Reading Time: 7 minutes UPDATE, Feb. 13, 2016: Iain Stables is to appear in Provincial Court in Saskatoon on April 14, 2016, facing 29 criminal charges relating to missing farm equipment and machinery RCMP reported found on a rural property south of Delisle, Sask. Click here for more details on the charges. The allegations have yet to be proven in court and […] Read more
The new cattle ranch
How different are today’s startup cattle operations?
Guenther: ‘Full story’ sought on crop health in Ukraine, Russia
Reading Time: 4 minutes Given the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, the country might seem like a risky place to conduct a 10-day crop tour. But Mike Lee’s confident he can pull it off. “A lot of people think we’re completely nuts for going there. But to me, it’s not that crazy. It’s a fairly normal, straightforward place if […] Read more
Guenther: McDonald’s sustainability goals to reach beyond beef
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers who want to keep supplying the world’s biggest quick-service restaurant chains can expect more scrutiny of their methods going forward. That’s because the chains’ customers appear to be looking for more sustainably-produced food — so companies such as McDonald’s in turn are looking for third-party verification to prove the ingredients they source make the […] Read more
Cheaper crude clouds Canada’s economic fortunes
Reading Time: 2 minutes While dropping oil prices have boosted the U.S. economy, how the price slump will affect the outlook north of the border remains a question mark from where Canada’s largest lender sits. “In Canada, it’s a little bit less clear-cut. And the reason is our energy sector is much larger as a share of the overall […] Read more
Farm failures
Big bankruptcies make big headlines, but smaller farms are under pressure too
Reading Time: 5 minutes Their names are widely known, including Wigmore Farms, Broadacre Agriculture, Big Sky Farms, BioExx Specialty Proteins, and others. They’re among the high-profile farms and agri-businesses that have shipwrecked in recent years and applied for creditor protection. Each has a story that’s unique, but their stories seem to share a lot of similarities too. The explanations […] Read more
Wheat Growers build ‘top board’ performance
It’s no accident the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association gets high marks for the quality of its board of farmer directors
Reading Time: 7 minutes Filling board seats is never an easy task. Your top prospects may be reluctant to offer their time, especially if both spouses are busy raising a family in addition to their farming and off-farm careers. Others are already fully committed, or even over-committed in other off-farm roles. Yet the other harsh reality is that even […] Read more
Talking things out is the key to a successful farm
Guide Thrive 2015: It’s simple enough to avoid discussing the big things and the little things that really matter. It’s just that most farms will never really thrive until you do
Reading Time: 8 minutes Megan McKenzie has observed elections in Congo, she has documented human rights issues in Columbia and the Middle East, she has worked at a reconciliation centre in Ireland, and along the way she has earned a doctorate in conflict resolution and international peace studies, along with mediation training. All this despite growing up on a […] Read more
The land question
Can you build a sustainable farm on rented land?
Reading Time: 6 minutes It’s hard to acquire new dirt. Even if you can convince yourself that today’s spiking land prices are still affordable, competition from other farmers, developers and investors adds up to a red-hot real estate market. And retiring farmers aren’t necessarily selling their acres either, which leaves many young farmers counting themselves very, very lucky if […] Read more
Guenther: Indigenous ag summit cultivates global ambition
Reading Time: 2 minutes Elmer Eashappie is an idea man. And on his mind today is an agricultural summit connecting First Nations groups worldwide to network and learn, all under the umbrella of Canadian Western Agribition. And that idea is closer to reality than one may think. Eashappie, an Agribition board member, is chairman of the Indigenous Agriculture Summit, […] Read more
Clock ticking on FNA-led group’s proposed play for CWB
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers of North America (FNA) executives are pleading for more time from the federal government to help farmers hammer out a deal to buy the former Canadian Wheat Board. FNA has created a new organization, Genesis Grain and Fertilizer LP, to build a farmer-owned grain handling and fertilizer sales and distribution company. As of Tuesday, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
