This Week on RealAg – RealAgriculture: Recent Episodes
This Week on RealAg – RealAgriculture
Not just mud, but snow…farmers in parts of Western Canada are stuck in the middle of one of the toughest harvests in years. While it’s white in parts of the west, Ontario’s wheat crop is thriving thanks to a warm fall. One of Canada’s largest pork producers has announced plans to expand, while Canada’s second... Read More
The impact of a carbon tax is on the minds of many Canadian farmers. It’ll be up to the provinces to decide how federal carbon pricing applies to agriculture, as we’ll hear from the federal agriculture minister. There are pros and cons to cover crops, while harvest is a mess in much of Western Canada... Read More
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared his directive for a national price on carbon on this week. Farmers and farm groups are concerned agriculture and food could be hard hit by a tax on carbon emissions… Ontario farmers are also concerned rising hydro rates will hurt competitiveness… What are the odds the Trans-Pacific Partnership goes ahead... Read More
A sad sign of how tough things have been in the cattle feeding business — one of Canada’s largest feeding operations is shutting down. Good news! A deal to keep Canadian canola flowing into China has apparently been reached, while canola growers are voicing concerns about the Bayer-Monsanto deal. And farmers and rural residents in... Read More
Between Bayer-Monsanto and PotashCorp-Agrium there’s plenty of big news to discuss this week as we see the trend of consolidation among crop input suppliers continue. Meanwhile, RealAg is well-represented at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, Ontario, as Lyndsey takes a break from demoing tractors, getting sky-high views in a telehandler and posting Instagram stories to... Read More
Harvest is moving along between rains, as we start to get an idea of the impact disease has had on the big crop in the West. Meanwhile, talks between Bayer and Monsanto continue…spraying drones, the U.S. election, Canadian farm debt numbers…and Lyndsey’s back! All that and more…here’s This Week on Real Ag for the week of... Read More
As harvest continued in many areas back home, RealAg was on the road this week. Bern Tobin and TWORA host Kelvin Heppner attended the US Farm Progress Show, where Case IH and New Holland unveiled autonomous concept tractors. On this week’s podcast, Kelvin is joined by Greg Peterson, aka “Machinery Pete,” for his thoughts on... Read More
It might not break the records set in 2013, but there’s a big crop coming off in Canada, as harvest gets rolling in the West. What’s the number one concern for the Canadian economy in the next six months? The U.S. election and what follows, says BMO’s chief economist, as we hear from Doug Porter, The... Read More
Farmers in much of Ontario are celebrating rain, while combines are parked or stuck due to too much rain in parts of the west. We take a look at how Chinese politics are hurting canola prices, the future of beef research in Canada, and much more on this week’s TWORA podcast, featuring Peter Johnson, Brian... Read More
Harvest is off to a wet start in much of Western Canada, putting a damper on potential quality and yield. We hear from Neil Townsend of FarmLink Marketing Solutions on this week’s podcast, discussing how the wheat market looks as harvest ramps up. As well, cattle people from across the country are in Calgary this week for the inaugural... Read More
Early cereal harvest is beginning in the West as wheat harvest wraps up in Ontario. AgriStability and the next ag policy framework was high on the agenda as ag ministers from across the country met in Calgary, the future of the Port of Churchill is up in the air… We cover these stories, as well... Read More
Much of Canadian agriculture is seeing a heat wave this week, and along with it, some powerful storms. With winter wheat harvest around the corner in the west, wheat harvest is humming along in Ontario, with yields coming in over 130 bu/ac. Versatile’s most famous tractor made its public debut at Ag in Motion, ag... Read More
Rain, rain and more rain. Crops are flooded in parts of the Prairies. Ontario farm country has also received some glorious rain, as early wheat harvest yields look amazing. There’ve been a development in the Bayer-Monsanto situation, a new grain company with roots in Australia and Japan is building its first elevator in Western Canada,... Read More
