Photo: Thinkstock

Sask. canola, flax groups vote to merge

SaskCanola and SaskFlax have been sharing offices, admin for about a year

Producer support for the merge of SaskCanola and SaskFlax was "overwhelming," the groups said in a Jan. 10 news release. The organizations held a joint annual general meeting to share results of member feedback before taking the issue to a vote. The vote passed with "widespread approval," the release said.

File photo of a colourful sky from along Highway 363 southwest of Moose Jaw. (Mysticenergy/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie forecast: Frigid temperatures moving in

Issued Jan. 10, 2024, covering Jan 10 to 17

Coldest temperatures look to be over the western prairies but there looks to be some relief from the really cold temperatures early next week. With cold arctic high pressure dominating, little in the way of snow is expected during this forecast period.

Photo: File

Court remedy sought for unfulfilled contracts

Sask. company claims equipment breakdown at a third-party mill caused it to declare force majeure on contracted oats

More than two dozen farmers are moving ahead with legal action against Purely Canada Foods after it failed to honour contracts for gluten-free oats. The dispute centres on 2022 gluten-free oat contracts. On March 1, 2023, the company sent a letter to the farmers saying it was voiding the contracts because oat processing machinery had failed the previous fall and it couldn’t accept the crop.




(Keeperofthezoo/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie forecast: Winter temperatures moving in

Issued Jan. 03, covering: Jan. 3 – 10

Looking at this forecast period, the best way I can describe it is that we will be seeing a slow slide into more seasonal temperatures. The persistent upper-level ridging that brought warm--and record warm temperatures--to much of the prairies in December has broken down. The weather models are showing a trough of low pressure developing over the west coast over the next seven days.

Signage on Viterra’s office building in Regina. (Dave Bedard photo)

Sask. union serves Viterra strike notice

Grain handling giant says its committed to negotiation, but has contingency plans in place

Yesterday, the union issued Viterra a 72-hour notice that they intend to strike as early as 2:00 pm on Jan. 5. GSU members from Viterra Country Operations and Maintenance and Viterra's Regina head office have been negotiating for "fair wages, improved work-life balance, and workplace respect," for more than a year, the union said.


Lorne Hepworth (right), pictured here in 2021 accepting the Saskatchewan Order of Merit from Sask. Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty. Photo: Brighten Creative Group

Hepworth honoured for agricultural achievements

The London, Ont. resident started as a Sask. farmer and vet before moving to politics, then research

Lorne Hepworth, former Saskatchewan agriculture minister and current chair of the Agriculture Research Institute of Ontario, has been named a member of the Order of Canada.

Winter is a good time to review farm transition plans.


Prairie forecast: One more week of above average temperatures

Issued Dec. 27, covering Dec. 27 to Jan. 3

As we head into a new year, it's looking like this could be the last mild forecast period before a switch to a more typical winter weather pattern. As usual, there is always a fair bit of uncertainty in forecasts beyond seven or so days, but we all knew that at some point we'd see some cold wintery weather move in.