Insights and Stories of Dave Bedard

Oct. 6, 2017 at 6:58 pm CDT

A wholesale buying network set up by and for independent Prairie crop input retailers, against a rising tide of industry consolidation, is now growing through consolidation. The Prairie retailers, who in 2010 set up Grow Community of Independents to collectively build up their retail and agronomic offerings, are now independent […]

By Dave Bedard

Jul. 1, 2017 at 1:34 am CDT

A Saskatchewan farm wife and avid quilter’s plan to mark Canada’s centennial in her own way took an unusual turn through time. Helen Huls — who, with her late husband Bernard, had operated a mixed farm at Muenster, Sask. — died June 6 at age 84, having just recently finished […]

By Dave Bedard

Sep. 8, 2016 at 6:48 pm CDT

Canada’s biggest producer of mushrooms has expanded its reach into Western Canada with the purchase of one of the region’s biggest producers. Highline Produce announced Thursday it has bought Langley, B.C.-based organic mushroom producer All Seasons Mushrooms. According to Irish tropical fruit marketing giant Fyffes, which has owned Highline since […]

By Dave Bedard

Apr. 22, 2016 at 7:37 pm CDT

A Belgian crop protection firm may bring some of its products to Canada’s vegetable, vine and corn markets as it moves to take a minority stake in Canadian crop chemical distributor Engage Agro. Belchim Crop Protection announced last week it will take a “significant” but undisclosed minority stake in Guelph-based […]

By Dave Bedard

Apr. 22, 2016 at 4:29 pm CDT

Prairie crop growers hoping that changes in federal rail freight rules will continue past their expiration date are about to get their wish. Transport Minister Marc Garneau and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Friday announced they would bring forward a resolution in Parliament to extend provisions of the previous government’s […]

By Dave Bedard