DOES ICELAND NEED NEW COWS TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND FOR SKYR? . . . AGRICULTURE MINISTERS, CFA MEETING IN ISLAND CAPITAL  . . . CAPE BRETON FARMER SEES LOTS OF STRAWBERRIES BUT FEW WORKERS . . . FARMING HOPS DURING THE ULTRA-HOPPY BEER CRAZE . . . CHANGES TO FARMNEXT TO HELP NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS  . . . OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

DOES ICELAND NEED NEW COWS TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND FOR SKYR?
Source: NPR
It takes about four cups of milk to make one cup of skyr, Iceland's super thick, high-protein version of yogurt. Every drop of skyr made in Iceland comes from Icelandic cattle, the country’s single breed. But there’s a problem: the average Icelandic cow can’t supply much milk. And the hunger for skyr is stronger than ever now that people around the world are discovering its creamy delights. Farmers in Iceland are wondering what to do. (read more)

AGRICULTURE MINISTERS, CFA MEETING IN ISLAND CAPITAL
Source: Island Farmer
Both the country’s agriculture ministers and representatives of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture are converging on the P.E.I. capital this week. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Alan McIsaac will be hosting federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Gerry Ritz and his provincial and territorial counterparts from Wednesday until Friday. The meeting moves between the provinces and territories, and McIsaac and Ritz will co-host the meeting. (read more)

CAPE BRETON FARMER SEES LOTS OF STRAWBERRIES BUT FEW WORKERS
Source: The Chronicle Herald
Eddie Rendell says cooler temperatures have translated into bushels of red berries. But although his crop is ready for market, the second-generation strawberry grower is still struggling to find seasonal workers. About 40 people are needed to harvest berries at Rendell’s Farm and U-Pick in Mill Creek, Cape Breton County, although only half that number can be seen working in the fields. In some instances, Rendell said, teenagers who come to pick (read more)

FARMING HOPS DURING THE ULTRA-HOPPY BEER CRAZE
Source: Modern Farmer
Hoppy beers tend to be (though they aren’t always) more bitter than other beers, thanks to a heavier hand adding hops during the brewing process. In the past decade, there has been an explosion in the popularity of this style of beer, including some absurdly hoppy beers like the Gluttony Triple IPA from the Midnight Sun Brewing Company in Alaska. There’s even a sort of arms race to be crowned the hoppiest beer of all. So what’s it like to be a hops farmer these days? To find out more, we spoke with James Altwies, the president and CEO of Wisconsin’s Gorst Valley Hops, a collective that’s doing some really interesting work in the hops field. (read more)

CHANGES TO FARMNEXT TO HELP NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS
Source: N.S.Dept of Agriculture
More farmers will have access to an important interest relief program as a result of changes made July 14. Agriculture Minister Keith Colwell announced changes that will expand the eligibility criteria and how the FarmNEXT program provides assistance. The two changes that have been made to expand eligibility are: more than one child in a family may apply provided each child operates his/her own farm entity as a separate and unique business; new farmers may be eligible when they purchase farmland. As part of the changes being made, the approvals for FarmNEXT applications will move from the Nova Scotia Farm Loan Board to the Programs and Business Risk Management division of the department of Agriculture to separate lending from grant approvals. The program will make available $574,000 to applicants in 2015-16. (read more)