While western Canadian crops look to be in good shape overall, drought is taking its toll in Ontario. On the heels of the UK’s Brexit vote, there’ve been some new developments in the Canada-Europe trade deal and environmental groups are taking the Canadian government to court over neonics, despite honey bee colony numbers in Canada being... Read More
New numbers say the record lentil crop in Western Canada might be even larger than expected. While there’s potential for a big crop on the prairies, the d-word is starting to be used in parts of Ontario… Happy Canada Day! Mexico’s gift…the announcement that 13 years after BSE they’ll finally resume taking all Canadian beef. Catch up... Read More
It’s wet in parts of Western Canada, while crops would welcome rain in much of southern Ontario. We get into some of the disease issues popping up in the west, and the impact of not enough moisture in the east. What can be done to prevent farmers being left unpaid for grain they’ve delivered, as... Read More
Glencore is selling off another chunk of its stake in Viterra, while G3 has received approval to build a new grain terminal at the Port of Vancouver. The stalemate over glyphosate continues in the EU, hog farmers in Western Canada are concerned about a new outbreak of PED virus, and RealAgriculture is helping raise funds... Read More
Canadians’ views on farming are improving, according to new survey results shared this week. There are some problem areas though, as we hear from the head of Farm and Food Care Canada on this week’s podcast. Health Canada is considering allowing irradiation of beef to kill bad bacteria, dairy farmers are back rallying on Parliament... Read More
Planting is in the home stretch, and ahead of normal in many areas as spraying season begins. Monsanto has said “no thanks” to Bayer and its $62 billion takeover bid, and Alberta’s government is facing another round of criticism over Bill 6 as it has unveiled the committees that will help shape the province’s new... Read More
Bayer has sent a purchase offer over to the folks at Monsanto, former ag minister Gerry Ritz thinks the federal Liberals should get moving with ratifying the Trans-Pacific Partnership, even if the U.S. isn’t on board, and planting continues across the country, despite dry conditions, frost and other challenges. As we catch up on this... Read More
Rain, and even some snow, has slowed seeding progress on the prairies, but nobody’s complaining. Cool temperatures, meanwhile, are hampering planting in Ontario and creating some nutrient issues, as we hear from Whete Pete. There are new reports of Bayer and BASF considering bids for Monsanto, soybean markets soared thanks to the USDA and barbecue... Read More
Earls is saying “we made a mistake.” Dry conditions are helping seeding operations across much of the west, and StatsCan wants farmers to take some time away from seeding or tagging calves to participate in the Census of Ag. Also Ontario’s Ag Hall of Fame has a new home, Manitoba has a new ag minister... Read More
Seeding activity is beginning in more areas, Earls — the place you go (or went) for nice steak – has upset many in the ag community, there’s a herbicide controversy in the canola industry, and Ontario farmers are figuring out where to go with their case for having access to neonic seed treatments. The ag... Read More
Dryness is becoming a serious concern on the western side of the Prairies, as seeding is getting underway. Meanwhile, cold and wet conditions have hampered progress in Ontario. Meteorologist Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc is one of the people we hear from on this week’s podcast. Also, Ontario farmers have lost their court case... Read More
Farmland values across Canada continue to climb. Some very early seeding is beginning in the West, although there are concerns about dryness. Canada and the EU continue to work on their trade deal, and a popular reality TV veterinarian is showing how farmers care for their animals. We hear from FCC economist JP Gervais, trade minister... Read More
From the Canada Pension Plan buying a stake in Viterra to the SaskParty easily winning the provincial election earlier this week to the big question mark hanging over Monsanto’s new Xtend soybean seed heading into planting season, here’s this week’s podcast recapping what’s happened in Canadian agriculture. We hear from Saskatchewan Ag Minister Lyle Stewart... Read More
John Deere has acquired majority ownership of well-known sprayer company, the Ag Women’s Network has been re-launched, and China has chosen to postpone tighter rules for canola coming from Canada. The USDA also had a surprise for the corn market in its first acreage report for 2016 and A&W has gone patriotic with its ketchup.... Read More
