Crop diseases can have a serious impact on a farmer's bottom line, that’s why management is an ongoing concern for producers. Finding the right tools and technologies to help producers get a handle on diseases can be complicated and expensive. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Kelly Turkington says it all starts with having a basic knowledge of the nature of plant diseases as the first step towards understanding what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. A University of British Columbia student design team has created the prototype for a fully autonomous agricultural robot. The creation of the AgroBot started with four students. The team has grown to 40 students with backgrounds in various areas of engineering. AgroBot team member Wendie Wu will explain the project and tell us about how the students took inspiration from other industries and applied them to the robot...all in an effort to make agriculture operations more sustainable.

 African Swine Fever and emerging diseases was a main topic of discussion at the recent Sask Industry Pork Symposium. Dr. Stephanie Smith, the director of the veterinary unit with the Ministry of Agriculture, shares how the industry and farmers can prepare for emerging diseases like African Swine fever. AND The federal government is planning to reduce the amount of money spent on international aid----but it's unclear where those cuts will be made. Paul Hagerman is the Canadian Foodgrain's Bank Public Policy Director. He is concerned about the wording of the last federal budget.

The Research Lead with Agri-Food Economic Systems suggests with Canadian oilseeds under increasing trade pressure, an oilseed strategy could be helpful. An Independent Agri-Food Policy Note and accompanying Policy Concepts Paper, released by Agri-Food Economic Systems, examined the pressures facing Canadian oilseeds including China's 100 per cent tariff on canola oil and canola meal, trade action on Canadian peas from China, and now India - and issues with China and the U.S. over soybeans. Research lead Dr. Al Mussell says Canadian oilseed producers are extremely export dependent but that's not a bad thing. The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) have sent a letter to the provincial government, laying out their views on Saskatchewan farmland ownership. President Bill Prybylski says while he has no proof of foreign farmland ownership being an issue in Saskatchewan, he is concerned that the price of farmland could be inflated by outside interests.

A protein journalist says the technological revolution is helping shape the buying patterns of consumers more today than over the past century. "The Retail Meat Counter; What consumers are buying and how is it changing?" was among the topics discussed as part of the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium. Lisa Keefe says demographics are increasingly shaping consumer buying patterns. Pulse Canada was in China this past week. The goal was to work to maintain one-on-one relationships with business contacts in the effort to persuade the Chinese government to drop hefty tariffs on peas and canola. Pulse Canada President Greg Cherewyk spoke prior to his flight to China.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10 per cent increase in tariffs on goods imported from Canada in response to ads produced by the Ontario government. Manitoba Pork General manager Cam Dahl says Canada's elected officials need to prioritize the renegotiation and to tone down the rhetoric while working with our allies in the U.S. to maintain trade including representatives from key states like Iowa. He says there is an understanding among elected state officials and agricultural leaders in the U.S. - Canada must continue to work with like-minded partners helping them influence the Trump administration. There is a unique Kindergarten to Grade Nine School in the rural area . . . 21 kilometres east of Medicine Hal. In addition to the regular classes . . . the kids get a hands-on view of food production at the Irvine Agriculture Discovery Centre. An onsite agriculture demonstration project connects rural and urban students who look after a so-called "Noah's Ark" of animals as part of the education curriculum. We will talk to the centre coordinator Nicole Neubauer.

Crop diseases can have a serious impact on a farmer's bottom line, that’s why management is an ongoing concern for producers. Finding the right tools and technologies to help producers get a handle on diseases can be complicated and expensive. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Kelly Turkington says it all starts with having a basic knowledge of the nature of plant diseases as the first step towards understanding what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. A University of British Columbia student design team has created the prototype for a fully autonomous agricultural robot. The creation of the AgroBot started with four students. The team has grown to 40 students with backgrounds in various areas of engineering. AgroBot team member Wendie Wu will explain the project and tell us about how the students took inspiration from other industries and applied them to the robot...all in an effort to make agriculture operations more sustainable.

A new online training platform for swine barn workers is allowing farms to manage, coordinate and track their training programs. Mark Fynn is the Training Resources Coordinator with the Canadian Pork Council. He will discuss the progress for the new program that was officially launched in March 2025. Challenges in the trade and economic environment, largely due to tariffs from the U.S. and China, have affected Canada's Food and Beverage sector. Farm Credit Canada released its mid-year update on the food and beverage industry and say while the first half of the year had a sales increase of 0.8 per cent, it’s not expected to hold, and FCC projects sales will decline to 0.3 per cent in the second half. Most of the growth has been from price increases, but Senior Economist Amanda Norris says declining volumes of goods sold is causing slower-than-expected growth.

