Blog

Manitoba’s Small Scale Food Report Provides Food for Thought

Many farmers are willing to sell a side of beef, a few dozen eggs or a bag of potatoes to their acquaintances. Farmers have been direct marketing since agriculture began and it is only in the last 50 years that direct farm to consumer sales have been questioned.

Walking Out on the Commons

On Thursday December 18th I was given the honour of representing the NFU at the Ontario Pollinator Health Plan’s Agricultural Stakeholders meeting. Unlike the other scheduled meetings, three in-person and the two online, this one was specifically for farmers and the agricultural industry.

Farmer Profile: Wilfred Harder Farms Inc, Manitoba

"[The NFU] is the one organization that is looking deeply into farm policies across this nation that fight for farmers. The NFU has the foresight and history to understand that farmers have to fight against the powers that be, including Multinational Corporations, in order to gain their fair share of the farm profit pie."

Someone Call the CFIA!

I don’t want GM alfalfa in my food chain! Unfortunately due to the fact that alfalfa is the main forage fed to cattle, sheep, bison, and dairy animals; I find that it will be hard to avoid in the future.

Save Seeds!

There is an exciting new initiative happening across Canada right now called The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security. All across Canada, there are Regional Seed Coordinators helping farmers increase their seed security through on-the-ground projects, trials, and funding opportunities.

Farmer Profile: Prairie Gold Pastured Meats, Alberta

A profile of farmer and NFU member Blake Hall, from Prairie Gold Pastured Meats, Alberta.

A weekend with the NFU youth

Spending four days at the NFU youth gathering in beautiful Nanoose Bay, Vancouver Island has cemented in my mind that returning to the farm was the right decision for me to make. It is difficult to find words to express my amazement at the brilliance of each one of the NFU youth from all over Canada.

UN Discussion Attempts to Estimate the True Value of Family Farms

I recently represented the National Farmers Union (NFU) at the North American Dialogue on the United Nation’s “2014 Year of Family Farming” hosted by L’Union des Producteurs Agricoles (UPA).

CBC: Wheat Board and Rail Backlog

NFU member Dean Harder speaks about post-single desk CWB grain transport debacle on Lang and O'Leary show. Note: the tag line is incorrect, Dean never said the backlog wouldn't have happened under the CWB, he did talk about how the CWB would have handled the volume more efficiently.

Farmer Profile: Dinsmore Farms, Ontario

Nineteen year old Ken Mills was born into farming and the National Farmers Union. Dinsmore Farms has been in his family for generations. <strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanWhat do you produce?</strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanWe direct market beef and pork as well as share cropping 50 acres conventionally and growing pasture, forage and grain for our own uses. <strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanSize of farm?</strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</span100 acres with 9 acres of hardwood bush at the back and 87 acres workable land. <strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanNumber of years farming?</strong<span class="fa-solid fa-angles-right"</spanI have never really started or stopped farming.