There are a lot of new agricultural technologies heading your way. How do you sort which technologies to put your money on from the ones to pass up? John Hartnett, CEO and founder of SVG Ventures and its accelerator program, Thrive, has a few pointers. In case you haven’t heard about Thrive, Hartnett or SVG […] Read more
Editor’s Column: John Hartnett’s tips to size up ag tech and how he sees the future of ag
Editor’s Column: Six steps to build your farm’s brand
In my last column, I looked at the pros and cons of building a brand for your farm operation offered by Ben Graham, who is the president of AdFarm and whose family has been farming the same land near Vulcan, Alta., for 117 years. Graham makes a strong case for creating a brand for your […] Read more
Editor’s Column: Does your farm need a brand?
According to Ben Graham, the answer is a hard “Yes.” Graham has a passion for farming. His family has been working the same land near Vulcan, Alta., for 117 years. He’s also the president of AdFarm, the largest agricultural- or rural-focused marketing and communications agency in Canada. Graham understands farming and brands. We all know […] Read more
Editor’s Column: Kevin Hursh asks, ‘Are we having fun yet?’
It’s hopping at Grainews right now. In January and February, we send six issues of the magazine to print, which is almost a weekly publication schedule. I get a taste of the pace fellow GFM editor Gord Gilmour (Manitoba Co-operator) moves at — it’s a good clip. There are stories to assign, pages to edit, […] Read more
Canola outlook: farmers face disruption, uncertainty and great opportunity
It was a difficult year for many canola producers across the Prairies in 2021 due to the historic drought, which lowered yields and, in the worst cases, wiped out crops completely. Supply chain challenges compounded the difficulties farmers faced created by the global pandemic. Jim Everson, Canola Council of Canada president, acknowledged these adversities in […] Read more
Editor’s Column: Five easy focus areas to help make 2022 your year of self-care
Happy New Year! May you and your family enjoy peace, prosperity and joy in 2022. If you haven’t heard it enough from me and other sources over the past year, I’ll say it again. You are your farm’s greatest asset. No one could step into your shoes and take over your role within — and […] Read more
Editor’s Column: Show us your hobbies
It’s hard to believe 2021 is almost at an end. Thank you for a great year and for your emails, phone calls, photographs and letters. You are the reason I do this job and I love hearing from you. Your passion for farming, the land, your families and for producing healthy food is inspiring. And […] Read more
Editor’s Column: I’m the proof you can teach an old dog new tricks
I started working as a writer and editor before the internet was a thing, before digital was a thing. In fact, I can remember flipping through newspaper clippings for background information and standing in line at London Drugs to get my film developed for my stories. Things sure have changed. My generation of writers and […] Read more
Editor’s Column: Economic outlook offers lots of positive news, some challenges, loads of optimism
It’s been about a year and a half since the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions aimed to contain it caused what Aaron Goertzen calls the “deepest and fastest recession in modern economic history.” Goertzen is the senior economist and director of BMO Financial Group. Fortunately, we’re now in the recovery phase. “The labour market has […] Read more
Editor’s Column: How to optimize your cost of harvest
Why is grain loss at harvest such a big deal? Even one bushel of excess canola loss per acre could mean a hit of $15,000 per 1,000 acres, says Joel McDonald, who farms near Kyle, Sask. Managing your grain harvest losses is particularly important when commodity prices are high, and given this past challenging growing […] Read more
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