Ted inspects developing strawberries growing in partial shade under floating row cover. Read below about the tarnished plant bug and how to avoid cat-faced strawberries.

More information on potatoes

Singing Gardener: Plus, some tips on strawberries

We can all identify with how time flies. The longest day or summer solstice for this year is now long gone. Little by little, daylight is sneaking away and shall continue to do so until just before next Christmas when we have our shortest day. Speaking of “sneaking,” let me put a question to you. […] Read more

(Kelloggs.ca)

Kellogg’s sales miss analysts’ estimates

Reuters — Kellogg Co.’s quarterly sales dropped 6.6 per cent, missing analysts’ estimates, as demand slid further for its breakfast foods and snacks, which include Corn Flakes and Froot Loops. Kellogg also said a strong dollar was expected to hurt sales this year more than it had anticipated, mainly due to a sharp fall in […] Read more



Mosaic’s potash facility at Esterhazy, Sask. (Greg Berg photo)

Mosaic CEO sees opportunities to buy miners’ fertilizer assets

Reuters — Miners that produce a diverse commodity mix may be willing to part with fertilizer assets, creating buying opportunities for producers of potash and phosphate, Mosaic Co. CEO Joc O’Rourke said Tuesday. Profits of fertilizer producers have tumbled because of falling prices, weak currencies in importing countries such as Brazil and excessive supplies. Mosaic, […] Read more


Okanagan producers adopt climate adaptation strategy

Agricultural producers and local governments in the Okanagan region are getting ready for the possibility of hotter, drier summers and different pest pressures under climate change. The B.C. Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative (CAI) brought agricultural producers together with local governments and provincial agencies to identify collaborative solutions and actions to adapt to the […] Read more

SunOpta pressured by shareholders after sluggish sales

Reuters – Canadian organic food company SunOpta Inc, already under pressure from U.S. hedge fund Tourbillon Capital Partners LP, is being prodded by a second activist shareholder to explore the sale of all or part of the company, according to sources familiar with the matter. Canadian hedge fund West Face Capital, which pushed SNC-Lavalin to sell […] Read more


Asparagus Quiche with Parmesan Crust

Wild asparagus is hard to find

Prairie Palate: It prefers an undisturbed area, so the more land that is cultivated, the less it can find suitable habitat

Not long ago, I was asked if I had ever picked wild asparagus. The answer was “No,” but it got me thinking. I’ve picked wild mushrooms, wild strawberries and wild mint but I have never been so lucky as to come across a patch of wild asparagus while walking in the great outdoors. Come to […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. GMO label law clears Congress

A law for mandatory labelling of foods for sale in the U.S. with genetically modified or otherwise “bioengineered” ingredients has cleared both houses of Congress and now goes to President Barack Obama. The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved the Senate’s bipartisan bill S.764 by a 306-117 vote, sending it to the White House […] Read more


Erwin Northoff (r), chief of media for FAO, presents the Star Prize to Laura Rance at the 2016 IFAJ Congress in Bonn, Germany. (IFAJ.org)

FBC editorial chief wins major international awards

Laura Rance, editorial director of Farm Business Communications and editor of the Manitoba Co-operator, has won two major international awards for her work on African agriculture. Rance won the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Star Prize for ‘Africa’s Hunger Games,’ published in the Winnipeg Free Press in April 2015. The same piece was awarded […] Read more