Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — The American Farm Bureau Federation and machinery manufacturer Deere and Co. signed a memorandum of understanding on Sunday that ensures farmers have the right to repair their own farm equipment or go to an independent technician. As the agriculture sector accelerates its adoption of technology, the reliance on high-tech machinery such […] Read more
American Farm Bureau, Deere sign ‘right to repair’ memo
MOU to seek private-sector solutions
Ontario bans birds at events as avian flu spreads
Infected snow goose found in western Saskatchewan; two backyard flocks in Montana also confirmed infected
Reading Time: 3 minutes Up against several outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian flu in commercial poultry flocks, Ontario is temporarily banning birds from appearing at shows and other such events. Provincial Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson on Friday announced a ministerial order taking effect just after midnight Saturday (April 9), in which “the movement to and participation of birds in […] Read more
B.C. calls emergency, expects more deaths from 500-year flood
Some livestock die, more are expected to be euthanized
Reading Time: 3 minutes Abbotsford | Reuters — The death toll in Canada from massive floods and landslides that devastated parts of British Columbia is set to rise, with the province declaring a state of emergency on Wednesday. Authorities have so far confirmed one death after torrential rains and mudslides destroyed roads and left several mountain towns isolated. At […] Read more
Small navy of farmers rescues cattle in flood-hit B.C.
Reading Time: < 1 minute Abbotsford | Reuters — A flotilla of motorboats, canoes, dinghies and jet-skis helmed by farmers raced to move dozens of trapped cows from frigid waters as floods hit British Columbia. After a month’s worth of rain in two days, the downpours triggered widespread flooding. Mudslides hit cities and towns across the province. Among the worst-affected […] Read more
If the unthinkable happens
An advance care plan can ensure health care decisions are made according to your wishes in the event you sustain an illness or injury
Reading Time: 6 minutes You don’t sit on the tractor while you’re augering grain thinking about your odds of getting a debilitating illness or calculating your chances of suffering life-threatening injuries. But that doesn’t change your risks. Farming is an inherently dangerous occupation. The latest data from Farm Credit Canada show that 72 per cent of producers have had […] Read more
New B.C. youth work rules: Heavy lifting, ag chem handling out
New standards also lift province's 'general working age' to 16
Reading Time: 2 minutes “Light farm and yard work” are deemed appropriate for workers at ages 14 and 15 under new employment standards taking effect in British Columbia this fall. The province on Wednesday announced changes to its Employment Standards Act, which have been through the development and consultation stages since 2019, have now been finalized and will take […] Read more
Steps you can take now to prevent combine fires later
Prevention and preparation are key to protect your equipment from burning
Reading Time: 7 minutes Can anything instil more fear in farmers than the smell or sight of smoke while combining. The potential for loss in terms of equipment, crop and even life because of a fire during harvest operations is huge. Unfortunately, fires while harvesting are not uncommon. This past fall, the fire departments in the County of Forty […] Read more
Federal program to protect farms, workers from COVID-19 underway
'Highest-risk' farming operations to get priority, Bibeau says
Reading Time: 3 minutes Applications are now open for a federally-administered $35 million emergency on-farm support fund to help limit the impacts of COVID-19 on farms and on-farm workers. Aimed at farm workplaces and employee living quarters, the fund is being managed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), but cost-shared with participating producers at a 50-50 level. Money is […] Read more
The awful, essential detail of farm accidents
Most media have stopped reporting the details when a farm fatality happens — which makes future fatalities all the more likely
Reading Time: 4 minutes Media reports that call a farm death a freak accident and offer scant insight into what actually happened are increasingly becoming the norm. It worries farm safety specialists. What sort of message does this send to farmers? Use of the term “freak accident” is always cringe-worthy, for starters. A freak accident, by definition, is one […] Read more
What’s your emergency plan?
It’s more than COVID-19. Here’s why having an emergency plan ready for action is more important — and more achievable — than ever
Reading Time: 10 minutes You can look at it as one of the good sides of COVID-19. It’s reminding all of us that emergencies do happen, they can come when you least expect them, and they can upset practically every part of your operation. Even before COVID-19, it was easy to find experts eager to tell us why we […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
