What began as a “Freedom Convoy” of a small group of truckers driving to Ottawa to protest against the Jan. 15 mandate that Canadian truckers need to be vaccinated to cross the U.S. border quickly escalated into a weeks-long rally in the downtown core of the nation’s capital. Even before the trucks arrived groups looking […] Read more
Tag Archives editorial — page 3
Editorial: Let’s pick our battles wisely
Editorial: Protein prognostication
Where will livestock, plant and cultured proteins fit in the marketplace?
Feeding the world with enough protein is one of humanity’s challenges in the next few decades, and there’s room for lots of it to be produced, including from animals, plants and cultured meat proteins. The big question is what proportion of the market will be filled by which and what the economics will look like […] Read more
Editorial: Bee open-minded about pollinator assumptions
Sometimes it’s good to check your assumptions at the door, but that seems to be a tougher action for people, especially with access to so much information that can reinforce your thoughts. Journalists are trained to do this early in their career and you get far more interesting and better stories when you arrive with […] Read more
Editorial: Inflation pressure not a surprise
There’s not much doubt that we’re into inflationary times with recently reported annual inflation of 4.4 per cent. That means additional risk for farmers to manage along with the supply chain challenges currently roiling the world and the usual headwinds that come with running a farm. The latest indicator that there’s inflation beyond what many […] Read more
Editorial: Make do or buy new?
I’ve had lots of advice and discussions on the decision to buy new or make do with older farm equipment over the years. Some farmers who keep older equipment humming along have no idea why someone would pay full price for new machinery. There are those who swear by running new equipment to ensure uptime […] Read more
Editorial: The fine print will win
Farmers tend to be price takers as producers of commodities, although many of them have found direct routes to consumers and that can be profitable. Farmers markets have proven helpful for many farmers who attempt to create a sideline food or produce business. That includes Oliver Papple, a young farmer who grows sweet corn and […] Read more
Editorial: Lessons from Clarkson’s Farm
There are lessons to be learned for the agriculture sector from the popularity of the British reality show Clarkson’s Farm. I was late to viewing the show on Amazon Prime, mostly because the history of mainstream media depiction of farming on television is suspect. It ranges from overly fawning, idealized, moralizing or unrealistic. The depiction […] Read more
Editorial: Local counts during election campaigns
An uninspiring election could be an opportunity for agriculture inroads
The federal election has been a bit of a snoozer so far, with no defining issues and little widespread attachment to any of the parties and leaders. Movement in the polls started in late August with a hint that in the absence of any defining reason to call an election, the electorate questioned the prime […] Read moreEditorial: The need for more efficient nitrogen
Reducing use of nitrogen fertilizer is a big potential win for farmers and critics of farm practices. The discovery of the Haber-Bosch process and its ability to pull molecular nitrogen from the air is one of the foundations of modern society. Nitrogen fertilizer allowed farmers to feed crops and people as yields grew. They can […] Read more
Editorial: Time for another Hay West?
Ontario farmers have many reasons to be thankful
People look at me strangely sometimes when I make the case that Ontario is one of the best places in the world to farm. There are always struggles in farming and when you deal with your package of farming challenges it feels tough. Ontario has its issues — urban encroachment, expensive land and a unique […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
