NEW THREATS TO WILD BEES IDENTIFIED . . . MCDONALD’S MOVING TO LIMIT ANTIBIOTICS IN ITS CHICKEN . . . SMALL AREAS CAN THRIVE WITH FOCUSED BUSINESS . . . “DOING OUR OWN THING” . . . OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

“SEE YOU AT THE FARM SHOW”
Source: AtlanticFarmer.com
You’ll hear that often this week, and after what we have been through this winter – snowed-in and company-starved – I’m ready to predict the largest turn-out ever for the best trade show in Atlantic Canada. “Gateway to Farm Innovation,” is the theme chosen for this year’s biennial show at the Moncton Coliseum where Show Manager Frank Reade and more than 160 exhibitors will be welcoming visitors Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (March 5, 6, 7).
For the few who may not be familiar with the Atlantic Farm Mechanization Show, a couple of words of introduction: It’s every two years so there’s lots new to see. It’s all to do with farming. You won’t find exhibitors flogging dinnerware and veggie-slicers. It’s not for profit, and is run by a volunteer board of directors chaired by Brian Beaton. It operates in the black and dispenses thousands of dollars in scholarships annually to post-secondary students in agriculture and environmental engineering programs. There is a community and even family feel about the Farm Show. It is the one place where every couple of years it’s possible to see and compare equipment and services all under one roof, and talk to company reps, and meet up with friends not seen since, well, the last Farm Show. It is a fun and informative family affair. And one fantastic break-out after a winter buried in snow and cold.
“See you at the Farm Show.” DvL

(Thanks to Show Director Chuck Everett for providing photos seen here.)

NEW THREATS TO WILD BEES IDENTIFIED
Source: BBC Wild bumblebees are infected with many of the diseases found in honeybees looked after by beekeepers, according to a national survey. With wild bees already under threat from habitat loss and pesticides, diseases could have a profound impact on populations, say scientists.
In Britain, bumblebee species are declining, and two have become extinct. Conservation groups are calling for tougher regulations on importing bees for commercial use. (read more)

MCDONALD’S MOVING TO LIMIT ANTIBIOTICS IN ITS CHICKEN
Source: New York Times McDonald’s said on Wednesday that it would begin using chicken from birds that are not raised with antibiotics used to treat humans. Because the struggling fast-food chain is one of the largest buyers of chicken in the United States – McDonald’s sells more chicken than beef – the move is likely to have a major impact on the way poultry is raised and the kind of chicken served by restaurants. (read more)

SMALL AREAS CAN THRIVE WITH FOCUSED BUSINESS
Source: The Chronicle Herald
Rural communities in Atlantic Canada can thrive by using small-scale, practical projects to boost their economies, say the cofounders of a new economic development group. The Centre for Local Prosperity was formed last year in Annapolis County with the aim of bringing together politicians, municipal staffers and business leaders from around the region to look at innovative ways of boosting rural economies. (read more)

“DOING OUR OWN THING”
Source: Wire Service
Opening this Saturday, March 7 at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery is a new exhibition looking at the utopian imagination of this movement. Doing Our Own Thing: Back-to-the-land in Eastern Canada During the 1970’s considers both the movement’s ambitions and its failures, to see what we might recuperate from this history 40 years on. The exhibition is co-presented by the Centre and Cape Breton University Art Gallery and is co-curated by Pan Wendt and Amish Morrell. (read more)