General

Quilters who are or who know fans of the International Harvester, Farmall, McCormick and Case IH equipment brands now have new “retro” fabrics they can source through Case IH dealers. “In addition to eight new designs and five new blender fabrics, we’re thrilled to offer pre-cut fabric packaged for convenience,” Sarah Pickett of Case IH’s […] Read more

Agriculture, agribusiness and other rural-based resource sectors are driving over half of Canada’s exports and fueling economic growth, but much of rural Canada is missing out on that growth, Canada’s municipalities warn. In a report released Tuesday, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Rural Forum urged the federal government to craft a longer-term rural strategy and […] Read more

The Canadian diet includes less oils, red meats and soft drinks in 2008 compared to the previous year, according to Statistics Canada. The federal statistics agency on Wednesday released its 2008 report on food available for consumption, finding that Canadians’ total daily intake of calories per person is down to 2,382 calories from its peak […] Read more

Realized net farm income — the difference between a farmer’s cash receipts and operating expenses minus depreciation, plus income in kind — amounted to $3.3 billion in 2008, up $1.3 billion (63.2 per cent) from 2007, Statistics Canada reported Monday. This was the second consecutive annual increase after declines in 2005 and 2006, the federal […] Read more

The organic food market chain that bills itself as Canada’s leading natural products retailer has replaced its chief executive while it looks to negotiate new terms with its lenders. Planet Organic Health Corp. announced Friday that its president and CEO since 2002, Ron Francisco, will step aside, to be replaced by Darren Krissie, the Edmonton […] Read more

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says the federal government is vigourously pursuing the passage and implementation of trade agreements with the Latin American countries Peru and Colombia. Ritz is leading a Canadian delegation to both countries to “…advance quick implementation of these important free trade agreements.” The agreements were inked in the fall of 2008, […] Read more

Olds College is now offering a new major aimed at training the next generation of land-use planning technicians and development officers. These roles involve gathering and researching environmental data to help assess how residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural developments interact with rural landscapes and ecosystems. This new program addresses both an employment shortage and an […] Read more

A worldwide organic certification body is actively encouraging farmers from Canada and elsewhere to apply for “micro-grants” to support organic research and/or education. Lincoln, Neb.-based OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) International offers research and education micro-grants, typically in the range of $300 to $1,500, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Eligible projects “must support organic research, […] Read more

Donald Buckingham, a lawyer for the federal agriculture department in Ottawa, has been named to head the tribunal that hears farmers’ appeals of their federal fines. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz on Friday named Buckingham to a five-year full-time term as chairperson and CEO of the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal (CART). “He brings to the position […] Read more

The federal government’s follow-up to last year’s Community Development Trust program will again give priority to “single-industry, rural communities” including those “heavily reliant” on resource industries such as agriculture. The government on Thursday rolled out its Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) which, like the CDT, allocates $1 billion in federal support for communities hit particularly hard […] Read more