Week-by-week updates for 2009-10
For a quick review of the current week's activites. latest news and any upcoming events, click here
Please feel free to contact Tara Pelle in the office at 789-7774 ext 111 between the hours of 8:00am and 4:30pm.
June 28 - July 2
On Wednesday we toured some areas worst hit by the continuing wet conditions with the Honourable Ralph Goodale, MP. Mr Goodale's office also provided APAS with a copy of the Ag Canada map detailing just how sever the conditions are this year. Click HERE to see the map or to download additional information.
Greg Marshall has disappeared on his annual fishing trip, leaving his blackberry behind and trusting the staff and BOD to mange things effectively in his absence.
Nial and Doug started the week early by attending and participating in the Farming For Profit conference that began in Moose Jaw on Sunday. Meanwhile Aj prepared for his overseas vacation and continued the development of the Saskcess Stories series. This week, we will be visiting K-1 Bison Farms near Weyburn.
And welcome to the Saskatchewan Bison Association and the Saskatchewan Horse Federation as they join APAS as Associate Members.
June 21-25
Well we finally got a few days of warm weather and sunshine - mostly too late to help prairie farmer with late seeding. Last week's Star Phoenix featured an excellent story by James Wood about Minister Ritz's reaction to the extreme weather conditions that have hampered Prairie farmers and ranchers this year. Minister Ritz called the wet farmland in Saskatchewan a "disaster" that should trigger funding for farmers from the federal program (AgriRecovery) aimed at providing agricultural relief when such a catastrophe strikes. Read the whole story HERE
June 15-19
Farm Progress Show is on this week and APAS executive and staff will be at the show throughout the week, attending various meeting and hosting a series of seminars on Rail Freight Transportation. In addition, APAS is hosting nearly one thousand guests at the International Business Centre Reception on Tuesday evening. The menu will feature over 60 locally sourced and prepared menu items that will highlight our province's food production and processing industries.
June 7-11
Final plans are underway for the Buying Local Feeding Global Reception at Farm Progress Show 2010. Over 60 vendors and suppliers are finalizing their menu items and preparing to deliver an international menu for the International Business Centre Reception.
May 31- June 4
President Greg Marshall was in Lloydminster alongside representatives of the livestock sector on Monday morning as Federal Agriculture and Agri Food Canada Minister Gerry Ritz, Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud and Alberta Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Jack Hayden announced the 2010 Pasture Recovery Initiative. For more information, click HERE.
Meanwhile, APAS staff continued to focus on the upcoming Buying Local Feeding Global Reception, which will take place on June 15 as the kick off to the 2010 FPS.
This week's big news was Thursday's announced by Minister Ritz and Minster Bjornerud extending the 2010 crop insurance deadlines. With much of the province affected by excessive moisture, the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) is working to help its customers by extending seeding deadlines. Learn more HEREPlease note that Greg Marshall will be out of the office the remainder of this week, but is available for urgent matters. For all other matters, please contact Nial Kuyek, General Manager.
May 24- 28
Monday was Victoria Day across Canada, and the unofficial start to summer for cottage owners and weekend hikers alike. Saskatchewan farmers had about 55 per cent of the 2010 crop seeded, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture's weekly Crop Report, well below the five-year average for this time of year at 81 per cent complete. Rain late in the week slowed seeding throughout most of the province but pasture conditions have improved since last month, and are now rated as 39 per cent excellent, 53 per cent good and eight per cent fair. Ninety-six per cent of livestock producers have adequate water supplies for their livestock, while four per cent are short of water for their animals.
APAS staff spent most of a shortened week attending to various office duties and project task while President Greg Marshall spent most fo the week speaking to members of the media regarding farm income levels and other important issues.
May 17-21
Welcome to Tara Pelle, APAS new senior administrative assistant, who started this morning.Monday morning was spent participating in a number of meetings and conference calls and getting Tara set up with a computer and the information she needs to get started in her new role.Nial, Greg, Aj and Doug will all be out this afternoon, but Sonia will be here to provide Tara with a complete orientation to the office.
Most of this week was spent working on a variety of projects, including further planning on a proposed Food Symposium, the FPS reception, and assisting Tara as she establishes her role at APAS.
May 10-14
Monday morning started early with President Greg Marshall, GM Nial Kuyek and Policy Manger Doug Faller participating in an 8 am conference call of the Economic Trade and Strategic Growth Committee.
Greg and Nial also met with the Minister of Agriculture on a variety of topics of mutual concern, including EG&S, the upcoming Federal Provincial Territorial Round-table in Saskatoon, APAS's recent study on Intergenerational Transfer and New Entrant Programs and our submission to the Rail Freight Service Review Panel and APAS' event at the upcoming Farm Progress Show.
The day turned into evening as APAS held first conference call meeting of the 2010-2011 Livestock Committee at 8 pm. On the agenda was a frank discussion of the Comprehensive Wildlife Habitat Protection Act and Conservation Leasing Easement Act changes and the impact on farmers and ranchers in our province.
On Tuesday morning, APAS BOD members were on the line participating in an early morning conference call. Following the meeting, APAS released a statement supporting the amendments proposed by the Provincial Government for the Conservation Easements Act and the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act. Greg spent the later part of the morning fielding interview from local and provincial media requests.
Tuesday afternoon, APAS met with representatives of ACC Farmers Financial and representatives of the provincial ministry of agriculture to discuss the unique financial needs of young farmers.
