(Dave Bedard photo)

FCC pledges flexibility for soaked Ontario, Quebec growers

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s federal ag lending agency has announced a customer support program to limit “financial pressure” on its farming clients in rain-soaked areas of western Quebec and eastern Ontario. Farm Credit Canada on Wednesday announced the program, in which it said it “will work with customers to come up with solutions for their operation(s) to reduce […] Read more

Luc Berthold, shown here in April 2011 during his stint as mayor of Thetford Mines, Que., is the new lead Opposition critic for agriculture and agri-food. (Ville.ThetfordMines.qc.ca)

Federal Tories look east for ag critic

Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal Conservatives have tapped one of their rookie Quebec MPs as the new agriculture critic for Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. Andrew Scheer, elected in May as the Tories’ new leader, on Wednesday announced his first shadow cabinet with Luc Berthold, the MP for Megantic-L’Erable, as agriculture and agri-food critic and John Barlow, MP for […] Read more



Taking part in Agco’s Aug. 24 groundbreaking ceremony (l-r) were Greg Wells (operations manager, Agco Parts, North America), Lee Fuchs (Nick’s Service, Emerald Park, Sask.); Gerald Swystun (Full Line Ag, Swift Current, Sask.); Jeffrey Fluney (Dennills Agricenter, Dewberry, Alta.); Sean Ferguson (Full Line Ag); Warren Orth (Agriterra Equipment, Lacombe, Alta.); Rod Anderson (Wynyard Equipment, Wynyard, Sask.); Darren Parker (director of sales and marketing, Agco Parts, North America); and Chris Maas (Agriterra Equipment, Weyburn, Sask.). (Agco/BusinessWire photo)

Agco to ramp up Regina parts distribution

Reading Time: 2 minutes Prairie farmers using Agco equipment brands such as Massey Ferguson and Challenger can expect more types of parts to be in stock more often at the company’s Regina warehouse. The U.S. farm equipment firm’s Agco Parts arm on Friday announced a major expansion of its parts distribution centre in Regina, to be completed by early […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. northern Plains ranchers welcome hay lottery

Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — Hundreds of livestock ranchers in the drought-stricken U.S. northern Plains are embracing what organizers say is the first lottery designed to provide some much-needed relief to their operations. The prize? Tons and tons of hay. Ranchers in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana have been suffering through the region’s worst drought in 30 […] Read more

Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham met Wednesday in Victoria. (Photo courtesy AAFC)

Options weighed for AgriRecovery in B.C. fire zones

Reading Time: 2 minutes Officials in British Columbia are now gauging what sorts of damages and expenses can be covered through an AgriRecovery plan for ranchers and farmers affected by wildfires. The federal and B.C. governments announced Wednesday they’re “working together to quickly assess the extraordinary costs farmers are incurring and what additional assistance may be required to recover […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Strong demand surfacing for feeder cattle

Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were quite variable over the past week. Auction barns in Manitoba and Saskatchewan remain in holiday mode. However, markets are coming to life in Alberta. Certain ranchers are starting to sell early bloomers and there’s no shortage of demand for these yearlings. In east-central Alberta, a couple of small groups […] Read more




The government dollars we used to see aren’t ever coming back,” says Schweb. That means farmers must do the research.

Taking charge of climate

Changing weather is hitting these B.C. farmers hard. Now they’re fighting back

Reading Time: 8 minutes Standing at the window in his kitchen, Fort Fraser, B.C. rancher Wayne Ray watches the heavy grey clouds and he shakes his head. It’s July — haying season — but the rain won’t let him get at it. Ray is lucky. He hasn’t yet cut his hay yet, so at least it isn’t laying in […] Read more