IN CABBAGE’S PATCH . . . 2014 NFU N.B. SCHOLARSHIPS ANNOUNCED . . . PRAIRIE HONEY YIELD DROPS . . . HIRING LOCAL WORKERS BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR P.E.I. POTATO AND TULIP FARM  . . . PASTURE RESEARCHERS LOOKING AT NATIVE GRASSES . . .    
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

IN CABBAGE’S PATCH
Source: Northern Pen
The taste for salted cabbage isn’t what it used to be, even though it was once a valued winter food source on Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula. Because cabbage doesn’t have the shelf life of root vegetables, and a root cellar alone isn’t enough for it to keep during the winter, the only solution was to leave it soaked in brine. The introduction of year round produce aisles in grocery stores would see the need for salt cabbage fall by the way side. (read more)

2014 NFU N.B. SCHOLARSHIPS ANNOUNCED
Source: NFU N.B. The National Farmers Union in N.B. is pleased to formally announce the winners of the 2014 NFU in N.B Scholarship and David Frost Memorial Scholarships, awarded to N.B high school graduates pursuing an education in agriculture or a related field. The United Nations has declared 2014 the International Year of the Family Farm; encouraging young people to pursue a career in farming is just one of the many ways that the NFU in N.B. is promoting local, sustainable agriculture. NFU in N.B. director and selection committee chair, Harold Culberson of Waterville, Carleton County, made the announcement at the National Farmers Union annual regional convention earlier this year. (read more)

PRAIRIE HONEY YIELD DROPS
Source: FCC
Honey production is down in two of the three Prairie provinces, based on early beekeeper surveys. Alberta reports a 15- to 20-percent decline in yields. A disappointing second cut of clover and alfalfa, as well as hot weather when most of the canola was flowering, contributed to the decline. “We had two weeks during the canola bloom when it was 30C.” says Medhat Nasr, Alberta Agriculture’s bee specialist. “At that temperature, canola does not produce (much) nectar.” Saskatchewan is looking at a 10- to 15-percent decline in honey production. (read more)

HIRING LOCAL WORKERS BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR P.E.I. POTATO AND TULIP FARM
Source: The Globe & Mail
When it comes to running a business of any size, few can deny that location is critical to survival. Dwayne Coffin is a general manager at Vanco Farms Ltd., a family-owned business that specializes in growing specialty potatoes, organic potatoes, premium cut tulips, and tulip bulbs. Vanco Farms is a member of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 109,000 members across every sector and region. (read more)

PASTURE RESEARCHERS LOOKING AT NATIVE GRASSES
Source: Farm Focus
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Forage Researcher John Duynisveld spoke about native grasses at the recent Cape John Community Pasture field day. Study shows more complex forage mixtures result in more resilient, more productive pastures. Dr. Yousef Papdopoulos and John Duynisveld are now into their fourth year of research to determine the best forage mixture for grazing cattle in the Atlantic region. “Although there are new forage species and forage mixtures; I am a great believer in native forages,” Duynisveld told participants in the Cape John Pasture Project Field Day held recently in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. (read more)

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

NEW GMOS GET A REGULATORY GREEN LIGHT, WITH A HINT OF YELLOW
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/10/15/356416365/new-gmos-get-a-regulatory-green-light-with-a-hint-of-yellow

UPCOMING TRACTOR SAFETY COURSE
http://www.dal.ca/faculty/agriculture/extended-learning/programs-courses/advanced-agricultural-skills/tractor-safety-.html

SOLAR FARMS ARE A BLIGHT ON THE LANDSCAPE, SAYS MINISTER
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29679312

FARM CONFESSIONAL: WHAT BUTCHERING YOUR ANIMALS REALLY FEELS LIKE
http://modernfarmer.com/2014/10/butchering-animals/

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN RESEARCHERS LOOK AT BIOMASS FOR FUEL AND BIRD HABITAT
http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2014/10/16/university-of-wisconsin-researchers-look-at-biomass-for-fuel-and-bird-habitat/