(Assembly.ab.ca)

Alberta’s farm worker bill passes, with tweaks

Reading Time: 3 minutes A more specific version of the Alberta government’s bill to extend workers’ comp and OHS regulations to paid farm workers has cleared the legislature. Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, passed third reading 44-29 Thursday. It received royal assent Friday, after the legislature adjourned until Feburary. But the bill, as […] Read more

This moving, wall-sized image of a baler appears in 3D when engineers use it to evaluate component performance or assembly fitment before prototyping begins.

Behind closed doors at New Holland’s research facility

New Holland takes us into its secret world located in Pennsylvania

Reading Time: 5 minutes On August 20, 1940, the New Holland Machine Company signed a deal with Pennsylvania inventor Ed Nault to take ownership of his unique hay baler design. Nault had patented a new knotter that was capable of reliably producing a tight bale, something other fledgling designs at the time really couldn’t do very well, according to […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Diesel prices remain high across Prairies

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — While the price of crude oil continues to decline across North American markets, diesel remains stubbornly high in Western Canada. Prices are equal to gasoline, or in some cases, exceeding them by as much as 10 cents in some Saskatchewan and Manitoba locations. “Diesel production in the West has been crimped by […] Read more



(NSCorp.com)

U.S. railway Norfolk Southern rejects CP offer

Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — U.S. railroad operator Norfolk Southern said Friday its board had rejected Canadian Pacific Railway’s US$28.4 billion offer, calling it “grossly inadequate” and could face substantial regulatory hurdles. A struggling coal transportation market, suppressed by weak market demand and global oversupply, has weighed on the earnings of Norfolk, making it more vulnerable as a […] Read more

(Government of Alberta via Flickr)

Alta. to tweak farm worker bill for ‘clarity’

Reading Time: 4 minutes With consultations only just out of the gate and the legislation awaiting second reading, the Alberta government already plans to amend Bill 6, its farm and ranch worker protection bill, for “greater clarity.” While not mentioning recent vocal protests over the bill, provincial Labour Minister Lori Sigurdson announced Tuesday the bill will be amended to “make clear what […] Read more


When this 516 Vario drove out the factory door behind it, it signalled the introduction of the 500 Vario Series in Europe. The Canada and U.S. launch had to wait until the tractors underwent a homologation process to meet North American engineering standards.

Fendt 500 Vario tractors finally arrive in Canada

These long-awaited compact models are meant to appeal to mixed farming operations

Reading Time: 3 minutes It was September 27, 2012, in Marktoberdorf, Germany when executives at AGCO’s Fendt brand gave the world its first official look at their all-new tractor series, the 500 Vario, which offered bigger-than-expected horsepower crammed into a small chassis. During the official launch ceremony a band played as the door at the end of the factory […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. EPA finalizes 2016 renewables target at 18.1B gallons

Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants energy companies to blend 18.1 billion gallons (68.5 billion litres) of biofuels into the nation’s fuel supply next year, more than in a proposal laid out in May, it said in announcing final rules on renewables use for 2014-16 on Monday. The EPA’s long-awaited […] Read more


(Assembly.ab.ca)

Alta. farm bill applies to paid workers only, minister says

Reading Time: 3 minutes UPDATED, Nov. 28, 2015 — New legislation applying Alberta’s rules on workplace standards and workers’ compensation to farm workers is meant for farms’ paid employees — not for family members or neighbours helping out on family farms. The province’s labour minister has said as much after stormy early going in the government’s consultations on Bill […] Read more