Research shows that one of the fastest ways of boring someone to tears is mentioning the words “regulatory competitiveness.” It is, however, a critical topic, especially now when accessing...
It is not your great-granddaddy’s farm anymore. While some may have nostalgia for the old farm with a little red barn that housed a few chickens, a couple of pigs, and a dairy cow, it is better ...
I did not come up with the line “hard to be green while in the red”, but I wish I had. It is a succinct phrase describing one of the most challenging policy aspects of sustainability. It i...
What should farmers be asking of governments? This is an especially relevant question for producers in Manitoba who are getting to know the new government led by Premier Kinew. Farmers and their repre...
I have a message for every farmer in Manitoba, no matter what crop they grow or type of animals under their care - now is the time to engage with all local candidates. Governance matters. On October 3...
The international agricultural landscape is witnessing a troubling trend towards protectionism. In past eras, protectionism was enabled through prohibitive tariffs that blocked trade. World Trade Orga...
There are two ways to get a horse to carry a heavy load. You can hit it with a big stick, or you can provide a reward for work well done. Think of agriculture as the horse, and governments’ sust...
Sometime before October 24th, Manitobans will go to the polls to elect the next provincial government. While we don’t know the election date, the campaign has already begun, or at least, it shou...
"Good riddance” is the most common response I hear to the passing of 2022. It was a year of uncertainty. We saw disruptions to supply chains, reverberations from COVID-19, the war in Ukraine imp...
COVID-19 has caused the word pivot to be overused and abused, but I am going to use it again anyways. It is time for a significant trade policy pivot from the Government of Canada to actively counter ...
Farmers are often referred to as “producers”. Wheat producers, canola producers, cattle producers, hog producers, etc. While these references are logically rooted in the commodities grown ...
What is a farmer’s relationship with environmental and animal welfare certification programs? Would it be right to say that it’s complicated? On one hand, farmers feel targeted by those in...