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Building A Unified Voice for Agriculture: Agriculture Updates, Supports, and News: June 2024

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Building A Unified Voice for Agriculture: Agriculture Updates, Supports, and News: June 2024

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Agriculture Updates since May 2024

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2024 Survey of Compensation Practices in Canadian Agriculture
We are excited to announce the release of our comprehensive Agricultural Compensation Report, offering valuable insights into industry-specific trends and practices. This report, meticulously crafted to assist stakeholders, provides a deep dive into various facets of compensation across selected agricultural industries - finfish farming, swine, dairy, apiculture and grain & oilseed. Learn More Here

Agricultural Priorities
Don't forget to provide your feedback on agricultural priorities to drive our agenda forward and ensure we represent your interests, as our industry members. Please review the linked form and provide us with your input on our agricultural advocacy priorities before the end of June: click here. 

Comparing Tame Forages Under Grazing 
Since 2013, Canada has not required any testing or merit assessments before allowing a new forage variety to be registered. That has made it easier for breeders to get new varieties on the market but has made it harder for producers to know whether the new varieties are any better than (or as good as) the old ones.- Read it Here

AFSC Deadlines

A reminder from AFSC about the June/July deadlines for various products, including Livestock Price Insurance, Annual Crop Insurance and Perennial Crop Insurance. Check out all the deadlines

Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies Summer Newsletter 
Read it Here

BCRC Water Systems Calculator

Did you know that you can use the BCRC's Water Systems Calculator to compare costs of different livestock water systems, including initial set-up and maintenance costs; estimate potential economic benefits from additional weight gain of cattle drinking pumped water compared to directly accessing dugout water; calculate how much time it will take to pay off the system. Check it out.

Recognizing Community Champions
Nominations are open for the 2024 Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards to recognize volunteers making a lasting impact in their communities. The Stars of Alberta Awards highlight and recognize volunteers who dedicate their time and talents to make a difference in the lives of Albertans. Two awards are given in each of three categories: youth, adult and senior.The nomination deadline is June 30. Learn more and nominate a deserving volunteer

Funding Updates 

Supporting Genomics Innovation in Alberta
New funding from the province will support cutting-edge genomics research in health, agriculture and environmental technology. The province is investing $15 million over three years into Genome Alberta, a not-for-profit research funding organization working toward a better future through genomic innovation. Read More Here

Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
The year 2 Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership programs launched in April 2024. Be sure to check out the programs and sign up for updates. While on the Sustainable CAP website go to the bottom of the home page, enter your email, and click ‘send’ to start receiving regular Sustainable CAP updates. Please visit the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership page for program information, including how to apply. 

Labour Resources

Empowering Agriculture Professionals: Unveiling Issue #5 of AgriWorkforce Matters
"It’s that time of year when the hustling and bustling of the season is in full force. Many of you will have finished seeding and started to think about the inputs required to make your crop grow. Others might be hitting the tail end of lambing season and devoting some extra TLC to newborns. Whatever tasks are keeping you occupied, I want to recognize how vitally important your work is to our country’s economic future. Without you, we cannot put food on the table for families here at home and abroad."  -  Jennifer Wright, Executive Director Read it Here

2024 Survey of Compensation Practices in Canadian Agriculture - Executive Summary Report
Across Canada, the highly competitive nature of the talent marketplace has made it an increasingly difficult landscape for agricultural producers to navigate. This salary survey and human resource benchmarking initiative equips producers with relevant and practical data resources to better compete in today’s workplace. More Here

Free Counselling Sessions

Farming is 24-7-365, but you don't have to handle it alone. Get support from AgKnow's farm-informed counsellors and get up to four free counselling sessions. This program covers counselling sessions for farmers, their families, farm employees, veterinarians and registered veterinarian technicians. Learn more and book a counselling session.

Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)

Growing Opportunities through the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) is available. Visit the SWPP Application Page and complete the online application form. If you'd like to learn more about SWPP, including eligibility criteria and detailed program information, please visit the website. For any questions or additional information, reach out to Megan Lockhart at mlockhart@cahrc-ccrha.ca. 

Phase 2 of the Recognized Employer Pilot under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program 

Employers are now able to submit applications for positions on Service Canada’s Phase 2 Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) occupations list. These 84 occupations are in high-demand and show shortage conditions based on the Canadian Occupational Projection System assessment of recent labour market conditions (2019-2021). The deadline to submit applications to become a recognized employer is September 16, 2024, however recognized employers will continue to have access to simplified applications for the 84 designated occupations until the end of the pilot on December 31, 2026. If you have questions on the REP, please visit Canada.ca or contact the Employer Contact Centre. 