On Wednesday, Aj was in Saskatoon meeting with a number of food processors and producers in order to develop the menu for the upcoming Buying Global reception. Nial was at the office attending to a variety of projects and Greg spent much of this week participating in media interviews on a variety of issues - including Farm Income projections for this crop year, the Comprehensive Wildlife Habitat Protection Act and Conservation Leasing Easement Act changes and rail freight transportation.
On Thursday, the staff spent much of the day immersed in individual projects and preparing the office for the arrival of APAS' new Senior Administrative Assistant, Tara Pelle, who will be joining us Monday.
On Friday, Nial was off to Saskatoon for the ACS Strategic Planning Session and Doug and Greg took advantage of the warm weather to attend to to attend to some long-delayed farm work. Aj was at the office editing segments of video for the CFA and following up on calls to the commodity groups to invite their participation in the FPS promotion.
May 3-7
It's Monday morning and APAS staff are all back in the office. After another weekend of rain across large swaths of the province, it's nice to feel the sun shining again. Nail is back from vacation and on a conference call early Monday morning with the GMs of WRAP and KAP as we plan a number of cooperative activities.
APAS President Greg Marshall is back from Ottawa where he met with other Canadian farm leaders at the CFA's BOD meeting. He's on his way to the farm to take care of the family business today but will be back in the office on Tuesday. And Policy Manager Doug Faller took advantage of the break in rain to haul a load of canola from his farm. Doug will be back in the office tomorrow as well.
Last week; since GM Nial Kuyek was on vacation, President Greg Marshall was in Ottawa, Doug Faller was in Saskatoon and the BOD members were all out hauling grain; Communications Consultant Aj Thakker was invited to present the Executive Summary of APAS' Study on Inter-generational and New Entrant Transfer Programs to the Standing Committee on Agriculture when they met in Lanigan last week.
As a result of APAS presentation, the Standing Committee has requested that we also submit the complete report as a formal written submission to be included in the current consultation and study being undertaken by the Committee.
This week, Policy Manager Doug Faller completed and forwarded APAS' submission to the Panel of the Rail Freight Service Review on behalf of farmers and ranchers in Saskatchewan. As indicated in the Panel's call letter for submissions, all submissions will be posted on the Rail Freight Service Review website at http://www.tc.gc.ca/policy/acg/rfs-review-examen-sfm/sbmsns-eng.htm.
A number of emerging provincial issues seem to be at the forefront this week - including last week's announcements of changes to the Wildlife Protection Act and the signing of the New West Trade Agreement.
On Thursday, APAS attended a Comprehensive Wildlife Habitat Protection Act and Conservation Leasing Easement Act Briefing by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. In attendance alongside APAS were a number of wildlife and agricultural groups. APAS is studying both announcements with an eye on their impacts on agricultural producers.
APAS staff will be in the office this weekend reviewing the changes to the Comprehensive Wildlife Habitat Protection Act and Conservation Leasing Easement Act in order to present our response early next week.
Apr 26-30
President Greg Marshall is in Ottawa this week attending the CFA BOD meeting and General Manager Nial Kuyek is visiting Farmers Markets in the US as part of his vacation.
Policy Manager Doug Faller will be attending the Carbon Credits Consultations in Saskatoon and Communications Consultant, Aj Thakker will be participating in the Standing Committee on Agriculture's study on Young Farmers in Lanigan on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, BOD members and Reps across the province are hauling grain and preparing to seed the 2010 crop. The forecast calls for cool weather and a bit of rain this week, but it really did not come down until Thrusday, when the enire province was convered in rain (and even a bit of snow) .
Apr 19-24
Much of this week was spent preparing and finalizing APAS' submission to the Rail Service Review Panel and meeting with partners and sponsors for the International Business Centre reception at Farm Progress Show, which APAS will be coordinating this year.
Apr 12-16
The Board of Directors will be in town later this week to participate in their monthly meeting.
On Monday, Nial and Aj met with representatives from AAFC and Enterprise Saskatchewan to outline APAS' plans for the FPS in June. We will be meting with STEP, Tourism and SFPA in the upcoming days.Tuesday was largely spent completing administrative duties and preparing for the BOD meeting tomorrow.
BOD members arrived in Regina late Wednesday afternoon to work in the office on specific projects or to prepare for tonight's meetings. The BOD meeting began at 6 pm and continued through Thursday.
Aj spent Wednesday and Thursday meeting with various partners and sponsors as APAS prepares for the 2010 FPS. Thanks to Jennifer Evancio for the time she spent with Nial and Aj on Thursday.
Apr 5-9, 2010
With numerous government and corporate offices closed across Canada today, APAS staff took advantage of the quiet to catch up on many ongoing projects.
This week, APAS looks forward to meetings with the RM of Garry and the RM of Lumsden as we continue to expand APAS membership to new and returning RMs.
Doug Faller is preparing to travel to the Hudson Bay Route Association Meeting on the 9th/10th whee he will be presenting on APAS recent activities on the grain transportation file. President Greg Marshall will be Winnipeg at a special meeting of the Prairie Farm Leaders group later this week.