Politics have had a significant impact on agriculture research in Alberta. The government in that province changed hands with the New Democrats taking power in 2015 and then new United Conservative Party winning the election in 2019. It has been a stressful time for those involved in research. A new organization called Results Driven Agriculture Research or RDAR has been given the responsibility of guiding Alberta’s ag research priorities to ensure they reflect the needs of farmers, ranchers, and others in the agriculture industry. I'll speak with RDAR board chair Dr. David Chalack about this new entity and its role in promoting beneficial research for the ag sector. Prairie honey producers take great pride in their pure product. But the fake honey showing up on store shelves is hurting their bottom line.Fake honey is being blamed for a dramatic drop in prices dating back to 2015 and it has been pushing the limits of beekeepers in Canada. In fact, prices were so low producers were not making enough money to even cover their costs. Tim Wendell of Wendell Honey Farm has felt the impact. Their operation includes sites in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Wendell will explain where this fake honey is coming from and how consumers can support this important industry.

Farmers have shortened up crop rotation for a number of reasons. Oilseed agronomy research scientist Patrick Molecki is with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Saskatoon Research and Development Centre.  He there are numerous issues popping up because of this practice including herbicide  resistance in weeds and increased disease pressure including blackleg and fusarium head blight. Patrick says the continuing practice will have long term implications. There tends to be a focus on the negative environmental aspects of farming like the greenhouse gases emitted from vehicles, fertilizers, and grain transportation. But there is new work showing this impact can be offset by planting trees. It's estimated more 21.3 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent is stored in Saskatchewan’s 60,000 km of shelterbelts, representing about $639 million in total economic value under the federal $30 per tonne carbon-dioxide-equivalent pricing  system. Bryan Mood with USask will discuss a new app that is designed to show the economic value of shelterbelts while helping landowners determine the best trees to grow.

Canada's elected officials need to prioritize the renegotiation of the Canada, United States, Mexico trade agreement and to tone down the rhetoric while working with allies in the U.S. to maintain trade. Manitoba Pork General Manager Cam Dahl suggests this matter should be the number one  issue of Canada's agriculture ministers from coast to coast. Farm Credit Canada hosted its annual Food and Beverage Summit in Saskatoon. Smaller and medium sized companies from all parts of Western Canada were on hand. Stacey Gordon, FCC's area vice-president of commercial financing, said entrepreneurs at varying stages of the journey to the supermarket shelf attended the trade show and listened to presentations.  Some are only selling locally; others are in regional stores while a few are looking to break  into the national market.

As parliament resumed the Grain Growers of Canada, who represent over 70-thousand producers across Canada, have four key priorities: international trade, capital gains tax, trade-enabling infrastructure, and research & development. Executive Director Kyle Larkin says continued uncertainty with the United States and tariffs from China is at the top of the list. And staying with Parliament, we’ll hear from new Saskatchewan senator Todd Lewis, who farms near Regina, on how he's fitting into his new role Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan estimate 4,000 visitors took part in this year's Saskatchewan Open Farm Days. The second edition of the event saw approximately 35 different agriculture-related venues opening their doors to the public. Farm and Food Care Executive Director Clinton Monchuk said the event provides an opportunity for farmers to engage directly with consumers.

African Swine Fever has hit a 27,000 pig facility in Estonia. That was one of the revelations from the monthly newsletter from the Swine Health Information Center that released its domestic and global swine disease monitoring reports. SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says the latest developments related to African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease demonstrate the value of swine disease monitoring in understanding transmission routes and disease risks The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board has launched its second whole hog video series. Sask Pork Whole Hog Youth Ambassador is 12-year-old Reise Podhordeski, a farm kid who lives and works on his family's commercial hay operation near Marcelin, Sask. Reise says there's more involved in pork production than what happens in the barn.

Manitoba's efforts to control Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea are drawing international attention.  Manitoba Pork Director of Swine Health Jenelle Hamblin says, since the introduction of Manitoba's PED elimination plan in the spring of 2023, numbers of cases have declined. Manitoba farmers and veterinarians have been reporting regular or lower incidences of other diseases. Hamblin says there has been a lot of outreaches from other jurisdictions on what's being done in Manitoba, particularly from the United States. The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board has launched its second whole hog video series. In the series of videos, the Sask Pork whole hog youth ambassador, interviewing various members of the pork value chain. Jessica Podhordeski with Sask Pork, says the videos run about three and a half minutes and are suitable for all audiences but they were primarily designed to educate youth about the pork industry.