Health and Safety on Alberta Farms and Ranches
A guide to rights and obligations for farmers and workers under Alberta's OHS legislation. Provides information about hazard identification and control, incident reporting and investigations.https://ohs-bstore.labour.alberta.ca/bp029 

AgSafe FarmSafe Plan Learning Program Launched

This is a free, self-paced learning program that introduces Alberta producers to health and safety fundamentals and explains how to apply this information to their specific operations. It was designed for both family farms and farms with employees. It will walk you through creating a farm-specific health and safety program, explain why these elements are needed, and support you in putting your farm’s health and safety program into action. Learn more and register.

If you have farm-specific health and safety questions or require support relating to health and safety on your farm, please contact AgSafe Alberta at info@agsafeab.ca.   You may be eligible for onsite farm visits and up to 10 hours of advisor support at no cost!

Canada Alberta Jobs Grant: The Canada-Alberta Job Grant is a training program where an employer applies on behalf of their present or future employees for eligible training costs. Employers decide who gets training and what type of training may be needed for their employees. Learn more: https://www.alberta.ca/canada-alberta-job-grant  

Agriculture Job Connector: https://www.alberta.ca/agriculture-job-connector.aspx 

We were pleased to launch our partnership with the Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council at our Ag-Forum on February 21. For anyone interested in the HR toolkit, please use this QR code to gain access to the free HR Toolkit offered during the program.


Additional Government & Industry News and Information

Primary Agricultural Producers Engagement

Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation (AGI) is seeking feedback from primary producers to better understand challenges and barriers to growth in Alberta’s agriculture sector. Learn More

Early List of Livestock Tax Deferral Regions for 2024
This year, the Government of Canada has streamlined the process to identify regions earlier in the growing season, and also instituted a buffer zone to adjacent regions to capture impacted producers on the edges of affected regions. Learn More

Also new for 2024 and moving forward, regions that are adjacent to regions that qualify based on weather, climate and production data will also be prescribed. This will ensure that farms within those adjacent regions that may also be experiencing drought or excess moisture conditions can benefit from the Livestock Tax Deferral provision. Learn More

Tax Credit Mooooves Alberta’s Dairy Industry Forward
DIW has qualified for the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit program by building the first state-of-the-art milk concentration plant in Canada. Learn More Here

Grain and oilseed milling: 2024 FCC Food and Beverage Report
Get FCC Economics projections for grains and oilseeds milling in 2024. Find it Here

Prairie Weeds Website Launches
Prairieweeds.com is a comprehensive online platform designed to support the Prairie Weed Monitoring Network (PWMN) through the Integrated Crop Agronomy Cluster. The PWMN is a pioneering initiative aimed at implementing an all-inclusive weed biovigilance strategy across the Canadian prairies. Prairieweeds.com will serve as the digital home of the PWMN, offering a wealth of resources and up-to-date information on weed abundance, herbicide resistance and integrated weed management specific to the Canadian prairies.

Optimizing Pasture Health: A Practical Guide to Implementing "Take Half, Leave Half" Grazing
When making changes to your beef cattle operation, starting with simple manageable steps is the key to long-lasting improvements. More Here

Simple Steps to Improve Safety and Wellness this Spring

Spring on the farm is often a time of renewal and optimism. The weather warms, the grass slowly turns to green, seeds start to sprout and hope for the new season abounds. Spring also means long work hours, fatigue, and stress coupled with the risk of animal, chemical or equipment related injuries. Learn More

Seeding and Crop Emergence Ahead of 5-year and 10-year Averages

The latest crop report, with conditions as of May 14, shows provincial seeding progress of major crops is reported at 33%, ahead of the five-year historical average of 28%. Seeding progress of major crops remains ahead of the five-year average in all regions, with the exception of the South Region, with the Peace Region and North West Region the furthest ahead of average. More Here

Where There are Cattle, There are Parasites: Nine Tips for Managing Parasites in your Herd 

Effective parasite management in beef cattle is a balancing act and it is important to take a multifaceted approach to prevention and control. The post Where there are cattle, there are parasites: Nine tips for managing parasites in your herd  appeared first on Beef Research. Find out more


Events, Webinars and Podcasts

AgSmart
AgSmart, produced by Olds College, is an educational expo focused on data and technology across the agriculture industry. Taking place July 30 and 31 producers and industry gather to learn by seeing the latest innovations being demonstrated, hearing from industry experts and engaging with leading innovation focused exhibits.

The unique expo format brings the conference outdoors, showcasing why it makes sense to invest in equipment and technology to capture data and how to implement that data to increase productivity and profitability for farm operations. Learn more and register for this year's event

FCC Events including Business Plan Boot Camp & Young Farmer Summit: https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/knowledge/events.html

Agri-News online - www.alberta.ca/agri-news.aspx and upcoming events

Other Resources

As always, you can always find more agribusiness resources on our website: https://www.medicinehatchamber.com/agribusiness-resources/    

If you know of someone who may be interested in the work we are doing and might be interested in investing in this work through membership, please feel free to refer them to us. You can also encourage others to subscribe to our agriculture updates through this page. We look forward to continuing our work with you and pushing for our collective priorities on your behalf.

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