And APAS, STEP and SFPA continue to receive warm wishes and congratulatory messages for the Buying Local Feeding Global reception we hosted on March 22. We will be posting some photos from the event on this site later this week. All three organizations will be discussing additional partnership opportunities in the very near future.Mar 29-Apr 2
APAS staff were back in the office this week , following up from the recent AGM and catching up on Administrative details following last week's highly successful meetings. Explore the website over the next few weeks for a number of overdue updates, including a complete report and photos from our the AGM and Buying Local Feeding Global reception.
On Monday afternoon, President Greg Marshall and General Manager Nial Kuyek left for the RM of Torch River, where they provided the keynote presentation to nearly 200 RM ratepayers. We look forward to the RM of Torch River joining APAS in the very near future.
As well on Monday afternoon, APAS responded to last week's announcement regarding XL Beef in Moose Jaw. Click [HERE] to read more.
On Tuesday, Director Norm Hall was in Regina as Chair of the Environmental Committee to meet with Delta Waterfowl as APAS continues to work towards the establishment of an EG&S Demonstration Site in Saskatchewan.
And APAS Executive, Board, Reps and staff would like to extend a warm welcome the council and ratepayers of the RM of Torch River; who voted earlier this week to join APAS and add their voice to Saskatchewan's general farm organization.
Wednesday morning was spent participating in a number of conference calls and then meeting with Rob O'Connor of the Farm Progress Show to discuss how APAS, STEP and SFPA might partner to host the FPS' International Business Centre Reception on June 15.
APAS will be discussing the option with STEP and SFPA this week and is meeting with the Show organizers again early next week to outline possible promotional programs.
On Thursday morning, we finalized and posted the job description for a new Senior Administrative Assistant for the APAS office. As many of you know, Sonia will be retiring at the end of April and we hope to have a new Admin Assistant hired and trained prior to Sonia's retirement. To learn more about the position and preferred qualifications, please click [HERE].
APAS offices will be closed on Friday, April 2, 2010. Have a safe and happy Easter weekend everyone.
Mar 22-26
The APAS are attending their 10th anniversary AGM this week at the Regina Inn. For more info, click [HERE]. The BOD will be at a meeting all day Monday and Aj is running around finalizing details for tonight's reception and this week's meetings. Since the office is closed, you can reach Aj at 306 531 7955.
Monday night was an exceptional evening of excellent food and culture - all grown from our own fields. Nearly two hundred guests from the SFPA, STEP and APAS gathered at the Queensbury Convention Centre to celebrate Saskatchewan.
Tuesday morning began with addresses by President Greg Marshall and General Manager Nial Kuyek; followed by Policy meetings and reports. CFA President Laurent Pellerin spent the morning fielding media requests from the Western Producer, Regina Leader Post, and a number of provincial radio stations prior to appearing as Jim Smalley' special guest on the Newline at Noon show on CKRM.
Tuesday afternoon was spent discussing potential changes at the CGC and hearing from representatives of the provincial livestock sector and their emerging policy needs. Delegates will be breaking at 3:30 for a short refreshment break and then will reconvene at 4 pm to hear form the Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Bob Bjornerud.
Mar 15-19
Final preparations are underway for the 10th anniversary AGM next week. Click HERE to link to the latest updates on the AGM or to download the Agenda or Registration Form.
Nial Kuyek and Greg Marshall traveled to the RMs of Paddock Wood and Barrier Valley on Monday to discuss potential membership with the councils and ratepayers of both RMs. On Tuesday , the staff spent the day working on key tasks for next week''s meetings. Greg is off tot he RM of Arbourfield on Wednesday while Norm Hall meets with the RMs of Big Quill and Emerald to update them on APAS activities.
Mar 8-12
This week, the Association's staff and executives will be largely focused on the final prepearions2010 AGM. Sonia Korpus, APAS Administrative Assistant will be away on vacation this week and Doug Faller, Policy Manager is away for a day or two dealing with a personal issue.
On Monday, Director Norm Hall attended the Ministry of the Environment's consultations on results based regulations while the Finance Committee met at the APAS office to review the annual financial statements form the auditor.
Tonight General Manager Nial Kuyek, President Greg Marshall and Directors Norm Hall and David Spencer will be meeting with the RM of Clayton. David and Greg will also be attending the SARM convention throughout the week and Greg will also be traveling to Saskatoon on Thursday morning for the monthly two-day meeting of the WGRF BOD.
Tuesday morning, Aj will be participating in a conference call to further detail the Buying Local Feeding Global Reception that will be taking place on Monday March 22 in partnership with STEP and SFPA.
Stay tuned to this page for further updates as our week progresses.
Mar 01-05
Welcome to Budget month - when both the Federal and Provincial budgets will be announced. That means that in addition to preparing for the AGM, APAS executives and staff will be monitoring the throne speeches and both budgets carefully to ensure that producer rights continue to be protected.
This week, both President Greg Marshal and General Manager Nial Kuyek will be traveling across the province attending RM Council Meetings in order to expand APAS membership. To date, the response has been positive, with a number of RMS returning to active membership status and two or three new RMS who have joined our organization.
In addition, Policy Manager Doug Faller has been traveling extensively as all four of of APAS Policy Committees and the Governance Committee held meetings this week in order to discuss policy details and to prepare resolutions for discussion and debate at the upcoming AGM.
Feb 22-26
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture held its' 75th annual meeting this week in Ottawa, proudly working for farmers since 1935. We were honoured that APAS was able to represent the interests and concerns of Saskatchewan producers on the national stage.
