Farmers figure there's already ample opportunity for bad luck to bite them in the derriere, without adding more problems to the list.Naturally occurring woes such as bad weather, pests and disease are enough to make them...
Read MoreFor Canadian farmers, winter is coming in like a political and economic lion.It's already sending chills through the agri-food community, and unfortunately –like the season itself — things will get worse before...
Read MoreNew companies forming in the current economic environment are rare, but here's one: Plantform.It's a biotechnology enterprise, emerging after years of research that have established Guelph and Plantform's co-founder,...
Read MoreDecember's traditionally been the month most fresh food (other than root vegetables) came from the southern U.S., or beyond.For domestic produce, you could count the days until items such as crisp, crunchy apples turned...
Read MoreImagine you're a provincial cabinet minister. Despite your usual optimism, you're in the dumps lately about the ill-fated auto and manufacturing sector.Car, truck and widget companies aren't exactly lined up at your...
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Owen Roberts is a faculty member in the Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications program at the University of Illinois. As an agricultural journalist, he is the past president of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists and a lifetime achievement award recipient from the Canadian Farm Writers' Federation. His programs and research papers have been recognized nationally and internationally through awards from the Journal of Applied Communications, the National Agri-Marketing Association, the Association for Communications Excellence, and others.