Insights and Stories on General

May. 21, 2009 at 1:49 pm CDT

Olds College is now offering a new major aimed at training the next generation of land-use planning technicians and development officers. These roles involve gathering and researching environmental data to help assess how residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural developments interact with rural landscapes and ecosystems. This new program addresses both […]

May. 20, 2009 at 12:16 am CDT

A worldwide organic certification body is actively encouraging farmers from Canada and elsewhere to apply for “micro-grants” to support organic research and/or education. Lincoln, Neb.-based OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) International offers research and education micro-grants, typically in the range of $300 to $1,500, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Eligible […]

May. 15, 2009 at 4:36 pm CDT

Donald Buckingham, a lawyer for the federal agriculture department in Ottawa, has been named to head the tribunal that hears farmers’ appeals of their federal fines. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz on Friday named Buckingham to a five-year full-time term as chairperson and CEO of the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal (CART). […]

May. 15, 2009 at 1:34 am CDT

The federal government’s follow-up to last year’s Community Development Trust program will again give priority to “single-industry, rural communities” including those “heavily reliant” on resource industries such as agriculture. The government on Thursday rolled out its Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) which, like the CDT, allocates $1 billion in federal support […]

May. 11, 2009 at 12:36 am CDT

REVISED, May 11 — The federal government’s $250 million, two-year program to modernize federal laboratories will see a number of agricultural and agri-food labs share in the funding. MPs on Friday announced $4.9 million in funding for upgrades at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) Saskatoon lab; and $250,000 for […]