Officials break ground for Cavendish Farms’ new potatp plant at Lethbridge on Sept. 18. (Alberta.ca)

Alberta, feds back Lethbridge potato processing plant

The federal and Alberta governments are set to cover over $22 million in costs related to the construction of Cavendish Farms’ new potato processing plant at Lethbridge. The two levels of government on Monday announced $20 million for the City of Lethbridge for related municipal infrastructure developments, through the federal/provincial Clean Water and Wastewater Fund […] Read more



(Country Guide file photo)

Farmers to deal with stronger loonie for rest of 2017

CNS Canada — Higher interest rates and a stronger Canadian dollar relative to U.S. currency is giving Canadian farmers a double whammy. According to Farm Credit Canada’s chief agricultural economist, it’s also a situation farmers will likely have to deal with for at least the remainder of the year. J.P. Gervais said he thinks farmers […] Read more

Andrew Harvey. (NBAct.ca)

New Brunswick splits agriculture, aquaculture files

Ministerial oversight of agriculture and aquaculture will be split between two cabinet ministers in New Brunswick following a shuffle Tuesday. Premier Brian Gallant on Tuesday named Carleton-Victoria MLA Andrew Harvey as the new minister of agriculture, mines and rural affairs. Saint John-area MLA Rick Doucet, who until now also handled the ag file, remains as […] Read more


Alanna Koch appears with her family on a new website for her candidacy as Saskatchewan Party leader. (Alannaforleader.ca)

Koch to seek Saskatchewan Party leadership

A long-time Prairie agriculture policy player who last year became Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall’s seniormost bureaucrat has joined the race to replace him. Alanna Koch, who farms with her husband at Edenwold, Sask., about 40 km northeast of Regina, announced her candidacy Monday for the leadership of the province’s governing Saskatchewan Party. Koch was the […] Read more

Spudnuts — specialty of the Saskatoon summer fair

Spudnuts — specialty of the Saskatoon summer fair

Prairie Palate: These potato doughnuts are light and fluffy and a delicious way to eat mashed potatoes


Today, I would like to tell you about the time I kept a New Year’s resolution all the way into August. Yes, eight months. No fails. As you might guess, this resolution had nothing to do with exercise, weight loss or budgeting, all of which have a low success rate beyond February 1. No, this […] Read more



(Photo courtesy ARS/USDA Northern Plains Ag Research Lab, Sidney, Montana.)

Aerial crop sprayers grounded in Western Canada

CNS Canada — Aerial crop sprayers are spending more time on the ground than in the air in Western Canada this season, with hot and dry weather limiting disease pressures and changing the economic threshold for insect applications. “The crops came out of the ground very aggressively and good, but there was a prolonged hot […] Read more


(CBSA-asfc.gc.ca)

U.S. makes lower trade deficit priority in NAFTA talks

Washington | Reuters — The United States on Monday launched the first salvo in the renegotiation of the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), saying its top priority for the talks was shrinking the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico. In a much-anticipated document sent to lawmakers, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said […] Read more

Farm dads and emotions of quitting farming

Farm dads and emotions of quitting farming

It’s my 22nd Father’s Day column and I will do my best to not make “Charlie from Saskatchewan” feel like I am beating up farm dads! A reader asked me to write about the emotions of quitting farming. Let’s take the approach of the farm culture attributes farm founders appreciate. What might it feel like […] Read more