It’s hard to believe, but we’re into the final week of March already. This week’s TWORA podcast includes part of a conversation with Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on what’s in the federal Liberals’ first budget for agriculture. We also hear from economist David Kohl on the importance of having a healthy amount of working capital on... Read More
A shortage of workers is limiting Canada’s economic potential, especially in agriculture. Annual farm cash receipt losses to Canadian producers due to job vacancies are $1.5 billion, according to a report released this week. Postmedia columnist Andrew Coyne was the opening keynote speaker at the “Growing the AgriWorkforce Summit” in Winnipeg and he joins us... Read More
With a mild end to winter, how early is too early for seeding wheat? Wheat Pete’s making waves with his recommendation for southern Alberta. Meanwhile, Canadian cattle producers appear to be sitting out on rebuilding their herds when we look at what’s happening in the U.S., and speaking of the Americans and the current political... Read More
Satellites are helping us understand and predict what happens in the field, Ontario’s ag minister is defending cuts to the province’s ag budget and farm groups pushing for better rail service aren’t very happy with what’s in the long-awaited transportation act review. It’s also Canadian Agriculture Literacy Week, with Agriculture in the Classroom delivering programming to... Read More
We’re seeing an early spring in many areas…what does it mean for winter wheat? The Chinese government looks to be putting up an obstacle to Canadian canola exports, and seed is going to be a major factor in determining how many pulse acres get planted on the prairies. As well, federal ag minister Lawrence MacAulay... Read More
It’s been a week of two weather extremes, with parts of the east getting record snowfall this week and a whole lot of brown in the west. We’ve learned people really, really like model farms, as we heard from the pair behind the world’s largest toy farm at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, and a Saskatchewan... Read More
From Louisville, Kentucky to Winnipeg, Manitoba, we were on the road again this week (so yes, TWORA is a day late.) We look back on CropConnect ’16 in Winterpeg, find out what separates the top 25 percent of farmers versus the bottom 25 percent in terms of financial success, as well as what farmers on the prairies can... Read More
The proposed sale of Syngenta, new StatsCan stocks estimates, the signing of the TPP, the launch of Xtend soybeans — here’s a trip through this week’s Canadian ag news with Kelvin Heppner: Poll: Do you look forward to driverless tractors?
It’s the week of FarmTech in Edmonton. We head to the Northlands to hear some highlights from Debra Murphy, as well as to KAP’s meeting in Winnipeg for a panel of farm leaders from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and prairie general farm groups discussing the need to “maintain social license” — here’s this week’s... Read More
We’re talking about everything from the state of the US and Canadian economies to SaskCanola’s effort to share how many farmers view modern ag technology through the “License to Farm” film. After spending most of the week at Ag Days in Brandon, Kelvin Heppner host of this week’s news podcast and is joined by a... Read More
It’s the year of pulses in more ways than one. We’re covering all the Crop Week and CropSphere events in Saskatoon this week, including the buzz about lentils and peas, the unveiling of Versatile’s retro look and the premiere of a short film on maintaining ag’s social license. A new report shows greenhouse gas emissions... Read More
Happy New Year! We’re talking about 500 bushel/acre corn, a wheat breeding breakthrough and much more on this week’s news podcast:
A special(?) holiday edition of TWORA: ‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the land RealAggies (or Agros?) were thinking about the year we’ve had Not our regular podcast this week, not the same TWORA, We’re looking back on 15 — officially, the year of our soil So as the stockings are hung by... Read More
From the reported merger talks between two giants in the ag input industry to limited talks about the proposed farm labour legislation in Alberta, here’s this week’s TWORA podcast, featuring perspectives from John Masswohl, Ian Brodie, Brian Voth, Derek Jamieson and Richard Phillips: Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture, joins us on this week’s TWORA to discuss his views on Bill 6, as we also cover some other noteworthy news stories from the past week: Listen to the TWORA podcast every Thursday!
