capital... Read More
When it comes to busting food myths, the SciBabe has a simple message for farmers: “Don't let people without the facts control the conversation.” Yvette d’Entremont, known to many as the SciBabe, has emerged as a leading crusader against unproven food claims and pseudoscience in the media. Over the last two years, d’Entremont, who earned... Read More