Insights and Stories of Jennifer Blair

Dec. 29, 2017 at 4:33 am CST

Some livestock producers think about saving a buck when feeding their animals. But for sheep producers, it comes down to cents. “With sheep, you’ve always got to think about costs,” said Paul Luimes, a livestock nutrition researcher at the University of Guelph. “You’ve got to look for pennies to save […]

By Jennifer Blair

Oct. 6, 2017 at 9:47 am CDT

If you want to know the true value of the premises identification system, look no further than our neighbours to the west. “Up until this point, premises ID has been sold to us on the basis of animal health and tracking so that if there’s a disease outbreak, we have […]

By Jennifer Blair

Aug. 30, 2017 at 4:56 pm CDT

Proposed changes to the federal income tax act could have far-reaching consequences for Canadian farmers. “The proposals that came out in July are so wide reaching and so complicated that they could significantly impact all farms across Canada,” said Allan Sawiak, a taxation partner at accounting firm Kingston Ross Pasnak […]

By Jennifer Blair

Dec. 29, 2016 at 9:09 am CST

You take good care of your land, your equipment, and your animals. But do you take the same care with your own health? Farmers tend not to think of themselves as a ‘tool’ that needs regular maintenance, says the program manager of Sustainable Farm Families Alberta. Combines, for instance, go […]

By Jennifer Blair

Nov. 18, 2016 at 8:48 am CST

Ranches under quarantine in southeastern Alberta could be collectively losing $15,000 to $30,000 per day feeding and caring for the roughly 10,000 cattle they can neither move nor sell. And much of that money may never be recovered, which is prompting calls for a new approach to compensating producers whose […]

By Jennifer Blair