Agribition, Alberta’s proposed farm labour rules, a new atmosphere in Ottawa, a driverless tractor and another farm tragedy — here’s this week’s Canadian ag news wrap-up from Regina: Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
Winter has started to arrive in parts of Canada, although many of the long term forecasts are calling for a milder season thanks to El Nino. Federal and provincial governments are talking climate change policy ahead of the big climate conference in Paris, and new workplace legislation has been rolled out for farms and ranches... Read More
From Agri-Trade to Agritechnica, Red Deer to Hanover, farm show season has started. This week’s TWORA podcast takes us to Germany for the world’s largest farm equipment show, along with the latest news highlights: Agri-Trend’s sale to Trimble, All-Tech acquiring Masterfeeds, the launch of the “International Year of Pulses” and more: Subscribe: iTunes | Android... Read More
There’s a new person in charge of the federal agriculture file, as Justin Trudeau tapped Lawrence MacAulay as his new agriculture minister. Meanwhile, John Deere has been in the news with some investments in the area of precision planting, the TPP text has finally been released, and global grain supplies are growing faster than demand... Read More
So eating processed meat can cause cancer? Dr. Joe Schwarcz of McGill University, host of “The Dr. Joe Show” and author of numerous books interpreting scientific information for the general public, joins RealAg’s Kelvin Heppner on this week’s TWORA podcast to explain the World Health Organization’s report linking processed and red meats to cancer. Elsewhere, corn yields have... Read More
Do big changes in Ottawa mean big changes for Canadian agriculture? Ron Bonnett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture joins host Kelvin Heppner on this week’s TWORA podcast to discuss the result of Monday’s federal election and what it means for the farm community. New rules have been announced on who can buy farmland... Read More
A tragic event in Alberta has gripped the Canadian ag community and beyond, harvest is wrapping up and what would a Liberal win on Monday mean for the Trans-Pacific Partnership? Here’s this week’s ag news podcast with Kelvin Heppner: Listen to last week’s TWORA here. Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
The Trans-Pacific Partnership, federal election, Blue Jays playoff baseball and more — here’s this week’s ag news podcast: Poll: What Would Your Ballot Look Like if You Voted Strictly on Ag Policy?
It’s not every week cows and tractors make an appearance at Parliament Hill. From the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and protests to the federal ag leaders debate to the World Dairy Expo, there’s lots to catch up on in this week’s ag news podcast: Subscribe to one of our Awesome E-newsletters Mentioned: Yield or Protein? What’s... Read More
From harvest to winter weather expectations to TransPacific Partnership trade talks, catch up on what’s been happening in Canadian agriculture with our weekly ag news podcast: Poll: What Makes a Great Provincial Agriculture Minister? Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
From the Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock to Big Iron in Fargo and across Canada, here’s this week’s update on harvest, markets and Canadian farm news: Poll: Indoor or Outdoor? Which Farm Shows are Best? Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
From Calgary, this week’s ag news podcast includes updates on harvest, the beef market, a new tool aimed at increasing grain market transparency and the latest announcements from McDonald’s and Glencore:
It’s the first week of September and the west is waking up to some frosty mornings, while Ontario watches how high temps can climb with a humidex. This week has been a rather big one for many, as kids head back to school, harvest kicks into high gear, and, yes, our editor, Lyndsey Smith, has... Read More
It’s been a rather down week on several fronts — from the global market meltdown, to frost happening not once but twice in areas of Alberta. To the good, harvest picked up steam in several areas of Western Canada, and Ontario’s soybean crop is developing quickly, giving hope to RealAgriculture’s agronomist Peter Johnson that winter... Read More
This week’s ag news podcast, including harvest progress, federal party policies on GMOS, the first StatsCan production estimates and a discussion about to what length farmland should be protected for farming: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down — Should Farmland Status be Made Permanent? Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
From the USDA’s surprise for the grain markets to harvest conditions to the Blue Jays’ amazing run — here’s this week’s ag news highlights: Get the latest #cdnag news delivered to your inbox — sign up for RealAg’s free newsletters! Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
This week’s Canadian ag news update, including the latest on harvest, the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks and the last days of the CWB: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Is Dropping the CWB Brand the Right Move? Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
Wheat harvest has started in southern Ontario and is just around the corner in parts of Western Canada. The latest on improving grain transportation, glyphosate-resistance, tax deferrals and more — here’s this week’s audio ag news update: Get the latest news delivered to your in-box — sign-up for RealAg’s (free!) newsletters here. Subscribe: iTunes |... Read More
It’s crop tour season in most areas, and as part of this week’s update, Bruce Burnett of CWB joins Kelvin Heppner to recap his tour looking at crop conditions across the Canadian prairies. The ag ministers’ meeting in PEI, a new canola crush plant at Camrose and fusarium issues in wheat are also highlighted in the... Read More
Haying conditions, new funding for wheat breeding, the International Rapeseed Congress (aka “the Canola Olympics”) and more — here’s this week’s ag news podcast: Sign-up for RealAg’s free email ag news here! Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
The diversity of North American agriculture is again on display in this week’s news podcast. From the farmer’s role in fighting antibiotic resistance to how Canadian dairy farmers could be affected by a potential Trans-Pacific Partnership to the trends at AgTech Week down in San Francisco, here’s a summary of what happened “This Week on Real... Read More
The dry conditions in much of the west are underlying many conversations and decisions at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina while excess moisture is causing problems in Ontario. Here’s this week’s news update, featuring Norm Hall of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and others: Find more coverage of the ’15 Farm Progress Show here Subscribe: iTunes... Read More
A new logo for 4-H, ongoing dryness in the West, U.S. legislators vote to repeal COOL — there’s plenty to catch up on in this week’s TWORA update: Stay on top of what’s happening in Canadian agriculture — TWORA is recorded and posted on RealAg and iTunes every Thursday!
