Behind the Lines - October 2012 Tuesday, October 2, 2012 That term "perfect storm," a description of an event where rare circumstances combine to make a situation much worse, has been used to describe the pork industry far too many times in recent years. This year's perfect storm is a drought that is driving up feed prices drastically, stretching farmers to their financial limits, at the same time as pork producers are coming face to face with strengthening demands from activists to change how they manage their gestating sows.Better Pork writer Don Stoneman has revisited this issue, looking at the nuts and bolts of how a couple of producers have managed sows using relatively cheap conversions of conventional barns to incorporate low cost floor feeding of grouped dry sows. A great deal of science has gone into this. Our story outlines how some of that science has been put to work to convert smaller and medium-sized sow operations. There still remain questions as to whether floor feeding groups can be effective in larger barns, particularly farms where there is hired labour. This story starts on page 6."Perfect storms" affect European pork producers too. As we've reported over the years, here in Ontario hardship can be a driver of innovation. One Danish initiative is focused on exotic pork. And are their opportunities in "bacon from black Iberian swine" or "Hungarian curly-haired hog chops? Our European correspondent Norman Dunn has these stories on page 30.It's often been said that Europe provides a roadmap for animal welfare issues that are headed here. Tail docking is officially illegal for hogs in Europe. As Norman reports, most farmers simply ignore the law. Now there's a new study supporting the economics of this strategy. See details on page 25. BPROBERT IRWIN The pressure to move to loose housing builds across North America Swine exporters get less money
Ag in the House: Feb. 2 – 6 Monday, February 9, 2026 On Feb. 2, a Bloc MP wanted answers from the government about a proposed rail line and if his community is being kept in the loop about the proceedings. “A new rail corridor was announced for the train (connecting Toronto and Quebec City) at the last minute, and it is going right through... Read this article online
Alberta provides wild boar update Monday, February 9, 2026 More than 100 wild boar are no longer wreaking havoc on Alberta farms and in nearby communities thanks to the province’s Wild Boar Control Program. Professional trappers in Alberta removed 108 wild boar, an update from the Alberta government says. “In 2025 we received 72 reports... Read this article online
Making Soybeans Great Again! And A Fools Gold? Monday, February 9, 2026 On the weekly podcast by experts Farms.com Risk Management Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal called the Ag Commodity Corner+ Podcast, the team reviewed major market movements during the week of February 2 to 6, 2026. Soybeans recorded a strong gain... Read this article online
Food Freedom Day 2026 - What Canada’s Grocery Costs Really Tell Us Monday, February 9, 2026 The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has announced that Sunday, February 8th, 2026, marked Food Freedom Day—the date by which the average Canadian household has earned enough income to cover its entire annual grocery bill. Each year, CFA analyzes how much of Canadians’... Read this article online
Leif Carlson Appointed VP at Cereals Canada Friday, February 6, 2026 Cereals Canada announced the appointment of Leif Carlson as Vice President, Markets and Trade, effective immediately. In this role, he is responsible for leading efforts to expand and protect global market opportunities for Canada’s cereal crops. The position plays an important role in... Read this article online