APAS was successful in having ten resolutions adopted into CFA policy; dealing with topics such as livestock, transportation, trade and Business Risk Management programs. This success is indicative of the hard work put into the new resolution process that our grassroots members have put together so successfully.
We look forward to continuing this process at our upcoming AGM on March 23 and 24 and to welcoming a number of returning and new RMs to the APAS family.
APAS was ably represented at the CFA meeting by President Greg Marshall, VP Don Connick and Policy Manager, Doug Faller for the two day meeting.
Monday was an especially long day of Policy Committee meetings that ran from 7 am to 9 pm. The only real break was when the Federal Minister of Agriculture and AgriFoods, the Honourable Gerry Ritz took time from his busy travel schedule to address the delegates on Monday afternoon. In addition to his address, the Minister was able to answer a number of important questions posed by the member farm organizations.
Tuesday morning was largely committed to covering the general business of the organization and launching the CFA's 75th anniversary activities. Past President Don Knoerr was unable to travel to attend the meeting in person but was able to provide greeting from his home in BC. Don spoke eloquently about the passion and commitment of the organization's past leaders, member organizations and talented and committed staffs.
Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning , delegates heard form a variety of speakers and panels on a number of current and emerging agricultural issues. For a complete look at the CFA's 75th AGM agenda, please click [HERE]
Following the meeting's adjournment on Wednesday afternoon. the CFA Board of Directors and the CFA National Council also met. Member delegates not required to stay for these meetings headed for the airport to catch flights home, hopefully in time to catch a bit of Olympic Hockey (Go Canada Go!!). For many delegates from Western Canada, Wednesday evening was spent with old friends from across the county (or new friends just met in airports) , cheering on Canada's Olympic athletes in their quest for gold.
APAS Executives and staff were back in the office on Friday morning, following up on missed emails and phone calls and updating Nial Kuyek , GM on the activities in Ottawa. Friday afternoon was spent revising the March events calendar and finalizing some of the AGM details.
Feb 15-19, 2010
Monday was Family Day across the province and APAS staff and Board members (and hopefully all of you) spent quality time with your loved ones.
Nial was back in the country - and the office - over the weekend and spent Sunday afternoon and Monday evening getting caught up and ready for this week, which should be unusually busy due to Tuesday's BOD meeting and the upcoming CFA AGM.
On Tuesday, the BOD all arrived in Regina early in the morning in order to finalize details for APAS' participation at the CFA AGM and to prepare for our own AGM net month.
The balance of the week will be filled with a variety of meetings and conference calls to update projects and finalize arrangements for upcoming events, including a number of ratepayer meetings that APAS has been invited to attend next month.
As this week ends and the next begins, APAS staff and Executive will be hopping on Air Canada or Westjet planes en route to the CFA's AGM and 75th Anniversary celebrations in Ottawa. Stay tuned to this site throughout next week for daily reports and photos live from the convention floor - we hope.
Download the latest CFA Activity Report by scrolling down the TODAY page to "Documents and Downloads"
Director David Spencer is back in Saskatchewan after an exciting stay in Southeast Asia. Welcome back David - by the way, it's your turn to shovel!
While GM Nial Kuyek is still vacationing in California, President Greg Marshall and a number of District Directors will be traveling to various RM meetings throughout the early part of this week. Greg will also be attending the Saskatchewan Conservation and Development Association AGM in Saskatoon.For the full list of this week's meetings, scroll down this page.
Meanwhile, Policy Manager Doug Faller will be attending the 2010 SSCA Annual Conference in Regina while Aj and Sonia hold down the office. And as usual, any time available will be spend coordinating the upcoming tenth annual AGM.
On Monday, Aj had the pleasure of welcoming Jennifer Evancio and Janice Lawless from Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) to the APAS office as APAS and STEP traded reciprocal memberships in each others' organizations. We look forward to working with Jennifer and Janice and the STEP team in the months to come.
On Tuesday, APAS staff worked quietly on individual projects and key activities, while APAS BOD members criss-crossed their districts meeting with RM councils.
Greg Marshall started Wednesday participating in an interview with well known radio host, Alice McFarlane. Aj participated in the second conference call of the planning committee for the "Buying Local Feeding Global" SaskMade Showcase event for March 22.
Thanks to the RM Councils who invited us to their meetings this week. We appreciate the time you spent with us and especially appreciate your support towards the continued growth of the organization.
On Friday, APAS staff spent a better part of the day upgrading and maintaining the email, internet and telephone systems in the office. We apologize for any inconvinince this may have caused our members, board or reps.
Feb 1-5, 2010
Welcome to the beginning of February! Most communities across the province are fully recovered from last week's snow and looking forward to an early spring thaw. Nial left for two well deserved weeks of vacation in California over the weekend. Greg, Doug, Aj and Sonia will be at the office this week preparing for the 2010 AGM. A unique and exciting agenda has been finalized and notices will be going to all speakers and special guests this week. (Now you know what the staff are focusing their efforts on this week)
Director Norm Hall attended the Sask Young Ag Entrepreneurs AGM last week. His meeting report is located [HERE]. And Directors Garth Burns, Norm Hall, Don Connick and Kevin Gilbert are out meeting with RM Councils this week and next as we expand our membership.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, APAS staff spent time managing on-going projects and preparing for the 2010 AGM.