There’s something distinctly different about this week’s news update…and it likely has something to do with Kelvin Heppner not hosting it. RealAgriculture editor and resident fast-talker, Lyndsey Smith, fills in for our usual broadcaster this week, and is joined by Debra Murphy to talk what’s top of mind this week. What do they talk about?... Read More
From frost in Ontario to flea beetles in the West, and just a few things in-between, here’s TWORA for May 28th, 2015: Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
It’s a COOL (or cool)-themed farm news update — here’s “This Week on Real Ag” for the third week of May 2015: Listen to the full interviews with some of the people heard on this week’s TWORA podcast: How Will Washington React to the WTO’s Final Word on COOL? Beef Market Update: Lofty Prices, Tight... Read More
Plant15 continues at a rapid pace, and it will now include some sugar beet acres in southern Alberta, as growers have settled their contract dispute with Rogers Sugar. The Canadian livestock industry is also awaiting the final ruling from the WTO in the dispute over U.S. country of origin labeling. There’s plenty more on these stories and more... Read More
There’s plenty to cover in this week’s ag news update — from planting progress across the country to trouble in Alberta’s sugar beet industry. Oh, there was also an election in Alberta. Here’s “This Week on Real Ag” for the first week of May: Get the latest ag news delivered to your in-box — subscribe... Read More
The 2015 planting season has arrived — this week’s ag news update includes a look at seeding progress, the latest on avian influenza in Ontario, how the high price of bacon is hurting pig prices and more: Check back every Thursday for our weekly farm news review. Find previous episodes here. Subscribe: iTunes | Android... Read More
Catch up on this week’s ag news — from seeding to the federal budget to the avian influenza situation in Ontario — here’s This Week on Real Ag for April 24th, 2015: Mentions: Wheat Pete’s Word: Plant’15 Begins, Celebrating Soil, Trouble in the Corn Bins and More More Wheat and Oats, Fewer Canola Acres —... Read More
From Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz discussing the sale of the Canadian Wheat Board to Wheat Pete on late seeding in southern Ontario, catch up on what’s happened this week with the latest TWORA podcast: Stay current on what’s happening in Canadian agriculture — listen to the “This Week on Real Ag” podcast every Thursday. Find the... Read More
From the worrying H5N2 avian flu confirmation in Ontario to the April supply/demand report from the USDA, and much more — here’s this week’s ag news podcast: The TWORA podcast is recorded every Thursday. You can find past episodes here. Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
From record cattle prices to winter wheat conditions to cash advance program changes — here’s the latest “This Week on Real Ag” podcast hosted by Kelvin Heppner: The TWORA podcast is recorded every Thursday. You can find past episodes here. Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
Get caught up on this week’s ag news — here’s the TWORA podcast for the week of March 26th, 2015: The “This Week on Real Ag” podcast is recorded every Thursday (k, sometimes it’s on Friday.) You can find past episodes here. Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
Want a quick summary of what’s happening in the dynamic and diverse world of Canadian agriculture? The TWORA podcast is produced and posted on RealAgriculture.com every Thursday. From farm safety to bee health to Gerry Ritz’s trade mission to Asia, Lyndsey Smith joins host Kelvin Heppner on this week’s news update: Subscribe: iTunes | Android... Read More
This week’s ag news, all in one place — here’s Kelvin with the TWORA podcast for the week of March 13th, 2015: Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
If you’re looking to catch up on what’s been happening in the world of Canadian agriculture, this week’s podcast runs the gamut — from seed companies collecting end point royalties to why some weeds are more prone to herbicide resistance to why McDonald’s is looking to Canada for “sustainable beef.” Here’s “This Week on Real... Read More
From the Agricultural Growth Act receiving Royal Assent to new questions surrounding the strange case of missing quarantined heritage sheep in Ontario, there’s plenty to discuss in this week’s ag news recap. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, meteorologist Drew Lerner, McGill University’s Joe Schwarcz, Dave Solverson of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and others make it into... Read More
