Even after the stresses of market crashes, unexpected weather events and disagreements in the workplace, there is a force that keeps so many of us involved in agriculture. Our passion can be driven by many factors: a love of the land, an appreciation for the outdoors, respect for flora and fauna or simply the hope... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Are you so farmer? If you're in need of a pick-me-up today, look no further than the Peterson Farm Bros.' latest parody video — this time a medley of several pop songs, each with an annoyingly catchy hook. From "Turn Down For What," to "I'm So Farmer," and "All About That Bass," it seems no... Read More
Plant breeding takes time. Significant amounts of it, in fact. While genetic resistance to things like diseases or pests or even built-in agronomic traits like standability are the ideal, a new wheat variety may take a decade to produce, and even then, still not meet all the needs of every farmer who grows it. In... Read More
This Ruminating with RealAg podcast takes us back to the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference in Saskatoon, where we hear from Suzanne Bertrand, deputy director general at the International Livestock Research Institute, on the differences between Canadian and African adoption of genomics technology, and how genetically modified cattle could combat African Sleeping Sickness. Related: Julie Borlaug... Read More
Farmers of North America says its bid to acquire the former Canadian Wheat Board and its grain handling assets has been rejected by CWB's management. FNA was looking to raise up to $380 million from Western Canadian farmers to purchase a majority stake in CWB and use its assets to launch a farmer-owned grain and... Read More
Toromont Industries is expanding its farm equipment network in Manitoba. The parent company of Toromont Cat has acquired Ag West Equipment Ltd, with its dealerships at Neepawa and Portage la Prairie, for $6 million, inclusive of acquired debt. The acquisition, which occurred on September 30th, was made public with the release of Toromont's third quarter... Read More
Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz was in Winnipeg this morning to announce $15 million in funding for the Canadian International Grains Institute (or Cigi.) “The Government of Canada has been a long time funding partner of the Canadian International Grains Institute. We welcome today’s significant investment which demonstrates a continuing commitment to the work that... Read More
Quality problems with this year’s durum crop in Italy and France, combined with the worst quality crop on record and lower yields in Canada, have resulted in skyrocketing prices for durum. Buyers are scrambling to find higher quality supplies for pasta production, says Neil Townsend, director of market research with CWB, in the interview below.... Read More
I frequently travel to "friendly Manitoba" for business. Manitoba is the proud home of the Winnipeg Jets (after a brief hiatus), a brand new Human Rights Museum, and some of the most productive farmland in Canada. Some of my best friends and business clients proudly call Manitoba home. Manitobans carry a provincial pride that rivals... Read More
Cattle producer organizations, provincial governments and beef research agencies are conducting a survey that will portray how the cow-calf sector has changed since the 1990s. For the first time ever, cow-calf producers from B.C. through Manitoba are invited to participate in a survey about production practices on their farms. The Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey is... Read More