On Thursday, Aj spent the morning on a conference call with representatives from STEP, SFPA and Evraz Place in order to discuss a possible joint event on March 22 to kick off our 10th annual AGM. Thank you to Jennifer Evancio of STEP, Kim Hill & Kerry Krzyzaniak of SFPA and Bim Pandya of Evraz Place for the time they committed this morning and for their enthusiastic participation, excellent ideas and committed partnerships. APAS looks forward to enhancing these partnerships in the weeks and months to come.
For a look at the previous weeks' activities, click HERE
SPECIAL NOTE: We apologize for the error which resulted in the Inter-generational & New Entrant report download links not functioning properly. The issue has been corrected and we encourage you to read the Executive Summary or the complete report. Both documents are available as PDF files [HERE].
Jan 25-30, 2010
There's snow. Lots of snow. And it's left Saskatchewan residents stranded and in some cases, without power. According to news reports, heavy snow and strong winds knocked out power to thousands of homes in southern Saskatchewan over the weekend, closed many highways and cutting cellphone and Internet service.
SaskPower says electricity should be restored some time Monday to Coronach, Rockglen and Big Beaver. Power was expected to be back on Sunday night in Ogema, Bengough and Viceroy. SaskTel said the power outages were affecting its cellular, landline and Internet services in some areas of southern Saskatchewan.
Environment Canada issued blizzard and storm warnings Sunday for most of the province and said the extreme winter conditions will likely continue into Monday evening. Environment Canada's spokesperson said wind gusts up to 100 kilometres an hour whipped up snow in Cypress Hills, while other spots have seen 80 km/h winds.
The Trans-Canada Highway from west of Regina to Rush Lake was closed Sunday, as were 20 other highways, including Highway 11 from Regina to Davidson. If any of you do have to travel today, please exercise extreme caution while driving and take the extra time to pack emergency supplies.
APAS staff ended last week with the news that a number of new and returning RMs will be joining us at the March 2010 AGM in Regina. We look forward to welcoming (or welcoming back) these RMs to the APAS family.
And in the news on Monday morning we see that in the spirit of KAP and APAS working hand-in-hand on regional agricultural issues; the governments of Saskatchewan and Manitoba will hold the first ever joint cabinet meeting in Yorkton on February 2nd. Premiers Brad Wall and Greg Selinger, along with members of their cabinets, will attend the meeting to discuss regional cooperation in the west.Topics for discussion will include highway and transportation, energy and environment and Canada-US relations.
On Tuesday morning, APAS hosted an excellent online Succession Planning Seminar for nearly thirty farm families from across the province. Strata Benefits has indicated that they will be making a recording of the seminar available within a few weeks to Saskatchewan farm families who were unable to tune in.
Due to the large number of emails and phone messages received, APAS is also considering hosting a second seminar. If you are interested in registering for an online succession planning seminar, please send us a message using our Contact Us message. If we get enough interested participants and can schedule a suitable date, you will be the first to know.
On Wednesday, Vice-President Don Connick and Policy Manager Doug Faller left for the KAP AGM in Winnipeg, while Nial , Aj and Sonia worked on the March AGM agenda and other ongoing projects.
On Friday, Jan 30 we distributed Issue 2 of the APAS in Action Monthly newsletter to APAS Reps and RM offices across the province. If you haven't seen your copy yet, be sure to check your Inbox (or SPAM or JUNKMAIL folder if your incoming email system is set to a custom security level). You can also download the latest issue by clicking [HERE]
Jan 18-22, 2010
The BOD was in Regina on Monday for their monthly face-to-face meeting. Topics included a review of the AGM agenda, policy activities and the surveys on Producer cars and Contracts that APAS will be distributing this month.
On Tuesday, Director Norm Hall, Environment Committee Chair attended the Ministry of the Environment consultations and then participated along with Nial, Greg and Doug in a meeting with the Ministry's Lyle Saigeon, Executive Director - Fish and Wildlife, and Kevin Murphy Director - Program Evaluation and Performance Measures Office. Talks focused on EG&S, ALUS and water stewardship programs. APAS staff was pleased with the meeting's results and appreciated the opportunity.
On Wednesday, Nial participated in a monthly conference call with the General Managers of KAP & WRAP; and Director Ernie Briggs, and President Greg Marshall will travel to Saskatoon for the Beef Symposium. Staff will spend the day preparing the two surveys tested last week at the Crop Show for province-wide distribution. Our plans call for printed version to be distributed by APAS Reps to producers in their community; an online version accessible from any computer and download-able PDF copies that producers can complete and fax to APAS.
On Thursday, Greg was at the Beef Conference in Saskatoon while the staff worked on a number of ongoing projects and activities. We hope to launch the test of our online survey regarding Producer Cars today and launch it LIVE by Friday afternoon.Jan 11-15, 2010
Join us at the Crop Production Show in Saskatoon this week as we take action on two major resolutions passed at our Winter Mid Term Meeting.
We asked visitors at Booth B26 during the tradeshow to complete two important questionnaires on Technical, Production and Marketing Contracts and the use of Producer Cars over the past three years. The information gathered, along with the results of a wider survey will be used to further develop and refine APAS activities and focus.
It is interesting to note that both the Minister of Agriculture and the Leader of the Official Opposition both made comments on the producer car issue this week. Click [HERE] to see what they said.
Policy Manager Doug Faller was busy over past weekend as early Monday morning he posted a number of new pages under our Grain Transportation Policy page. Learn about the Cost of Capital Methodology Review and the Industry Development Fund Review.