From new developments in Canada’s latest case of BSE to the need for more investment in rail infrastructure, here’s a quick audio snapshot of this week’s ag news — the TWORA podcast for February 19th, 2015: Mentions: CFIA Investigation Unveils Birthdate of Alberta BSE Case Corn School: My Standing Corn is Turning Black — Is it... Read More
From the confirmation of a new case of BSE in Alberta to the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville to the potential for two labour strikes within CP Rail this weekend, there are plenty of news stories and events to catch up on this week. Here’s the TWORA podcast for the week of February 13th,... Read More
Kelvin Heppner returns to host this week’s news podcast, recapping some of the main ag stories from the past week, including the end of an era in futures trading in Chicago, a weather forecast for the rest of winter and spring in Western Canada, keeping nutrients out of the Great Lakes and what “sustainable” looks like... Read More
This week, TWORA‘s guest host with the gruff voice, Debra Murphy, gives highlights of some of the news from the Alberta Beef Producers and a recent funding announcement at the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference. She also hears from Lyndsey and Shaun, who were out of the office this week on adventures to tropical Alberta and the state... Read More
As part of TWORA for January 15th (yeah — it’s the middle of January already!), Lyndsey denies stealing a megaphone from a plane in Saskatoon and shares some highlights from her time at CropSphere. This week’s podcast also touches on the record shipping year for the St. Lawrence Seaway, fines levied against CN and CP Rail... Read More
With the holidays now behind us, the machine that is Canadian agriculture is revving up again for a busy few months of meetings and planning. Calving and another seeding season will be here before we know it. From the social media frenzy surrounding the #farm365 hashtag to a new disease found in canola — here’s a farm... Read More
‘Twas the week before Christmas, and down with a crash Came feeder cattle futures and Russia’s cash. CN charged too much to move grain by rail, And we laughed ’cause people got BS in the mail. Here’s TWORA for December 18th, 2014: Related: Happy Holidays from the RealAg Crew to You The Seedpod — Ep.... Read More
The latest on the Ontario government’s plan to regulate neonic seed treatments, the avian influenza outbreak in B.C.’s Fraser Valley, changes at the Canadian Grain Commission and a review of the markets, including the sharp drop in feeder cattle futures, over the past week — here’s the TWORA podcast for December 12th:
The discovery of avian flu in BC, StatsCan’s latest crop production estimates, Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers and more — get caught up on this week’s farm news by listening to the TWORA podcast with Kelvin Heppner for December 4th, 2014:
The Ontario government’s plans to reduce the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments, the passage of the Bill C-18 (the Agricultural Growth Act) in the House of Commons and actual full-contact jousting at Canada’s largest livestock show — Lyndsey Smith and Debra Murphy join Kelvin Heppner on TWORA for November 27th, 2014: Related: Grown-Up Bullying Alive... Read More
The outlook for grain and oilseed prices might not be as bad — and the cattle market’s trajectory not as good — as the general consensus, according to our guest on TWORA for November 19th, 2014 (click above to listen.) From the Ag Excellence Conference in Winnipeg, Kelvin Heppner chats with FCC chief economist JP Gervais... Read More
Well, it seems winter weather has arrived across much of Canada. If you’ve been busy clearing snow, or trying to get a few more things done before the snow flies in your area, why not catch up on what you’ve missed in farm news over the last while? As part of this week’s podcast, Kelvin... Read More
With harvest all but done in Western Canada and producers finally getting into corn in the East, farm show and meeting season has arrived. Several Real Ag team members are attending Agri-Trade in Red Deer this week, as Kelvin Heppner touches base with Shaun Haney at Westerner Park on this week’s ag news podcast. Kelvin also has more from the... Read More
The bulls have continued to lead grain markets higher over the past week, translating into a selling opportunity for 2015 and even 2016, according to bearish analysts. From the Cereals North America market outlook conference in Winnipeg, here’s our weekly farm news recap for October 30th, 2014. Kelvin recaps what’s happened in the markets, the... Read More
