Grocery Prices are Rising. But the farmers' share continues to shrink.

National Farmers Union Vice President Stewart Wells says corporate processors and retailers are the ones benefiting.

Wells will explain consumers need to know that less and less of the money they spend on food actually makes it back to the farmer and retail food prices are high because meat packers, other large processors, and big retailers are taking ever larger shares.

Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers were announced at a special event recently. Jenny Butcher and Wes Kunz run a dairy operation in the Brantford, Ontario region.

Raymond and Tracey Bredenhoff are from Abbotsford, BC. and have a 40-thousand broiler per cycle chicken operation and are also the largest distributors of Canadian grown hops.

We'll hear from both families about winning the award and the successes and challenges they've faced this year.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a growing disparity along the beef supply chain . . . with consumers paying more at the front end and cow/calf producers getting less money on the back end.

Throw in high feed costs and the threat of a strike at Cargill's High River Alberta Beef Processing Plant . . . and there is a lot of dis-satisfaction on the farm. Livestock producer and chair of the Alberta Beef Producers Melanie Wowk will talk about some of those concerns and why she thinks the cattle price cycle is broken.

The labor shortage facing agriculture is limiting the sector's growth potential and causing some operations to question whether they can continue to operate. The labor crunch faced by Canadian agriculture is examined as part of an article posted to the Manitoba Pork Council website and distributed through Manitoba newspapers.

Manitoba Pork General manager Cam Dahl will share his thoughts on the problem and discuss a recent Canadian Agricultural Resources Council survey last year that showed 40 percent of agricultural business had not met their staffing requirements and the possibility of over 135,000 open positions by the end of the decade.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ask any farmer - it doesn’t matter what the commodity prices are if you have no crop to sell. Those short supplies have meant record commodity prices.

Neil Townsend of FarmLink Marketing Solutions says there is going to be very high prices this winter on canola, wheat, and barley. Neil will share some thoughts on what to expect in early 2022.

An outspoken advocate and dedicated researcher on innovations and agriculture has been named the 2021 Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan Champion. Dr. Stuart Smyth has been vocal on social media and outspoken advocate correcting misinformation about agriculture.

Stuart will share why he feels so strongly about why we should be speaking the truth around the industry and what he has shared with his students these past 15 years.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Saskatchewan Seed Growers’ Association has warned farmers that seed supply will be tight in 2022. Drought had an impact on seed production. But grain contracts that need to be filled might tempt seed growers to take grain to the elevator instead of keeping it as seed.

Todd Hyra with SeCan talks about how seed production was impacted this year and gives some advice for producers who are still trying to secure seed for the spring.

Ergot is a fungus that can be found in wheat, barley, and rye during wet and damp growing seasons. The ergot body or sclerotia replaces the kernel and turns it a black or dark purple color. These sclerotia contain poisonous chemical compounds, which can cause conditions such as lameness and gangrene in cows. In humans, ergot poisoning is linked to convulsions and hallucinations.

University of Saskatchewan PhD student Jensen Cherewyk is studying how ammonia and UV light can be used to reduce the harmful effect of ergot in cereal crops. Jensen will talk about her research.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A report released by Agri-Food Economic Systems suggests the declining number of mid-sized farms in Canada jeopardises the rural institutions that have traditionally supported farms and farm families.The report explores the potential consequences of the decline in the number of small and, especially, medium-sized farms. Research Lead Dr. Al Mussell will share the results of the report how it impacts rural communities and consumers.

The RCMP is advising producers to take precautions against theft from their farms. There is often a focus on larger items or equipment, but those small portable items are expensive and easy to steal. Staff Sergeant Devin Pugh will share some tips for protecting those important items, large or small, and why its important to report all thefts immediately.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers are seeing the benefits in cover crops. That's according to a University of Manitoba survey reflecting the growing use of cover crops on the Prairies.

Callum Morrison, a graduate student at the U of M, created the survey alongside Professor Yvonne Lawley. Morrison says this practice is in the early stage of adoption on the Prairies, there’s not that much information available as to how farmers are integrating cover crops into their operations.

He’ll share the details of the survey and what the roughly 200 farmers shared about their experiences in 2020. There have been many stories about farmers who have experienced problems filling their grain contracts and the repercussions.

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan heard from about 200 farmers discussing grain production and struggles filling contracts.

APAS President Todd Lewis said one of the greatest challenges is there does not appear to be a standard way of dealing with theses contractual arrangements.

Lewis will discuss the survey and what they hope to learn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farm Credit Canada says, all things considered, 2020 was a pretty good year for Canadian agriculture and food exporters.

Chief Economist J.P. Gervais will tell us how Canada’s agriculture and food industry has shown resilience during the pandemic and has the potential to emerge from this even stronger. Canada had the highest year-over-year increase for agriculture commodity exports at 13.8 per cent.

Even with challenges on the road ahead, Gervais says the sector is looking very strong.

The canola crop is now in the bin; the Canola Council of Canada is taking the opportunity to remind producers about growing clubroot-resistant canola and the steps needed to keep disease spores from spreading.

Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Autumn Barnes will talk about the newly created infographics for farmers to help them tackle clubroot and strategies for planning for next year's crop.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new research report was released discussing the needs of Indigenous agricultural producers. Farm Management Canada executive director Heather Watson said Indigenous business owners from across the country talked about what would be helpful to them. 

In the last episode of Agripod, Heather discussed the five recommendations that came from the survey. She will discuss how these recommendations can be implemented to grow the number of Indigenous people participating in agriculture.

The wild boar population continues to grow and is causing concern because of the damage they cause to private property and native plants due to their feeding habits and reproductive capability.

Feral pigs can carry parasites, viruses or diseases that can be transmitted to domestic livestock, wildlife, and even humans. They are known to carry African Swine Fever, a serious disease which if introduced to domestic swine herds causes would cause financial and economic losses for Canadian hog producers.

Mark Ferguson with the Saskatchewan Pork Development Commission will talk about the efforts to control wild pigs and how the public can help.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farm Management Canada has released a research report investigating the business management needs of Indigenous agricultural producers. "The Path Forward” was made possible through the participation of Indigenous agricultural business owners from across the who participated in surveys, focus groups, and interviews.

FMC executive director Heather Watson said they were able to create a picture of the current state of their farm businesses and what they need. Heather will share what they learned and how the information will be used to benefit Indigenous agriculture.

Architectural planning has started on an insect research facility at the University of Saskatchewan. Just over one million dollars is being spent on the project located on the sixth floor of the Agriculture Building on campus.The facility will work with both plant pest and beneficial insects . . . . some of which are not native to Western Canada.

USask's first entomologist Sean Prager will talk about the work involved in getting this new facility operational.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers across Western Canada have received or are awaiting the results of their soil tests in order to make important decisions about fertilizer applications for the year ahead. Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Warren Ward says without soil testing, producers are guessing how much nutrients are in the soil and how much fertilizer is needed to hit target yields. He explains how soil sampling is the starting point of a good nutrient management plan.

The driving force of the agriculture industry is the resilient, hardworking, and dedicated individuals along the value chain who produce high-quality, safe food that feeds the world. As we become more urbanized it is increasingly important for farmers to connect with consumers and teach the public about modern agriculture.

Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan Executive Director Clinton Monchuk will talk about how agriculture month offers an opportunity to engage and build trust. Clinton is also a farmer, and he will share with us what this growing season has been like on his family farm near Lanigan, Sask.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.