Women farmers dealing with stress
Gone are the days when men were the only ones who counted statistically as farmers. Through the agricultural census, we’re seeing more women identify as farm owners or co-owners, a nod to the equal-partner role they’ve long had on farms. Officially, women are finally and rightfully becoming an emerging farm group. But do farming challenges […]
Future farmers need our support
Where Canada and the US will get their next generation of farmers is a pressing question. Think about this: the average age of farmers here is 56. In the US, it’s about the same. Farmers aren’t forced to keep farming. But clearly, they want to, having built up their businesses through the generations. Of course, […]
Will machines replace farmers?
Farm labour shortages are chronic. Very few Canadians want to do farm work because they don’t understand it or they think it’s too hard, or dirty, or noisy. So, farmers must look at alternatives. These include importing labour, as well as scenarios where machines carry out tasks traditionally done by humans. Many people don’t want […]
Confidence, support grows for organic food
Ottawa and consumers are showing a lot of confidence in Canada’s organic sector, which continues to break new ground and reach new markets. At the end of June, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay announced more than $2 million in federal support for organics, split more or less evenly between two of the […]