Manitoba's NDP government very quietly established, de-established (their word, not mine) and re-named several government ministries on Friday. How quietly? There was no press release, no official word, just an order in council that eventually got circulated to media et al. Of particular note for farmers and the agriculture community, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food... Read More
Category: News
The internationally un-known artist, Banksy, has expanded his portfolio with two recent food-related exhibits in New York City. The first takes aim at McDonald's, with a life-size statue of Ronald McDonald. The exhibit includes a young boy, polishing McDonald's oversized clown shoes, and will be moved to a new McDonald's restaurant daily. An audio recording... Read More
Langbank, Saskatchewan-based SeedHawk has been bought by its Swedish manufacturing partner Vaderstad, according to a press release. The company will maintain its head office and processing facility, home to 250 employees, at Langbank. "We see great potential in Seed Hawk. One of the keys to the North American market is local presence, and Tempo, our... Read More
The National Post is reporting that the comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) negotiations with the European Union have moved forward following Canada's commitment to double cheese imports to 30,000 tonnes per year in exchange for added access to Europe's beef and pork markets. The deal is not done of course, but, if the quoted... Read More
The Beef Farmers of Ontario, formerly the Ontario Cattlemen's Association, has launched its new name, look and website, a change decided on this past February at the annual general meeting. "Given the changing dynamics and expectations of our industry, we see the change in name as an opportunity to not only build on, but to... Read More
Earlier this month, the Washington State Academy of Science published a white paper on Initiative 522 (I-522), a Washington State initiative aimed to institute mandatory labeling of food containing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). On November 5th, the initiative will be taken to the public, and the state will vote on the proposal. The debate continues... Read More
The devastating early blizzard that shut down parts of South Dakota last week is a harsh reminder of how we're at the mercy of the almighty Mother Nature. As several news outlets are now reporting, the number of cattle who have died or are missing tops the 100,000 mark. Similar to the wicked spring snowstorm... Read More
The Canola Council of Canada released a report today that demonstrates the recent growth in canola’s contribution to the Canadian economy, pegging it at $19.3 billion. "Demand for canola is growing as the world seeks healthier oils and more protein. Producers and industry are meeting that challenge and canola has become a powerful engine in... Read More
Changes to the Canadian Grain Commission are in the works, and farmers, grain handlers and industry stakeholders are all encouraged to take a look at the proposed move to an insurance-based model for grain security as a condition of licensing approval. Remi Gosselin, manager of communications for the CGC, says that this change, currently published... Read More
Cereals Canada, a multi-stakeholder, multi-commodity organization, with a goal of enhancing the domestic and international competitiveness of Canadian cereals was recently formed out of the Cereals Council of Canada Working Group. This committee of industry stakeholders came together in 2012 to address the growing national and international interest in cereals. Modeled after other highly successful... Read More