In spring 2021, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) announced funding to expand its Living Labs initiative to every province. Today, organizations tasked with connecting farmers, scientists, and other stakeholders to advance sustainable, environmentally friendly on-farm practices and technologies are starting to see preliminary results. One such organization is Food Water Wellness Foundation in Alberta. Kim… Read More
Category: Tradeshows & Events
Kent Bacus, executive director, government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, hasn’t had a dull moment in the last few weeks. He’s not had much sleep either. That’s not surprising, as any time there is a change in government leadership, his department is going to be busy. Add in a change from a Democrat… Read More
The backlash and subsequent scaling back of environmental policies affecting European agriculture offers a lesson for governments and political parties around the world, says a policy analyst with a European consumer advocacy group. The European Union’s Farm to Fork strategy was introduced about five years ago, and included steep restrictions on pesticide and fertilizer use,… Read More
Volatility is always part of agriculture, but the ups and downs of the industry have never been more apparent than what farmers have experienced in recent years. From the impacts of a global pandemic to historic rises and falls in income, farmers are used to the roller-coaster ride; and there’s more uncertainty ahead as Trump… Read More
A strong cattle market depends on many factors, all of which play a role in ensuring producers’ long-term success. While beef demand in the United States is the highest it has been in the last 40 years, and retail prices have risen 4.6 per cent annually over the last 25 years, producers still face a… Read More
The U.S. and Canadian cow-herds are both at record lows, at a time when cattle prices are reaching record highs. The market signal to build the herd is there; however, the reality of realizing strong income selling at these prices and several years of drought means ranchers have been in sell mode, not build. That… Read More
Anyone that had a piggy bank as a child knows very well that pennies can add up quickly. The same principle works when farmers save pennies over the course of thousands of acres — the savings add up. Crop dividers mounted on high-clearance sprayers help minimize crop damage by gently splitting plants ahead of the… Read More
Weather for the last half of this winter will likely be much different than what farmers and ranchers experienced in 2024. That’s because the pattern has flipped from the El Nino-influenced conditions of 2024 to a La Nina influence for 2025, says Matt Makens of Makens Weather. In this report, he shares his take on the… Read More
In the spring of 2024, H5N1, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, began to emerge as a disease that was impacting dairy cattle. Since that time, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has been working to establish the safety of the food chain, specifically for meat and milk. While research is ongoing to answer questions… Read More
Even the highest quality equipment begins to wear down over time. Fixing and eventually replacing that equipment can be expensive and difficult on farms and ranches. The same is true for non-profit agricultural research and extension organizations. In February of 2024 the province of Alberta announced a capital grant as part of the spring budget… Read More