APAS Directors and Executives were busy this week visiting a dozen RM Councils (both member and non-member) across Saskatchewan to bring them up-to-date on the current issues facing agriculture and APAS current and future focus and to encourage them to join the Association.
2010
Jan 4 - 8, 2010
Jan 4-8, 2010
Welcome to 2010. APAS Executive and staff are back in the office this week and ready to tackle another year of agricultural issues on behalf of Prairie farm families.
On Monday, President Greg Marshall and General Manager Nial Kuyek met with the staff group to update each other on recent agricultural issues and to outline the key priorities for the upcoming weeks.The afternoon was spent laying out an aggressive calendar of meetings and events for the first quarter of 2010.
On Tuesday, Nial and Greg participated in a conference call with Andy Schmidt regarding the 2010 Farming for Profit Conference and at 11 the Executive Committee will be on a conference call to follow-up on key issues assigned to the Committee by the BOD at their December meeting. The meeting concluded at 1:00 pm and President Marshall will be en route to the WRAP conference in Edmonton following a review of the Prairie Farm Leaders Meeting agenda with the staff.
Nial was back in the office through the evening as District One Directors Arlynn Kurtz and Ernie Briggs have organized a conference call of District Reps for 9 pm.
APAS Reps are encouraged to test the convenient new Weekly President's Voice Message by calling 1-306-789-7774 and pressing 02 (zero then two).
On Wednesday, Greg Marshall attended the WRAP AGM while GM Nial Kuyek and Aj Thakker had the pleasure of meeting with Brent Bender and Mike Hoffort of FCC in order to update them on APAS activities. APAS looks forward to enhancing this relationship in the months to come.
On Wednesday afternoon and evening, APAS staff worked late into the evening to complete the first monthly E-newsletter. It was distributed electronically to all RMs and Reps on Thursday afternoon and is available for download HERE.
On Thursday, Greg Marshall was attending the WRAP AGM and GM Nial Kuyek left for a week of vacation. APAS staff will spend the day and Friday preparing for CPS 2010 next week.
On Friday, President Greg Marshall attended the Prairie Farm Leaders Meeting in Alberta and spent the afternoon fielding media calls and participating in joint television interviews with the leaders of WRAP and KAP. Greg will be back in Regina over the weekend and will be attending CPS beginning next week.
December 21 - 24, 2009
Dec 21-24, 2009
The APAS office will only be open Monday to Wednesday this week, and closed from December 24 to January 5, 2010.
This week, staff and executive will be focused on projects slated for completion in 2009 or action in early 2010.
On Monday afternoon, the staff group will meet to finalize the layout, content and distribution for the monthly newsletter and to discuss the additional features and options available in the new telephone system that was installed in 2009.
Other issues that will be actionable this week include the final planning for the CPS 2010 in Saskatoon in January,
Look for enw extensions and additional features when calling APAS at 306 789 7774.
December 14 - 18, 2009
It's Monday morning and wow it's cold outside! Now that that is out of the way, APAS staff and Executive are in and out of the office this week, continuing follow-up to the midterm meeting
This month marks the first anniversary of the launch of this dynamic website. To celebrate, throughout December, we are undertaking significant maintenance to each section (adding/revising photos, correcting typos, expanding content, etc) and have launched a number of new features that our members have requested.
Click [HERE] to see the weekly President's Report
Click [HERE] to see the weekly General Manager's Report
Click [HERE] to see the new Grain Transportation Policy pages
We will also be providing links to new content directly on the front page portal.
On Monday and Tuesday, staff busied themselves on individual projects and current assignments. Nial and Greg worked closely with Aj to prepare and launch their individual weekly report pages, while Doug focused on the policy sections of the website.
In livestock news, the federal conservatives are being accused of blocking a motion brought before the standing committee on agriculture regarding compensation for the costs of specified risk material (or SRM) removal. Read more [HERE]
On Wednesday, GM Nial Kuyek and Director David Spencer were attneding a meeting with the Council for the RM of Pleasentdale while Greg Marshall is at the WGRF BOD meeting in Saskatoon.
On Thursday, Nial hit the road again (with Director Norm Hall) to meet with Administrators, Councillors, Reeves and Reps in a number of District 4 RMs. Doug and Aj are in the office, focusing on website updates and maintenance and Greg is in Saskatoon attending a strategy planning session for the WGRF's BOD.
The CFA's bi-weekly update arrived in the office today - with some interesting news regarding national livestock support and CN's controversial plan to delist and dismantle producer car sites. clcik [HERE] to download.
On Friday, the BOD will be at an all-day BOD meeting at the Regina Inn. Aj is in the office continuing website updates.
December 7 - 11, 2009
APAS staff were back in the office this week, cleaning up from the highly successful 2009 Winter Mid Term.
Thank you to all the delegates, speakers, panelists and guests who helped make this one of the most successful meetings we have held in the past number of years.
In keeping with our commitment to share our activities online, we provided "live' reports from the floor of the two-day convention. For more information about the meeting, click [HERE] and follow the links for each day's photos and report. We will be updating the 2009 Winter Midterm pages over the next few days to include copies of the presentations and specifics surrounding all of the policy resolutions passed at the meeting.
On Tuesday morning, Nial Kuyek and Doug Faller braved the frigid weather and icy roads to travel to a meeting with the Council of RM of Grayson # 184 to discuss local ratepayers concerns regarding the impact on local communities of farming activities by large scale corporate interests.