Canadian cattle and hog producers welcomed the World Trade Organization’s ruling on country of origin labeling (COOL) this week. On this week’s ag news podcast, Kelvin Heppner and the Real Ag team discuss the slow process of resolving the COOL dispute through the WTO, as well as A&W’s new chicken requirements, research to keep farm... Read More
Had another busy week? Here’s some listening material that will get you up-to-speed on farm news from the last seven days. Kelvin Heppner discusses the recent slide (or “correction”) in stock markets, the latest on U.S. country of origin labeling, quality problems in pulses, World Food Day and much more. Here’s the “This Week on Real... Read More
Harvest continues to drag out, as farmers in parts of both Western and Eastern Canada cope with some less-than-ideal weather conditions. For this week’s ag news recap, we discuss harvest progress, the upward movement in the markets over the last week, how to communicate complicated science with the public and number of other things that happened... Read More
It’s hard to believe it’s October already, but here we are. Another week of harvest 2014 is in the books. As part of our weekly ag news recap, we cover what happened in the markets, the possibility of millions of acres of land being opened up for cattle in Ontario, and the discovery of a new case of... Read More
There’s never a shortage of things to talk about when it comes to Canadian agriculture. As part of “This Week on Real Ag,” Kelvin touches on harvest progress, cattle herd expansion, General Mills shareholders vote against banning GMO ingredients, confusion about rail penalties and buying fertilizer for next year, among other things. Get caught up on... Read More
We bring you “This Week on Real Ag” for September 18th, as Kelvin Heppner recaps some of the bigger ag stories from the past seven days. This week’s podcast includes updates on harvest, railway and government relations, grain markets and COOL, as well as some dialogue about A&W’s new egg marketing campaign. Oh and of course,... Read More
Snow and freezing temperatures arrived earlier than welcomed in parts of Western Canada this week. We also saw a bearish market report from the USDA and some new developments surrounding the privatization of the Canadian Wheat Board. It was also a week on the road for the RealAg team, as Shaun, Lyndsey and Bern attended... Read More
If you’re looking for the latest farm news in a form you can listen to in the cab, on the field, to kill time after the rain, or maybe to fall asleep to, we’re excited to bring you the revamped “This Week on RealAg” podcast. We’re going to be posting a podcast each week highlighting some of the... Read More
If you can’t see the embedded player above, click here to hear this interview. It’s that time again — when Lyndsey Smith and Debra Murphy finally remember to do a wrap up of the week that was on Real Agriculture! Lucky listeners are in for a serious treat this week, as Smith and Murphy spend... Read More
It’s been another busy week on the site. In news, we saw: the worrying PEDv update from the Manitoba Chief Veterinary Officer, an announcement of another new elevator for CWB and the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program is now accepting applications. On perhaps a more introspective level, Andrew Campbell challenged our ideas of animals and Owen Roberts tackled criticism of... Read More
In a (not very) surprising twist, RealAgriculture editor Lyndsey Smith has decided to do away with a weekly written column and instead cajole her coworkers into an audio wrap up of the week. In this first audio version of This Week on RealAg, Lyndsey is joined by none other than field editor Debra Murphy. Hilarity... Read More
Can I just say now that I am SO glad to see tail lights on this month? February may be the shortest month of the year, but the combination of wicked weather (third coldest winter on record that Manitoba has experienced), a busy schedule and a plague-like illness has made this month feel 10 days... Read More
Bad news out of Manitoba this morning, as the first suspected case of porcine epidemic diarrhea is awaiting confirmation from the disease lab here in Winnipeg. The Chief Vet’s office has already confirmed the infection at a wean to finish operation in hog-heavy southeastern Manitoba, but until the lab confirms it it’s still only suspected.... Read More
First, an apology. Eagle-eyed RealAgriculture readers will note that this column was absent last week. After three days at FarmTech ’14 there was more than enough to share, but no time to do it, so I’ll work some of last week into this, if you don’t mind. It’s no secret I like trains. Furthermore, I... Read More
