Branding comes to agriculture Tuesday, August 5, 2014 Taking a page from Silicon Valley, the major players in central Iowa's agriculture and bioscience fields have branded the region between Des Moines and Ames. Agriculture.com reports that, after three years of market research, they have settled on a name: the Cultivation Corridor. The brand celebrates the healthy agricultural industry in the region, the ag and bioscience research done at Iowa State University, and the companies such as DuPont Pioneer and John Deere that are active there. "Place branding" is a new umbrella term for the branding of a city or region to make it stand out from the competition in the fight for tourist dollars or business investments. Leamington is (or was) the "Tomato Capital of Canada." Maybe London could be the "Milk Mecca," Niagara could be the "Fruit Chute" and Simcoe could be "Tobacco Town." Suggestions welcome. BF High prices and continued market strength augur well for the cattle industry Should climate change deniers be found liable?
Spring Economic Update Sets the Stage for a Challenging Year on the Farm Friday, May 1, 2026 The Federal Government released its 2026 Spring Economic Update on April 28, outlining the country’s current economic position and federal priorities for the months ahead. While the update does not contain new direct funding announcements for agriculture, it offers important signals for... Read this article online
When Grain Stops Moving Rail and Port Delays Cost Canada Up to $540 Million Friday, May 1, 2026 A new economic analysis commissioned by the Agriculture Transport Coalition has found that just one week of rail and port disruptions during peak export season can cost Canada’s grain sector up to $540 million. The majority of these losses stem from missed export sales that cannot be... Read this article online
Colouring a Safer Future for Farm Kids Thursday, April 30, 2026 Teaching children about farm safety is an essential part of protecting the future of Canadian agriculture. With that goal in mind, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) has launched the Kids FarmSafe Colouring Contest, a creative initiative designed to help young people learn... Read this article online
Inside the Collapse of Monette Farms and What It Signals for Big Agriculture Thursday, April 30, 2026 The restructuring of Monette Farms is raising hard questions about how large is too large in modern agriculture—and whether today’s risk tools are keeping up. (Read the article: Monette Farms Seeks Court Protection as Mega-Farm Restructures Amid Financial Pressures) For years, Monette... Read this article online
Soybean Cyst Nematode Is in almost every soybean producing state and province Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Understanding Detection, Prevention, and Management of Soybeans’ Most Costly Pest Soybean cyst nematode (SCN), , remains the most damaging pathogen affecting soybeans in North America, costing U.S. farmers more than one billion dollars in lost yield annually. Updated national surveys... Read this article online