Meanwhile, back in Regina, President Greg Marshall was the special guest on Listen-Up on 91.3 FM CJTR community radio in Regina.
On Wednesday, it was Greg's turn to hit the road, as he traveled to the RMs of Emerald & Preeceville to update local councils on APAS activities.
Thursday morning APAS staff gathered in the Boardroom to debrief the last week's policy sessions and to outline a plan for prompt follow-up on the large number of resolutions passed at the Mid Term meeting. In the next few days we will:
| 1 |
| Confirm the final wording and distribute copy of the policy motions passed at the Mid Term Meeting. |
| 2 |
| Post the passed resolutions document online on the Mid Term Meeting page [CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD] |
| 3 | Develop a specific action plan to address each resolution and present this plan to the BOD for approval at the December 18 BOD meeting. |
The meeting will continue after lunch with discussions surrounding the agenda for the 10th anniversary AGM in March, publication of the Winter newsletter and the design and development of the new monthly update for reps.
This week's Western Producer has an excellent story regarding the Al Sholtz "New Entrant Programs" report and presentation that APAS encourages you to read. The report is continuing to receive significant media coverage across the province.
On Friday, the APAS office was relatively tranquil as the annual audit was wrapped up. The staff spent much of the day working on individual projects and tasks that were assigned as follow-up to the Mid Term Meeting.
And through the weekend, Nial will be in the office preparing reports and Aj will be online as the website will receive some much-needed maintenance.
November 30 - December 4, 2009
The APAS 2009 Winter Mid Term Meeting is this week! The meeting will take place on December 2-4 in Regina. While the deadline for registration has passed, you can still register to attend individual sessions until December 1.Call (306) 789-7774 for more information.
On Monday , APAS staff and executive were busy until well past midnight finalizing preparations for the 2008 Winter Mid Term Meeting. The office was humming with activity as we printed and assembled the registration kits.
On Monday evening, Greg Marshall was the guest lecturer for the Ag Policy 251 course at the University of Saskatchewan.
On Tuesday, Greg was scheduled to be the special guest on Listen Up on 91.3 FM CJTR community radio in Regina - but the recording was postponed as Greg was stuck in Saskatoon. Winter finally arrived in Saskatchewan and road conditions across the province were treacherous.
Congratulations to Terry Boehm of Allan, Sk, who was elected as President of the NFU, a chair occupied by the well known Stewart Wells for eight years. APAS looks forward to meeting with Mr. Boehm to address issues of concern to both organizations' members.
On Wednesday the BOD will be meeting from 8 am to 4 pm; followed by the Rep Orientation at 7 pm and Welcome Reception at 9 at the Regina Inn.
On Thursday morning, a number of APAS spouses will be touring the Legislative Building and attending Question Period as part of the Spouses' agenda - followed by an afternoon of seasonal shopping activities. For more information, call Edie Marshall at 306-586-8310.
Once the midterm meeting commences on Thursday morning, we will be posting daily photos and updates directly from the meeting location.
For daily MIDTERM MEETING updates, click HERE (Will be updated at least hourly on December 3 and 4.)
November 23-27, 2009
What a weekend! Overwhelming hometown support helped to ensure that the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat the Calgary Stampeders on Sunday afternoon to advance to the 2009 Grey Cup Championship. Mosaic Stadium was a sea of noisy green as over 30,000 of the province's loudest and proudest fans watched the Riders posted a 27-17 win over the visiting Stampeders. Go! Riders! Go!
Good harvesting weather throughout most of this November has allowed Saskatchewan farmers to harvest nearly all of the 2009 crop, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture's weekly Crop Report.
This week, Regina will be buzzing with the excitement of Grey Cup Fever and the Western Canadian Agribition, which starts today at Evraz Place and runs through Saturday. Livestock producers from across the country and around the world will be in Regina for this world class event.
On Monday evening, APAS President Greg Marshall and General Manager Nial Kuyek will be attending an APAS Information Meeting at Jedburgh in the RM of Garry.Ratepayers and RM Coucillors from neighboring RMs are also invited to attend in order to gain a broader understanding of the issues and initiatives that APAS is undertaking on behalf of Saskatchewan farm families.
On Tuesday, the APAS Environmental and Food Safety Committee will be participating in a conference call in preparation for the 2009 Midterm Meeting. And on Wednesday, District Four Director David Spencer and GM Nial Kuyek have been invited to the RM of Star City to update the council on APAS activites.
At the same time, Greg Marshall and a group of experienced Directors will be particpating in a conference call to detail the December 2 Rep's Orientation Session that is being held as part of the Midterm Meeting.
On Thursday, the Grains and Oisleeds Committee will be meeting here at the APAS office to prepare their reports for the 2009 Midterm Meeting. And on Friday, the entire APAS team will be scrambling to finalize any last minute arrangements for the Winter Midterm Meeting being held next week in Regina.
November 16 - 20, 2009
Dry and sunny weather over the past several days has allowed Saskatchewan farmers to make significant progress toward completing harvest. Province-wide, 92 per cent of the harvest is complete, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture's Weekly Crop Report.
Monday morning started off with a number of calls to the office of the President from ranchers and farmers across the province regarding the need for outward inspection of grain shipments to negate trade sanctions and the continuing need for support for our struggling cattle industry. These are just two of the issues that APAS Board and staff continues to address along with our provincial, regional and national partners.