There was a lot of excitement at the University of Saskatchewan surrounding the release of a landmark study. The USask led team of roughly 100 international scientists from ten countries generated the first genomic atlas for global wheat improvement. Crop Development Centre director Dr. Curtis Pozniak will tell us how this atlas will enable scientists and breeders to much more quickly identify genes that will improve yield, pest resistance and other important crop traits. Grain Growers of Canada have released a new video project to help educate politicians and policymakers about the challenges and realities facing farmers today. Today's Modern Grain Farm: A Harvest Across Canada features farmers from across Canada including Saskatchewan grain farmer, Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel. Cherilyn will explain why it’s crucial to reach out to politicians and their teams and present what life is like as a modern grain farmer across the country. She says the when the question is asked How can the Canadian economy recover from the Coronavirus? The answer might be in a strong agriculture industry and there are a number of ways Ottawa can be supportive of farmers.

Harvest is still a few days away over most parts of the province----following rain in some regions last week. The 2025 crop will be a mixed bag-----very good in some areas----and poor in others. Twyla Jones is the Agronomic Innovation Lead with Nutrien Ag Solutions in Canada. She talks about how crops are looking across the Prairies and picks out a couple of locations that could be combining above average yields. Delisle is home to a brand-new flax processing facility. The plant is owned by the Minnesota company Grain Millers, which is widely recognized in Saskatchewan for its involvement in the oat industry, as they have a plant in Yorkton, but they are beginning to dabble in flax. The Delisle flax plant recently celebrated its grand opening where crews from the operations in Yorkton, of course Delisle, and also Minnesota were present for the event. CEO and President of Grain Millers Todd Stohlmeyer will talk about the reasons for the over 30-million-dollar expansion.

As North America closes in on the time frame for renegotiating the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement the U.S. and has launched a U.S. International Trade Commission investigation into Canada's exports of skim milk. An Independent Agri-Food Policy Note released by Agri-Food Economic Systems suggests U.S. complaints about Canadian dairy policy are unfounded. Research lead Dr. Al Mussell says while Canadian dairy policy has long been an irritant, Canada has remained in full compliance with its international trade obligations, including the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. China has implemented a 75.8 per cent duty on Canadian canola seed imports. China's Ministry of Commerce announced the preliminary ruling regarding their anti-dumping investigation on canola. The latest tariff on canola seed is in addition to the 100 per cent tariff implemented on Canadian oil and meal back in March 2025. President and CEO of the Canola Council of Canada, Chris Davison, says China is a highly valued and important market but there is great disappointed with the preliminary ruling.

Confidence in Canada's Food System at an all-time high according to new research from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI). Canadians are optimistic about their food supply, even as Canada's food system faces exceptional pressure and public scrutiny due to the global pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020. President and CEO of CCFI John Jamieson will share the results of the latest public Trust Research Report, and how the Canadians are feeling about the overall direction of the food system. Farmers are poised to play a key role in Canada's economic recovery. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business submitted a list of concerns to the country's agriculture ministers, topping the list is needed improvements to Business Risk Management programs. CFIB senior policy analyst Virginia Labbie says the focus should be on policies that will help drive growth in the agriculture and agri-food sector so that it can perform to its potential.

Canada's position on supply management could trigger a further escalation of trade tensions between Canada and the U.S. Florian Possberg, a partner with Polar Pork, says hope of reaching a trade deal between Canada and the United States are dwindling. Agriculture Innovation Awards were presented at Western Canada's largest outdoor farm show Ag in Motion. The Innovation Award for Ag Tech went to Phiber Manufacturing of Crystal City, Manitoba for its DASH drone carrier. Steve Froese is Phiber's Director of Sales and he talks about what is unique about the drone carrier.

Responsible Grain...it is a national code of practice being developed to show Canadian farmers care about the environment. It will address consumer and customer priorities and provide practical advice for farmers to continue to improve their practices. Committee chair Ted Menzies from Claresholm, Alberta says the draft code, developed by farmers and industry experts, has been completed and is now open for consultation. Ted will share why it is important to have a code to share with our customers at home and abroad. Agriculture is a key driver of Canadian economic growth. Achieving export goals will only happen through the development of a strong crops sector. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada along with Cereals Canada have established wheat research priorities from now to 2022. Victoria Linden is the research director with Cereals Canada. She will share those priorities and why it's important to revisit these goals every few years.

