AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT PANEL … BMR HARDWARE CHAIN JOINS COOP FEDEREE … NFU TESTIFIES ON BILL C-18 BEFORE SENATE AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY COMMITTEE … BRECKROW FARM NAMED SPANS PRODUCER OF THE YEAR … NSCP ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING … OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT PANEL
Source: FSNS
Farm Safety Nova Scotia is hosting an Agricultural Equipment Panel on February 26 from 1pm-4pm at the Old Orchard Inn, Wolfville, N.S. with representation from farmers, agricultural equipment dealers, agricultural engineers, commodity groups, and other key stakeholders. Bruce Johnson from British Columbia will speak on his experiences with agricultural equipment and regulatory requirements. Greg Green, manager of technical services with the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education will be speaking on regulatory requirements and processes here in Nova Scotia. Following the presentations there will be a roundtable discussion on what our industry should do to ensure the equipment used on Nova Scotia farms is safe and approved for use. (read more)

BMR HARDWARE CHAIN JOINS COOP FEDEREE
Source: Grainews.ca
Agrifood processor and ag retailer La Coop Federee has moved from minority stakeholder to full owner of home reno and hardware retail chain Groupe BMR. Coop Federee, Quebec’s biggest agrifood company, announced Thursday it exercised an option in its 2013 purchase of a minority position in BMR, buying the retailer’s remaining shares and making it a wholly-owned Coop Federee subsidiary. (read more)

NFU TESTIFIES ON BILL C-18 BEFORE SENATE AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY COMMITTEE
Source: NFU On February 3, 2015, Terry Boehm, Chair of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Seed and Trade Committee appeared as a witness before the Senate’s Agriculture and Forestry Committee as part of its study of Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act. “Our presentation argued that Bill C-18’s changes to Canada’s plant breeders’ rights legislation, making it conform with UPOV ‘91, are completely unbalanced,” said Boehm. “The Bill grants plant breeders a long list of exclusive rights that give them total control over seed, while it offers farmers a transient privilege to save and reuse seed on their own holdings – a mere privilege which can be modified or diminished at any time through regulation without amending the Act.” (read more)

BRECKROW FARM NAMED SPANS PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Source: SPANS
Breckrow Farm is a seventh generation dairy and sheep farm located in Goshen owned and operated by Bruce and Dianne Sinclair. Along with their four children they raise purebred Suffolks and North Country Cheviots. The Sinclairs have been avid promoters of the sheep industry in Nova Scotia and across the country. Across Canada, Breckrow is a prefix you will find in numerous flocks. By participating in a number of AI and other genetic improvement practices, Breckrow Farm has been instrumental in improving the Suffolk and North Country breeds in Atlantic Canada. (read more)

NSCP ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Source: NSCP
This year’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday February 21 at the Best Western Glengarry in Truro. This will be one of the best annual meetings in recent years. Our guest speaker will be John Masswohl, the Director of Government and International Relations with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Masswohl is the voice of the Canadian cattle industry to governments on both sides of the boarder and he maintains international relationships around the world. (read more)