Farmers and ranchers are wanted to participate in a mental health project. Saskatchewan Polytechnic wants to identify exactly what is needed for a mental health support system for the agriculture sector. Michelle Pavloff is the research chair for rural health and principal investigator with Sask Polytech. She will explain what they are looking for and how producers can participate.

Fertilizer Canada estimates 60 percent of forage crops are under fertilized. Imagine, each ton of dry matter harvested from a hayfield removes 35-50 pounds of nitrogen and about 10 pounds of phosphorous. Nutrient removal through grazing is substantially less, but there is still a net loss of nutrients from the grazing system. Replenishing these nutrients can help to improve forage productivity. But it can be a tricky process.

Dr. Jeff Schoenau is a professor and strategic research chair at the University of Saskatchewan’s Soil Science department. He will talk about some strategies to get the most out of those valuable forage stands.

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Infectious diseases threaten the health of people and animals and impact the global economy. The University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) works with international partners to study human and animal pathogens and develop solutions. VIDO-InterVac has developed a COVID-19 vaccine which it is preparing to test in humans.  Just before Christmas VIDO-InterVac received approval from Health Canada to begin a combined phase-1, phase-2 human clinical trial of its vaccine to protect against COVID-19.

Director and CEO Dr. Volker Gerdts says that vaccine was developed using a technology that is proved to be safe, reliable, and cost effective.

We have heard about the devastating impact of African Swine Fever (ASF) on the pig population. Canada is still ASF free, but the work continues to prevent the spread but there is also a lot of work going on behind the scenes developing a strategy to deal with it IF it comes to Canada. John Ross with the Canadian Pork Council will explain the complex process involved in developing a plan in order to protect the industry.

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Many of us will be missing the numerous farm shows and information meeting this winter and spring.  These events were canceled due to COVID-19 protocols. We always look forward to hearing from World Weather Meteorologist Drew Lerner who provides a glimpse into the weather for the upcoming growing season. Drew is here to share his thoughts on what is to come and look at some of the weather issues in other major growing regions and how that is affecting commodity markets.

Over the last four years more than 500 firefighters have been trained to respond to grain entrapments whether it be on-farm or at a commercial grain terminal. The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association has provided 16-hour training courses to over 30 fire departments in four provinces. It is a good start but more needs to be done. Rob Gobeil is the CASA's agricultural health and safety specialist. He will talk about the BeGrainSafe program.  We will also hear from a farmer who will share his own story of getting trapped in a grain bin of beans, the rescue, and his recovery.

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Several sectors deemed essential services are calling on governments to ensure

COVID-19 vaccines are provided to their workers. That includes meat processing plant employees. When the pandemic began disruptions in pork processing resulted in plant closures and impacted North American live hog prices. Sask Pork General Manager Mark Ferguson will discuss the impacts of the pandemic and praised the actions of western Canada's processors and farmers.

The federal government has released its Clean Fuel Standard that producers and distributors would have to follow under its climate plan. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the carbon in fuels people burn to run their cars or heat their homes. It is part of an overall federal strategy that the Liberal government says will allow Canada to meet or exceed its Paris climate agreement commitments.

It is expected it would increase the cost of a litre of gasoline by up to 11 cents over the next decade. Officials say the standard would reduce emissions by nearly 21 mega tonnes by 2030. What does this mean for farmers? Brian Innes with the Canola Council of Canada says there are benefits for canola producers because it would create a new, domestic market for their crop.

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CP Rail continues to outperform CN Rail on the percentage of hopper cars supplied to shippers. Those statistics come from the Ag Transport Coalition, which monitors rail performance on behalf of shippers and producer groups. CP supplied 79 per cent of cars ordered in shipping week 18 . . .compared to 68 per cent for CN. Those numbers show a small decline from the previous week.

Milt Poirier is with QGI Consulting, which produces the weekly report for the Ag Transport Coalition. He will tell us about the latest report on rail service and performance.

Saskatchewan's insect specialist calls 2020 a “relatively moderate” year for pests in the province’s agricultural crops. Flea beetle and cutworm in canola and other crops, grasshoppers, diamondback moth are just a few. James Tansey with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture will discuss the areas most impacted by insects and the pest that could be a real troublemaker in the 2021 growing season.

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Producers face a number of challenges from drought to disease pressure, unpredictable weather patterns, market volatility, fluctuations in input prices and labour shortages. These are just a few but they are the ones farmers have little to no control over and yet they have a huge impact on profitability and sustainability of farming operations. The Olds College Smart Farm in central Alberta is essentially a giant lab that provides the agriculture sector a venue for commercial scale applied research.

Director of Applied Research Joy Agnew will explain how the Smart Farm is examining the future of ag and technology and finding solutions to some of the problem’s farmers face every day.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on our lives. COVID-19 shut down large portions of the global economy this spring—and while there has been a moderate rebound—the overall numbers are negative. Craig Klemmer with Farm Credit Canada will talk about the repercussions of the pandemic on the Canadian economy, and the ag sector and provide us glimpse into 2021 when the recovery begins.

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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 drive 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.

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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.

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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 its 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.

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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.

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