North America is a role model when it comes to reducing the environmental footprint of livestock production. Dr. Frank Mitloehner is a professor with the University of California Davis. He told delegates at the recent Saskatchewan Swine Symposium the public needs to recognize the contributions of livestock agriculture to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. He said the most pressing need is to get the countries that are not efficient in producing animal sourced food to change, and that objective can be met while, at the same time, minimizing the carbon footprint. Shelby Corey wears many hats. She is a wife and mother. She is a rancher, a rural municipal councillor, and a development officer with 4-H Saskatchewan. Life is hectic. Shelby will share how balancing the farm, kids, career, and everything else can be overwhelming but there is a way to find balance. She will share some of the things she has learned to avoid burnout.

Canada's new agriculture minister spent some time in Saskatchewan. Heath MacDonald toured around various areas---Regina, Indian Head, and Davidson and met with farm leaders from the grain and oilseed, beef, and dairy sectors. Saskatchewan agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison also accompanied MacDonald on all stops during his tour. MacDonald will share more on the conversations and concerns of farmers during his visit. Prairie farmers may face a potential rust threat this year Dr. Kelly Turkington, a research scientist in plant pathology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lacombe, says rust spores typically originate from the Pacific Northwest and the Texas-to-Nebraska corridor in the U.S. These spores, which include stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust, and crown rust in oats, are carried by the wind and usually start appearing in the prairies in June. Over the years, research scientists, breeders, and pathologists have been working on developing crop varieties with increased rust resistance with moderately resistant (MR), or resistant (R) rating can control the disease effectively, making fungicide application unnecessary.

Farm Credit Canada's Food and Beverage Report for 2025 shows in detail the challenges each manufacturing sector faces due to the ongoing trade dispute with the U.S. as well as changing consumer habits. But it also shows opportunity through those challenges. Senior Economist Amanda Norris will be looking at two sectors in particular: grain and oilseed milling and meat. Saskatchewan Pulse Growers is partnering with provincially owned, private plant breeding company J4 Agri-Science to develop improved lines of faba bean. It is the second major collaboration SPG has entered into since its long-term agreement with the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre ran out more than four years ago. SPG provides upfront investments with any future royalties shared by the two parties. J4 Agri-Science was founded by two farmers and has its main testing sites in northeast Saskatchewan. Dr. Jodi Souter is a plant breeder and co-founder of J4-Agri-Science. She'll talk about the collaboration.

A Montreal area-based farmer and agrotourism operator is taking steps to help maintain rare livestock genetics, particularly the Lacombe breed of pig. Established in 1982, Quinn Farm is a 200-acre agricultural and agrotourism operation that produces a variety of horticultural crops, more than 18 varieties of apples, Christmas and balsam trees, raises chickens, pigs and sheep, including many rare breeds, and houses a large farm store that features the farm's own produce, and a variety of local products. Farm cofounder Elwood Quinn says the public's awareness of the importance of maintaining genetic diversity, even within the one percent of those directly involved in food production, is minimal. The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is getting the word out about its Harvest Sample Program. The program encourages producers to send in a grain sample to the Commission for grading, then once the sample returns to the producer with a grade, they can use it for marketing purposes. Getting involved comes at no cost. Kerri Pleskach is the Program Manager of Analytical Services. She says farmers wanting to participate can reach out to them by phone, email, or in person at their booth at one of the many farm shows throughout the year.

Quick crop establishment lowers flea beetle risk. Growers responding to a Canola Council of Canada survey indicated flea beetles were the number one economic risk to canola last year . . . as well as 2022 and 2020. Flea beetle populations vary from year-to-year . . . but seeding depth and weather are  the two main variables. Keith Gabert is an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada. He shares some tips for canola growers Add the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association to the list of farm groups surprised by Heath MacDonald's appointment to federal agriculture portfolio. Many were expecting Kody Blois to maintain the role. Kaitlyn Kitzan, treasurer and Director with the Wheat Growers speaks to the appointment and some of the issues the new ag minister will have to face.

Technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect weeds and other crop pests while passing over a field could reduce pesticide use by up to 95 per cent, maintaining crop yield, saving farmers roughly $50 per acre per growing season. A $26.2 million project is being led by Precision.ai, Sure Growth Solutions, Exceed Grain Marketing, and the Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan. The partners are together investing $13.4 million into the project, with Protein Industries Canada investing the remaining $12.8 million. Dan McCann is the founder and CEO of Precision.ai. Dan will talk about this multi-million-dollar project and how it can benefit farmers and the environment. There are numerous resources available to the entire agriculture sector relating to weather and climate conditions.Maps and information about agroclimate - which is the relationship between climate and agriculture - conditions, events, and impacts can be accessed at no cost. The information comes from weather stations and satellites but it's the people on the ground that help give a true indication of what's going on. Agroclimate Specialist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Trevor Hadwen is with us to talk about how the public can get involved in this important work.

Control your money so it does not control you. Vanessa Stockbrugger is a former investment banker on Toronto’s Bay Street who went on to found and run Womencents. She says having more money does not necessarily fix things – instead, people need a strategy or action plan to achieve their financial goals. But what happens when that business is a farm. To reduce stress, she says people must have power and control over their finances. She'll discuss strategies for dealing with some of the big decision including when to save, when to spend and when to pay down debt. It's a collaboration that brings together the complete beef research cycle. The University of Saskatchewan's Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence, located southeast of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan opened in 2018 and includes a two thousand head cattle feeding operation, cattle research facility, buildings for drying forages, a 350 head cow-calf research facility and forage research plots. U of S College of Engineering professor and research Dr. Terry Fonstad will tell us about the collaboration between areas of the university that truly gives the full picture of what happens from the pasture to plate. He tells us what makes this research facility unique from any other.

The dust has settled on the federal election and Canadian farmers will be looking to Canada's newly elected minority Liberal government to resolve Canada's trade disputes with both the United States and China. We talk to Florian Possberg, a partner with Polar Pork, about the tariff threats and its impact on the agriculture sector. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is waiting to see what the next steps will be in the days ahead. President Keith Currie says they want to talk about with the government revolves around three areas - competitiveness, resiliency, and rules-based trade.

Amid a simmering global trade war, a former Manitoba Liberal leader is calling on Canadian agriculture to put a greater emphasis on supplying more of Canada's food needs, adding more value to Canadian agricultural products within Canada-- and diversifying Canada's export markets. Dr. Jon Gerrard says retaliatory tariffs imposed by China on Canadian canola, pea, pork and seafood imports / along with uncertainty over U.S. duties is pressuring Canadian farmers. There has been substantial progress over the past year in the effort to coordinate and enhance the control of wild pigs in Canada. In addition to the damage wild pigs inflict on the landscape and on crops - they present the potential to transmit disease to domestic pigs, the greatest threat being African Swine Fever. Erica Charlton, the Director of the Emergency Management Division of Animal Health Canada says the use of environmental DNA to identify the presence or absence of invasive wild pigs is gaining traction.

With a lack of temporary foreign workers are higher food prices and fewer food choices on the horizon for Canadians? University of Calgary research associate Robert Falconer has released his second report on the role of temporary foreign workers in the Canadian agriculture sector. He said if there was any attempt to manage the food supply without these workers it is a strong possibility. Robert will talk about this latest research project and provide some short- and long-term solutions to this problem. - Amanda Radke is a blogger and South Dakota rancher who speaks out on issues that impact the cattle industry. She recently spoke to the virtual Canadian Beef Industry conference about fake meats, environmental and animal rights activists and finding ways to bridge the urban and rural divide. Amanda will share her strategies for connecting with consumers, ignoring the trolls and how ranchers can be a trusted source of information.

A farmer from southwestern Manitoba is calling for a patient and reasoned response from the federal government to the imposition of reciprocal tariffs by the United States on its trading partners to avoid escalating a brewing trade war. Jim Downey says it's hard to read what's happening in the U.S. from day-to-day but at this point, we still have the ability to trade freely with the United States. Spring offers pork producers an opportunity to take steps to improve biosecurity on their farms. The Swine Health Information Center has identified seasonal decreases in case positivity for PED, delta coronaviruses and mycoplasma; a seasonal decrease in PRRS case positivity, mostly in wean to finish with North Carolina and Iowa; and reporting higher than expected increases in PRRS positive cases and, over the past four years, no positive identification of transmissible gastroenteritis. SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says the warmer weather is welcome.

