The Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA) has found a new home. The provincial flax organization was previously headquartered in Winnipeg at the Flax Council of Canada's office, but the Flax Council closed its doors at the end of January. As of March 1, 2018, the provincial flax organization will have its operations and programming administered... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Will the growth of cover crops lead to an explosion of plugged tile drains? According to Ohio State professor and farm drainage specialist Dr. Larry Brown, there's little evidence to suggest that cover crops are going to cause drainage headaches for farmers. At the recent Ontario Certified Crop Advisors annual meeting, Brown says he often... Read More
Mole drainage is a concept for reducing waterlogging in heavy clay soils by creating underground tunnels for water, similar to tile drainage, but without the cost of pipe. The subsurface drains are created using a single-shank plow with a cylindrical "torpedo" attached at the bottom, leaving a channel for water to flow along, generally at... Read More
For decades, the average Canadian was of British, western European, or even American descent. Over time, most people's idea of "average" has stayed the same, but the actual demographics have shifted, and in some ways, the change is quite dramatic. Canadians are much older, more suburban, and more multicultural than ever. Instead of European influence,... Read More
February 13 marks the second annual Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to "celebrate the food we love." Everyone involved in the agriculture and food industry is encouraged to celebrate in their own way — from hosting an event, to posting their agriculture pride online and through social media channels, or by engaging with customers and... Read More
The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency's preliminary forecast for spring runoff underlines the concerns about dryness in the heart of the prairie region. Soils in southern areas were dry at freeze up with ample storage available in wetlands after a record dry summer in parts of southern Saskatchewan and below normal fall precipitation. "With dry fall... Read More
The federal government has launched consultations on regulations for new "front-of-package" food labels designed to communicate if a food is high in sodium, sugars, or saturated fat. "The consultations launched today are geared towards helping Canadians make healthier food choices. Identifying foods that are high in sodium, sugars, or saturated fat is not always easy,... Read More
Low unemployment, major tax cuts, and looming trillion dollar deficits — the U.S. economy is hot, with growing concerns that it may be at risk of over-heating. Increasing odds of higher inflation and interest rates have stoked a pullback and volatility in the stock market after the Dow climbed to record highs in late January.... Read More
Let's face it, the Powers That Be can't win. When it comes to funding agriculture and food projects, we want support to advance agriculture and build capacity at a local level, but we also want to criticize where every penny (nickel?) goes. And when a company or organization that received funding goes broke or packs... Read More
Today’s updated World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report was by no means a market mover. But, it does pose some questions for the market to digest. Starting with the U.S. Supply and Demand, it was, for the most part, fully influenced by adjustments in export demand. 2017/18 U.S. corn ending stocks estimates were... Read More