We’ll start this week’s column on a somber note, because this is serious — yesterday it was announced that the first case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus has been confirmed on a hog farm in Middlesex county in the southwest corner of Ontario. The details are still preliminary, but this deadly virus appears to have... Read More
I feel like I probably could have written a daily update of all that went on this week, as each day had the RealAgriculture team busy. If you attended CropSphere or any of the Crop Production Week festivities in Saskatoon, perhaps we even crossed paths. The week kicked off with a bang (and more than... Read More
While many of us industry types were getting back into routine this week, the bad weather hangover in Ontario was still raging. Our own Shaun Haney got hung up in Las Vegas while trying to get to the Southwest Agricultural Conference (SWAC), and even Bern Tobin, our Ontario field editor missed the first day do... Read More
Change is a funny thing — difficult for some, painfully too slow for others. But if we look at a 10-year arc of, say, the grain markets, public policy, food trends and so on, that decade of change features individual events that string together to form a direction and momentum towards real change. 2013 featured... Read More
After a few months of the Agronomy Geeks podcasts, I’ve learned a few things. Like how I still don’t like the sound of my own voice, but that I really do love agronomy enough to push through that and continue. While I do enjoy exploring new topics, perhaps what I’m enjoying most are the people... Read More
This week started out very different from most weeks, as word came that the Minister of Agriculture would be making a “very large announcement” in the afternoon. I shuffled my schedule and packed my gear and braved the cold to be in the audience when ag minister Gerry Ritz announced Bill C-18, the Canadian Agricultural... Read More
When your coworkers work in three different provinces, it can be tough to ever actually see each other. Here at RealAgriculture, we try to get to get together whenever we can, but sometimes the weather conspires against us. And so, the blizzard that smacked around Calgary on Monday, causing travel delays and flight cancellations impacted... Read More
I’ve got to tell you, this week has been a bit of a marathon, maybe only a little bit because it started off in the rosy afterglow of a Rider win in the 101st Grey Cup championship (sorry Ti-Cat fans!). That, and we were everywhere this week. Everywhere! The RealAgriculture team was in Banff for... Read More
I’d say I’m more of a proactive than reactive person, but there are most certainly times when circumstances simply require us to react. Last week, Heinz announced the closure of its Leamington-based tomato processing plant, and 40% of the Ontario processing tomato industry evaporated. The reasons it happened and the fallout to both the town,... Read More
In the last week, RealAgriculture.com became a totally big deal. Yes, we rolled out a podcast, the first of a few in fact, and these audio-only features will become a regular part of RealAgriculture.com’s agronomy coverage. The podcast format is neat in a few ways: one, it’s a bit longer, so we can explore topics... Read More
Well, it’s official. The busy winter conference season is upon us, and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. This week, the RealAgriculture.com team took in Agri-Trade at Red Deer, Alta., and the first-ever Cereals North America conference. Also on this week was the Royal in Toronto, and though we didn’t make it there, we did... Read More
I’m likely one of the few women who are positively giddy for November. Because November is Movember and I’m a huge fan of fantastic iterations of facial hair. The whole awareness campaign behind Movember is just icing on the cake (moustache?). I’ve encouraged the boy half of RealAgriculture.com to participate, but he hasn’t agreed. Could... Read More
Sometimes, as a writer, when you get weary of coming up with new ideas, you simply take an older, successful idea and recycle it. Two examples of this: tabloids running a “Celebrity Pregnancy Shocker” piece and W5 running a “factory farming animal abuse” story filmed entirely by undercover animal activists. And so this last week,... Read More
Whenever the holiday falls on a Monday, the rest of the week feels a little off. Case in point, I thought Thursday was Friday even though it was a short week and started this “last day of the work week” column a day early. What gives? Anywho, as the RealAgriculture team struggled into their post-turkey... Read More