Retaliatory duties imposed on U.S. pork in response to the Trump Administration's tariff threats will have a far more negative effect on Canadian market hog prices than U.S. duties on imports from Canada. As North American farmers await the next moves in Donald Trump's on again off again tariff war, analysts are monitoring developments in the U.S. as well as the international reaction to them. Paul Marchand, a Senior Risk Management Analyst with HAMS Marketing Services says the price for a Canadian market hog delivered to a federally inspected slaughter plant in Canada is established in the U.S. so any response that lowers the U.S. base price will lower the Canadian price for hogs. Uncertainty around tariffs can impact a farmer's decision on what to grow this year. Retired Agronomist Thom Weir says it's even more important to understand your fertility needs and what adjustments can be made to keep a little more cash in a farmer's pocket.

Confidence in Canada's Food System at an all-time high according to new research from the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI). Canadians are optimistic about their food supply, even as Canada's food system faces exceptional pressure and public scrutiny due to the global pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020. President and CEO of CCFI John Jamieson will share the results of the latest public Trust Research Report, and how the Canadians are feeling about the overall direction of the food system. Farmers are poised to play a key role in Canada's economic recovery. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business submitted a list of concerns to the country's agriculture ministers, topping the list is needed improvements to Business Risk Management programs. CFIB senior policy analyst Virginia Labbie says the focus should be on policies that will help drive growth in the agriculture and agri-food sector so that it can perform to its potential.

Saskatchewan Open Farm Days provides a great opportunity for farmers to interact with and expand the public's understanding and trust of agriculture and to showcase the great agricultural products grown in the province. Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan Executive Director Clinton Monchuk says expanding the understanding of those who do not live on a farm of what farmers do to produce food is becoming increasingly important as we move years and generations into the future. The special announcement was made at Canada's Farm Show about the formation of a partnership between Startup TNT and Farm Credit Canada. Jesse Wiebe, Community Develop Lead with Startup TNT, made the announcement at the Launch Pad event. He says FCC will support their Agri-Food programming with the goal of raising $500,000 for startup companies across Canada.

Preliminary results of research show pigs can be stimulated into engaging in play. The Western College of Veterinary Medicine and the Prairie Swine Centre are exploring the prospects of using play to improve the emotional well being of pigs and improve their resilience and performance. In one experiment the behavior of two groups of pigs provided intermittent play opportunities was compared to a control group. Dr. Yolande Seddon is an Assistant Professor Swine Behaviour and Welfare. She says the objective is to determine whether play could be stimulated and identify the physiological effects of play on the pigs. All internationally trained veterinarians hoping to practice in Canada take their final hands-on test in Saskatoon. Three times a year, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine hosts the clinical proficiency examination process for international veterinarian graduates who want to be license in Canada. It is the only location in Canada that hosts this testing. Dr. Gillian Muir explains the testing process and how this is easing some of the stress of the veterinarian shortage across Canada.

Farmers have a plethora of support available at their fingertips - from apps to websites. But a very important national phone line has been launched to help farmers with their  mental health. The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Well-being (CCAW) announced the launch of the National Farmer Wellness Network Crisis Line, an initiative designed to help farmers, farm families, and agricultural workers address the unique mental health challenges they face related to their operation. It's being funded by Farm Credit Canada's $1.5-million investment over three years to  cover costs associated with running a national phone line. Chief Executive Officer of CCAW Briana Hagen says work on the national line started when the organization was established in 2022. Saskatchewan is known around the world for haskap---and the man largely responsible  will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame this spring. For many years, Dr. Bob Bors was the head of the Fruit Program in the University of  Saskatchewan’s Plant Sciences Department. He retired last year. He introduced nine sour cherries . . . but is best known for the 10 haskap varieties which are grown by home gardeners and commercial fruit producers across Canada, the United States and Europe.

To enhance the ability of pork producers to be prepared to respond to a foreign animal disease outbreak, the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board in partnership with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and the Animal Health Emergency Management project has released a mass euthanasia and disposal producer guide. Sask Pork Producer Services Manager Karolina Steinerova talks about the plan and training that's available. A new University of Saskatchewan study will examine whether pea protein can strengthen bone structure in people over the age of 50. The pea protein will be put into almond milk, which has low protein levels. The study will also include milk and pea milk as comparisons.The one-year study involving as many as 200 men and women will be led by Dr. Phil Chillibeck---a professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Kinesiology. The study will also include strength training in combination with the beverages.

