“The definition of mentorship is to empower. The meaning of empowerment is to enable, liberate, engage, free and permit. It is the drawing out of the very best in a person without the constraints of expectation or entitlement. Thus, to mentor is to guide the process so that an individual has the power to change... Read More
Category: Western Canada
The Trans-Pacific Partnership, federal election, Blue Jays playoff baseball and more — here’s this week’s ag news podcast: Poll: What Would Your Ballot Look Like if You Voted Strictly on Ag Policy?
Life is all about relationships, whether working with a neighbour on the farm or helping students and teachers understand science. And that's exactly what Bonnie Schmidt, the president of Let's Talk Science, discussed at the Advancing Women Conference East in Toronto this week, where she delved into the importance of trusting others and working together.... Read More
Regina-based AGT Food and Ingredients has announced an agreement to purchase Mobil Capital Holdings Ltd., the parent company of Mobil Grain, for $57.5 million. The price includes the issuance of $19 million of common shares in AGT and a $19.5 million promissory note. Founded by Lavern and Sheldon Affleck, Mobil specializes in operating a modular-designed,... Read More
Dairy farmers are currently employing 34,000 robots around the globe and manufacturer DeLaval expects that number will double in the next five years. Since robots began appearing on farms in the 1990s, most have been confined to smaller farms throughout Europe, including Germany, France and the Netherlands. Canada currently sits sixth in the ranking of... Read More
The majority of respondents to the Saskatchewan government's farmland ownership review this summer said they oppose foreign ownership and investors such as Canadian pension funds purchasing farmland in the province. More than 3,200 people submitted their views during the consultation process that ran from May 20 to August 10. The results were published on Wednesday.... Read More
The response from much of Canada’s agriculture sector to the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations has been positive, as it appears to assures critical export market access for grains and oilseeds, beef and pork. Supply-managed sectors still have some concerns, but most of their worst fears about the deal did not come true. While... Read More
John Deere’s new ExactEmerge retrofit kit will allow farmers who own the company’s late-model planters to step up their speed and accuracy. John Deere launched its ExactEmerge seed delivery system in 2014, promising farmers precise seed placement and spacing while boasting the ability to travel at much faster planting speeds, up to 10 mph. The... Read More
One of the giants in the seed and crop input industry is looking to cut costs as it responds to slumping sales. In its year-end and fourth quarter report published Wednesday, Monsanto said it will cut approximately 2,600 employees — approximately 12 percent of its workforce — in the next 18 to 24 months. The... Read More
The federal government has promised $4.3 billion to compensate the supply-managed dairy and poultry sectors for concessions made in the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal announced this week, but for chicken farmers, a coinciding decision by Ottawa to close import loopholes for chicken is seen as more important than the compensation. Mike Dungate, executive director of Chicken... Read More