Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou leaves B.C. Supreme Court on a lunch break during her extradition hearing in Vancouver on Jan. 22, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)

China denies ‘coercive’ diplomacy with Canada

Envoy again urges release of Huawei executive

Ottawa | Reuters — China on Thursday denied it had taken two Canadian men hostage, and repeated a call for the release of a Huawei Technologies executive held in Canada who faces extradition to the United States amid a long-running diplomatic dispute. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese citizen, was arrested in Vancouver […] Read more

Louise and Percy Schmeiser. (Mary Lou Schechtel photo courtesy Mongrel Media)

Farmer and activist Percy Schmeiser, 89

Thorn in Monsanto's side also the subject of a new major film

Funeral services are to be held and livestreamed Saturday for Prairie farmer, businessman and activist Percy Schmeiser, best known for his ultimately unsuccessful court battles with the company behind Roundup Ready canola. Schmeiser, who farmed at Bruno, Sask., about 90 km east of Saskatoon, died Tuesday at age 89. According to Saskatchewan media, he had […] Read more


ICE November 2020 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola firm at midweek

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts have steadied after slipping slightly following Canada’s Thanksgiving long weekend, with nearby attention on speculations rolling positions out of the front month. The nearby November contract closed Wednesday at $526.10 per tonne, gaining slightly after incurring losses the day prior. Market participants adjusting positions ahead of the November contract’s […] Read more

Due to the shift to larger bins, a lot of farms don’t have adequate power to have fans big enough to move adequate air, says a Canola Council of Canada expert.

Explore your options for heating and grain drying infrastructure

Experts advise farmers to consider the economics and benefits and to plan ahead, plus tips on airflow and spoilage prevention

Last year’s cold, wet harvest conditions proved a challenging test for many Prairie producers, both during harvest and once grain was in the bin. Even in a good year, effective fan technology is critical to successful storage. Last year, many farmers with heating and drying infrastructure and grain bin monitoring technologies were able to take […] Read more



Violife’s vegan cheese-substitute lines include cheddar-style slices. (ViolifeFoods.com)

Becel maker Upfield to relocate Ontario plant

Company to make vegan cheese substitutes, other spreads at Brantford

The maker of Becel margarine, Imperial spreads and, most recently, vegan near-cheese Violife plans to boost its Canadian manufacturing capacity with a move from Toronto to Brantford, Ont. The Canadian arm of Amsterdam-based Upfield said Wednesday it has bought a 164,000-square foot industrial building at Brantford and “brings a significant investment involving the purchase of […] Read more


Monarch butterflies hibernating in Mexico on fir trees.

Glyphosate gets off the butterfly hook

An example of a blatant effort to find a pesticide scapegoat

When I lived in Ontario in the early seventies, monarch butterflies were a common sight in the Guelph area, especially in late September. I would be coaching rugby on the University of Guelph rugby field late in the day and I would see hundreds of monarch butterflies heading south over the playing field at a […] Read more

The pea crop on the left side of the photo was treated with Nodulator Duo, which includes rhizobium as well as another bacteria that produces a root strengthening bio-film. The crop on the right side of the photo was treated with a competitive product that was rhizobium-only.

Biological power complements inoculants for pulse crops

Nitrogen-fixing rhizobia aren’t just for pulse and legume crops

While the 2020 crop may not be harvested and in the bin yet, early fall is still a good time to be thinking about the 2021 crop and lining up pulse crop inoculants for the coming growing season. Producers should be lining up inoculant needs this fall to avoid disappointment next spring. In addition to […] Read more


ICE November 2020 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: ‘Demand-pull’ environment supports canola

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts moved higher during the week ended Wednesday, moving back toward the contract highs hit in September. Canola is pushing upside chart limits and modest corrections are likely going forward, but the fundamentals remain supportive and “the trend is up until further notice,” said analyst Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm Pro. […] Read more

The slough next to my farmyard July 29, 2013. See below how it looks seven years later.

Les Henry: New information on the water table and crop yields

Sloughs do tell a story about water tables

In recent years, this column has talked a lot about higher water tables and the role they play in harvesting good crops on years with low rainfall. The United States has maintained the system of land grant universities that are directly tied to the land and deal primarily with research that has a bang at […] Read more