The Research Lead with Agrifood Economic Systems suggests Canadian agricultural organizations and government need to come together quickly and act decisively in response to the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports. Agrifood Economic Systems has released a Policy Advisory Note which examines Canada's one month reprieve on U.S. tariffs and how the agri-food sector should use that time. Dr. Al Mussell says Canadians are suddenly faced with a generational event. The Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association has a new Chief Executive Officer. During its Annual General Meeting, it was announced Christina Betker will be taking over from Grant McLellan, who is pursuing other opportunities. Betker has been with the Association for 10 years as a Policy Manager and has experience in the agriculture sector along with time working in the Canadian and U.S. governments. Her plan for the organization includes dealing with current issues, such as the tariff situation with the U.S. and enhancing their communication with the public AND the organization's decision to change its name.

When it comes to the various cuts of pork, consumer preferences have changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Since COVID consumers have been contending with steadily increasing food prices. Hubert Muckel, a retired southwestern Manitoba butcher-meat cutter who retired in 2023 after working more than 50 years, estimates food prices have approximately doubled over the past four years. The price of medium ground pork has gone from $1.99 a pound to over $4.50 a pound for the same product. There is a growing recognition of the need to address anxiety and depression among farmers. The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program is on on-line support program for farmers, their families and their employees who are dealing with anxiety or depression. Program Vice-chair Roberta Galbraith says the program was a response to a 2016 University of Guelph study that revealed depression and anxiety levels within the agriculture sector, particularly among farmers, were substantially higher than the general population. She says a follow-up 2021 study that showed the needle hadn't moved.

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding a pesky weed called kochia. Wind helps spread the tumbleweed longer distances and there are more reports of herbicide resistant kochia. The seed banks are only viable for three years, but it has been discovered forages can compete with kochia in low-lying marginal areas. Ducks Unlimited Extension Agrologist Jodie Horvath says DU sponsored research projects last year using drones that seeded forages on 14 farms covering a total of 560 acres. She says there were promising results with more drone seeding projects coming up this year. Saskatchewan farmer Todd Lewis got the call from the Prime Minister himself and will be accepting an appointed to the Canadian Senate. Lewis is the former president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and current Vice president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. For the farmer from Gray near Regina, Sask. the title of Senator is something he's still getting used.

With global politics, tariffs and uncertainty - canola prices in Canada would likely be higher, Marlene Boersch spoke to farmers and agronomists at a recent meeting sharing her thoughts on the canola market and the impact of impending tariffs. She says she's angry that Canada's most important trading partner is ignoring trade agreements that were signed. Plant growth regulators are synthetic compounds that can modify plant growth, development and function by altering hormonal activity. In western Canadian cereal crops, PGRs can work to produce shorter stems, reduce lodging and maintain grain yield. Moddus is a plant growth regulator from Syngenta that can be used on multiple crops There is a new research project in Saskatchewan that is looking specifically at barley. Mitchell Japp is the Research and Extension Manager for the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission. He'll share the very early results of a study of PGR's in Barley.

A southwestern Manitoba farmer is calling on government and industry to explore the feasibility of establishing a processing facility that would extract medical compounds from the byproducts of hog processing. Heparin is a blood thinner that prevents the formation of blood clots. Jim Downey says he became interested in the medical side of production about three years ago when he was contacted by a Chinese company looking to find out what was being done with the mucosa from the guts of the hogs being slaughtered in Manitoba. The July heat did a number on 2024 crop yields in Saskatchewan, but it did prevent major disease outbreaks. Sandy Junek, the Molecular Lab Manager with Discovery Seed Labs in Saskatoon says seed germination levels range from good to very good.

Farmers get a lot of direction from agronomists, accountants, bankers and lawyers. All have a direct impact on their business. But one area they often neglect is their closest personal relationships.Our guest, Sean Brotherson, a professor and extension family science specialist from North Dakota State University says a farmer’s highest priority should be their spouse or partner. Today we talk about how healthy relationships can improve the farm business. And, the cattle industry has been hit particularly hard during the pandemic. Low prices and reduced processing capacity have devastated the industry. We have Saskatchewan rancher Adrienne Ivey here to talk about how livestock producers are coping, why two large players in the meat packing industry in Western Canada hold the monopoly on processing and why its so difficult for small meat processing facilities to make a go of it. Adrienne discusses why she chooses to share her personal story on social media, the positives and the disappointments, and how she is committed to working not only with farmers and consumers but with the entire value chain.

