If you plan to host a dinner with a turkey, it’s better to buy it now Avian flu certainly deserves more media attention. The avian flu currently impacting our poultry sector has become a real problem. Unlike previous strains, the current bird flu has spread across Canada, raising fears that it could become endemic in…
Do we have the capacity to feed them all? On November 15 of this year, the world population will reach a symbolic number: eight billion people. The planet took about 11 short years to add one billion more humans to its population. By 2058, it’s estimated that the planetary population will reach 10 billion. That’s…
People who own, operate or work on a farm have higher suicide rates compared to most other occupations The life of a Canadian farmer might sound peaceful – living in the countryside, working outdoors, growing our food. But scratch that bucolic surface and the reality is much different, with high rates of depression and stress…
Retrofitting orphan wells to geothermally heat wintertime water for cattle Tapping the potential of geothermal energy could offer a way to repurpose inactive oil and gas wells, according to a University of Alberta experiment looking at the economic feasibility of heating drinking water for cattle. The case study modelled the economic pros and cons of…
Milking Canadians is becoming harder for the Canadian Dairy Commission The Canadian Dairy Commission has just released its recommendations for 2023. Unlike last year’s shocking 8.4 per cent, which was almost double the previous record, the increase won’t be as dramatic. As of February 1, 2023, most farmers in Canada will get about 2.2 per…
Shelterbelts and hedgerows reduce emissions of greenhouse gas by an average of 89 per cent
Both dead and alive, trees are an essential ally for farmers in helping the environment, a new University of Alberta study shows. Preserving and planting shelterbelts and hedgerows – and keeping the deadwood they contain – next to cropland helps store carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Retaining those live and dead trees, and planting…
Ottawa's taxes and regulations are driving up costs for farmers and the families that buy the food they produce
By Robin Speer and Gunter Jochum Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is reassuring a hungry world he personally will “drive action on food security” while Canadian farmers will put food on their tables. But back home, his government makes pronouncements that are the policy equivalent of deflating the tires on tractors across Canada. The federal government’s…
If 200,000 truckers scared him into introducing the Emergencies Act, what will he do when 650,000 angry farmers descend on Ottawa?
Are Manitobans tired of suffering from high food prices at the grocery store? Well, the Trudeau government believes it is your God-given right to suffer even more as it imposes ever more onerous climate policies on farmers. The Trudeau government announced at a recent meeting with other levels of government that it has plans to…
Exporting actual food products may no longer be the best option moving forward
It’s tomato season, and Canadians love their tomatoes. It is by far the most popular vegetable at the grocery store. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the average Canadian consumes at least six to seven kilos of tomatoes per year. More than 12 kilos per capita of fresh and processed tomatoes are made available to…
The Canadian Dairy Commission is morally and ethically compromised. It needs to distance itself from the dairy sector immediately
Every year, the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC), a branch of the federal government, hires external consultants to assess the cost of producing milk on the farm. The CDC has never released any data about costing and has recommended farm milk price increases most years, eventually impacting retail prices and Canadian families. Since February, dairy product…