Feral hogs being poisoned with bacon preservative Monday, October 6, 2014 In a cruel twist of fate, America's five million feral hogs may soon be poisoned by the very preservative that cures the flesh of their domesticated counterparts.The Associated Press reports that sodium nitrite, already used to poison feral swine in Australia and New Zealand, is being tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It's currently illegal to poison pigs in the United States, but hunting and trapping have been inadequate controls for the problematic porkers. Wild pigs cost approximately US$1.5 billion a year, which includes $800 million in agricultural damage.Feral pigs do more than just uproot veggies and eat crops. In 2006, three people died and 200 were sickened by a batch of California spinach tainted with E. coli. Wild pig feces were identified as a likely source of the bacteria.Sodium nitrite is much more toxic to pigs than people, so it should be safe to use. So far, it hasn't reached the 90 per cent kill rate needed for Environmental Protection Agency consideration. Also, challenges have arisen in making the bait palatable and enticing, and creating a bait container other animals can't break into. So hogs are safe, for now. BP EU pig industry 'out of control,' say animal welfarists Behind the Lines - October 2014
CSBP pushing for domestic production policy Thursday, March 26, 2026 The Canadian Sugar Beet Producers (CSBP) wants to see more of its namesake crop grown and processed in Canada. At one point, sugar beets accounted for more than 20 per cent of the Canadian sugar market share. But that’s no longer the case, says Gwen Young, an Alberta sugar beet farmer... Read this article online
Fears of Stagflation and Recession on the Rise Thursday, March 26, 2026 This week’s with experts Farms.com Risk Management Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal, Was titled “Higher Crude Oil Futures for Longer = Stagflation?”. The two experts explored major shifts across the commodity sector including rising crude oil... Read this article online
Massey Ferguson Legacy - From Early Tractors to Modern Power Thursday, March 26, 2026 For more than a century and a half, Massey Ferguson has stood as one of the most trusted names in agriculture. At the heart of the brand’s legacy is a simple but powerful belief: farmers deserve reliable, easy-to-operate equipment that helps them get the job done, season after... Read this article online
Canadian government commits to national soil health strategy Thursday, March 26, 2026 The federal government will work with a national organization to support soil health across the country. On March 26 Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald announced his department will collaborate with the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) to advance the National Agricultural Soil... Read this article online
B.C. ALC cutting staff Thursday, March 26, 2026 British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) is letting about 13 per cent of its workforce go. Six out of the ALC’s 45 staff members who support farmers with applications and land use regulations within the 4.6-million-acre Agricultural Land Reserve will soon be out of... Read this article online