The Federal Government needs to make changes to policies on illegal immigration and the illicit sale of drugs to avoid imposition of a 25 per cent US tariff on Canadian and Mexican pork imports. That comes from Florian Possberg, a partner in Polar Pork. He says 2025 looks positive for pork producers but a tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports could change all of that. A farmer and agricultural input dealer from West Central Saskatchewan has written a book for the average grocery shopper. Denis Bulani, the CEO of the Rack, is the author of What a Farmer Wants You to Know About Food. He was inspired to write the book after attending a major entrepreneurs conference in Arizona, where one of the speakers made several remarks denigrating food production. Belani wrote the easy-to-understand book using facts backed up by 199 footnotes.

Researchers with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are using radio-frequency identification technology to track the feeding behavior of pigs to provide an early warning of disease. Dr. Raj Sharma says the development of autonomous technologies are designed to capture data 24-7 to monitor and track individual pig feeding behavior to provide early disease detection. He says it provides real-time insights on what an individual pig eats and drinks and will help them identify sick animals more quickly. It's been said a lot that cattle prices in 2024 have been strong all year, but will they continue in 2025 and moisture improved for pastureland especially in areas where there’s been multiple years of drought. CEO of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association Grant McLellan will discuss these and other important issues for producers in 2025.

It was during very dry conditions that a retired soil scientist sent a message out on social media telling farmers they need to soil sample to understand what the nutrient carryover will be for the next crop. Smaller yields likely mean the fertilizer applied in the spring was not used up and could be available for the next crop. Ross McKenzie explains how the soil test could save farmers money at seeding. In part two of Agripod...Ross will explain why it’s important to sample at the right time, give some guidelines for sampling and gives a list of labs that can provide that analysis.

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan has a new president. Bill Prybyski was elected to the position during the group's annual general meeting. Prybylski says there are many files the organization is working on but he has one of particular interest to him. Dr. Louis-Pierre Comeau of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has been working with Dr. Franck Stefani to lead the Canadian Soil Biome Survey. More information was released on Dec 5th which is World Soil Day. Dr. Comeau will share some thoughts on data that has been gathered so far

We're going to be talking a lot in the next few weeks about 'year-in-review stories'. Two specialists have examined the ten most important variables impacting Canadian Agriculture for 2025. It was compiled by two senior analysts from GrainFox---Neil Townsend and Ranulf Glanville. They will share their thoughts on 2024 and the year to come. Canadian Western Agribition wrapped up with organizers expecting attendance to be near the record set one year ago. Agribition President Michael Latimer will talk about some of the highlights of the event and particularly the purebred and commercial cattle shows and sales.

A professor with Dalhousie University says Canada will need to work with the United States under the new Donald Trump administration to ensure benefits to Canadian agriculture. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois says Canada followed the United States in terms of food inflation, but Canada is now higher, the result of Canada's own food policies. Farmers are investing in the next generation of young people by participating in the Acres for Education program. A voluntary donation of 10 cents an acre goes to help Ag in the Classroom and its many programs both inside and outside school. Some farmers also participate by allowing students to come to their farms on tours and learn more about what modern agriculture is all about. McArthur Ag Ventures in the Watrous, Sask. area have participated in both programs

Manitoba Pork is calling for the creation of strategic plan for dealing with trade. General manager Cam Dahl says in the wake of the recent U.S. election, the federal government needs to develop a national strategy for agriculture and food trade particularly as Canada heads into the 2026 review of the Canada U.S. Mexico Agreement. Protein Industries Canada is looking for companies that can blend pulses AND cereals to create new food products and ingredients. PIC Senior Director of Programs Lisa Campbell says the purpose of calling for Expression of Interests (EOI) is to meet the consumer demand for more innovative ways to incorporate protein and fibre into their diets.

Donald Trump will return to the US presidency early next year after winning yesterday’s election. What will this mean for international trade as well as imports and exports between Canada and the United States. Trump campaigned on implementing tariffs---specifically against China, which would impact US corn and soybean producers. We spoke this morning to Stephen Nicholson---a global sector strategist for grains and oilseeds with Rabobank in St.Louis. Farmers are celebrating the passage of Right-to-Repair Legislation Grain Growers of Canada said passage of Bills C-244 and C-294, an important step forward and significant victory for Canadian farmers. Executive Director Kyle Larkin says the bills provide farmers the ability to repair their own equipment, ensuring the continued functionality of the advanced technology essential to modern agriculture.