Canadian agriculture faces one of the biggest farm transitions in history. Nearly 40 per cent of farmers are expected to retire over the next decade. In Alberta, it’s closer to 62 per cent. The province’s farms are predominantly family owned and operated. Unfortunately, the number of young people taking up the family business is declining. Beyond succession planning, there is a need to identify and evaluate barriers to the family farm transition process.
Imagine having a clear, weekly snapshot of which ports are signing contracts, volume of grain movement and shifts in global demand. Saskatchewan ag groups say this kind of visibility could sharpen the marketing strategies of Canadian farmers, improve risk management and produce stronger outcomes. In today’s fast-paced marketplace, farmers have limited information on their grain’s ultimate destination once it enters the supply chain until weeks or months later. They may be unaware of potential changes in supply and demand until it’s too late to take advantage.
The board of governors of Westlock Terminals recognized that to thrive as a relatively small player in the grain handling business requires diversification. The independent elevator was established in 2002 when its mostly local shareholders purchased the former Agricore United elevator. This was done with the intent to maintain community control, provide local jobs and strengthen the regional economy. Westlock Terminals has since carefully expanded its product and service offering.
When Anna and Vladimir Posikera received three awards for their multicoloured perogy products at the 2024 Made in Alberta Awards ceremony, Anna found it hard to speak as she took the stage to accept. Just two years earlier in February 2022, the couple, their two young children and Anna’s mother fled Kostiantynivka, a city near the frontline of the Russo-Ukrainian war. Though thrilled to be honoured as grand winner, their difficult escape and the ongoing war occupied their thoughts. “It was very emotional for us,” said Anna.
Canadian cereals are a hot commodity south of the border, where the $3 billion U.S. market for this country’s cereals-based products is highly integrated. Despite the current trade climate in which tariff uncertainty has become the norm, this demand remains strong for a range of reasons.
Alberta farmers typically see their products shipped far away to be processed while the province loses the value-added margin. This is changing as rural communities work to keep more food processing at home. Such development gives farmers expanded market options and shorter hauls.
Price & Data Quotes (PDQ) is a Prairiewide daily cash bids website launched in September 2015 by the Alberta Wheat Commission. To celebrate the price discovery platform’s tenth year, Alberta Grains asks users to fill out a short survey located on the PDQ homepage at pdqinfo.ca. The survey will remain open until Sept. 30, and the responses will be used to improve the service.
A few kilometres from the family farm where he grew up, Brad McGhee sits on an old office chair. It is next to a work bench in a shop he slowly modified to support his business as an independent mechanic. Once a cold storage shed with a dirt floor, the metal-clad building is now heated and boasts a cement floor and insulated walls. He also installed roof trusses and carried out additional engineering to qualify for commercial insurance.
I am the fifth generation of my family to operate our Wetaskiwin area farm. In keeping with tradition, I have given it my own unique spin in the form of a garlic products business.
Ag continues to digitize at a rapid pace. The ag sector is increasingly more about automation and AI and less about buttons and belts. Throughout the industry, bright minds and innovative companies take risks and push toward data-driven solutions. GrainsWest sat down with five organizations that aim to make life easier and more profitable for farmers while attempting to derisk and demystify emerging tech.
