Gestation stalls still common in the U.S. Wednesday, August 1, 2012 Meanwhile, gestation stall use in the United States is still widespread according to a study conducted by University of Missouri economist Ron Plain. He surveyed 70 operations with 1,000 sows and over, representing 3.6 million of the nation's 5.7 million sows, and found that sows in only 17.3 per cent of them spent part of their gestation in open pens. The rest of them were crated all of the time.There are concerns about how the U.S. industry can manage a conversion to meet the expectations of customers, who have asked suppliers to assure that all of the pork they produce will be from non-gestation stall operations by 2017, barely five years away.The National Pork Producers Council commissioned the study. It confirms their concerns about the decisions food companies have made to buy only pork from operations that are gestation-crate-free. There will be difficulties and costs in sorting, segregating and tracing pigs and pork to meet the needs of these customers. Traceability isn't as far along in the United States as it is in Canada, some producers here note. BP Time to consider hedging as part of your market strategy? Europeans gear up for sow stall ban
Manitoba pork, canola producers hold steady amid heavy tariffs Wednesday, July 9, 2025 A slab of back bacon from Natural Raised Pork comes with a waitlist. Ian Smith points to tariffs. Since the United States placed levies on imports from Canada, Manitobans have increasingly been calling Smith about his farm near Argyle, some 40 kilometres northwest of... Read this article online
Best Remote Security Systems for Farms Without WiFi Tuesday, July 8, 2025 In rural areas where WiFi connectivity is scarce, farmers often rely on cellular-based security systems to monitor their remote buildings and equipment. In this article, we explore the top five remote security systems that operate over cellular networks, highlighting their pros, cons, and... Read this article online
Alberta Grant Helps Farmers Hire and Train Class 1 Drivers Tuesday, July 8, 2025 Did you know that if you are looking to expand your farm team with skilled Class 1 drivers Alberta's Class 1 Learning Pathway Grant Program offers employers up to $25,000 per new hire to support training, onboarding, and professional development? This initiative is part of the... Read this article online
Battle River-Crowfoot voters decide Poilievre’s future on Aug. 18 Tuesday, July 8, 2025 The date is set for the federal byelection in Battle River-Crowfoot. On Aug. 18, the riding of 107,979 people as of the 2021 Census, will either grant or deny Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a seat back in the House of Commons. “It would be an honour to represent the people of... Read this article online
Stats Canada publishes 2026 Census of Agriculture questions Tuesday, July 8, 2025 Canadian farmers wanting to prepare for next year’s Census of Agriculture can do so. Statistics Canada has published the questions it will be asking in the 2026 ag questionnaire. “The data are needed to make informed decisions about business risk management strategies, agricultural... Read this article online