In light of the ongoing issues facing our cattle sector, the APAS Livestock Committee will be meeting in Regina at 1 pm today. The agenda includes discussion and debate surrounding:
- APAS Animal Unit Month (AUM) proposal
- Age Verification Programs and Funding
- Splitting of CAIS/AgriStability
- Cattle Insurance Programs
- Public Education
- AgriInvest & the Producer Contribution
- The proposed Provincial Livestock Sector meeting as a follow-up to the summer meeting coordinated by APAS
- and the development of any resolutions to be presented at the 2009 Winter Midterm Meeting.
On Monday evening, all twelve of the APAS Directors will be participating in a Board of Directors Conference Call at 7:30 pm.
On Tuesday, District Four Directors Norm Hall and David Spencer submitted and distributed their latest Directors' Report. Read it HERE
And APAS Directors and Representatives from each district will be gathering in Saskatoon during the latter part of this week for the Balancing the Bottom Line Conference. APAS will be taking advantage of a break in the conference agenda to host an Economic Trade and Strategic Growth Committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon at 1 pm.
REMINDER: The APAS 2009 Winter MidTerm Meeting is fast approaching. The meeting will take place on December 2-4 in Regina and the deadline for registration is November 25.
Be sure to complete the registration forms for elected delegates, spouses and guests as soon as possible and fax them to 306-789-7779.
For more MIDTERM MEETING details, click HERE
November 9-13, 2009
A slight improvement in weather conditions over the last few days has allowed some producers in some parts of the province to get back into their fields, but harvest is still behind schedule, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture's Weekly Crop Report.
The weekend did bring some welcome news to our province's farmers who are still trying to bring in the 2009 harvest. On Friday, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance (SCIC) recognized there is a significant amount of crop left out in the field and has therefore extended the deadline for 2009 claims and extension requests from November 15 to December 1. If producers believe they are in a claim position and still have crops in the field approaching the extended December 1 deadline, they should contact Crop Insurance to register a claim and an insurance extension.
Crops unable to be harvested until spring will also be eligible for 100 per cent wildlife damage compensation. There are no producer premiums and producers do not require a crop insurance contract to receive this compensation.
On Monday, President Greg Marshall and Policy Manager Doug Faller will be attending a CWB update in Saskatoon, while GM Nial Kuyek participates in the monthly APAS/KAP/WRAP Managers' Conference Call here in Regina. Meanwhile office staff will be busy preparing and distributing official notifications and invitations for the upcoming the December Mid Term Meeting.
The office will be closed on Wednesday, November 11 in recognition of Remembrance Day, and on Thursday morning Greg will be in Saskatoon to meet with the Honourable Minister Blackburn, Minister of State for Agriculture. Minister Blackburn is holding roundtable meetings with farmers, agriculture students and academics in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia as part of an ongoing commitment to get input directly from farmers when developing agricultural policies. APAS Vice-President Jeff Simpson has also been invited to the meeting, but he has indicated that his farm's harvest schedule will influence his attendance.
November 2-6, 2009
Snow and rain were the major causes of crop damage last month according to the latest Ministry of Agriculture Crop Reports. Snow has caused standing crops to lodge, swaths to settle into the ground and combines and trucks to leave ruts in the fields. There are also reports of wildlife (mostly geese) damaging crops in the swaths. Meanwhile, farmers are baling straw, hauling bales, cleaning corrals, applying fall fertilizer when weather allows and doing whatever they can to get the crop off the field. Hopefully this first week of November will bring some much-needed warm, dry weather to the prairies.
Over the past weekend, APAS upgraded our office telephone systems in order to better service our members. While basic functions and features are now largely operational, we will be adding additional menu options and features over the next few weeks. Please pay special attention to available menu options when you do call in as staff extensions have changed and additional features will activated over the next few weeks.
President Greg Marshall will be in Saskatoon much of this week attending a series of meetings and events. Greg's schedule includes meetings with AAFC and the WGRF as well as attendance at the NDP Leadership Dinner in Saskatoon.
On Wednesday, all odd-numbered RMs held elections for Councils and new APAS reps. APAS looks forward to meeting all the new and returning reps at the Winter Midterm Meeting scheduled for December 2, 3 and 4 in Regina.
On Thursday, GM Nial Kuyek was out of the office attending Council and Ratepayer meetings. Nial and District Four Director David Spencer had an excellent meeting with the RM Council at Garry in the afternoon and APAS looks forward to the opportunity presented by Garry's Council to address local ratepayers at a public meeting in the upcoming weeks.
On Thursday evening, following an update by APAS GM Nial Kuyek to interested citizens in the RM of Moose Creek, ratepayers voted overwhelmingly in support of a motion to rejoin APAS in the upcoming year. APAS directors, reps and staff look forward to the return of the RM of Moose Creek and the active participation of their Rep at the next AGM.
October 26 - 30, 2009
Happy Halloween!! On Friday afternoon, Greg posted his impressions of the 34th North American European Union Agricultural Conference, which was held earlier this month in Ontario. You can read more HERE.
The three major farm organizations representing farmers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta emerged from a two-day forum on Tuesday with a renewed focus on the issues facing Prairie agriculture.
KAP President, Ian Wishart and WRAP President, Humphrey Bannack arrived in Regina on Monday morning for two days of meetings with APAS President, Greg Marshall. The presidents of the three major farm groups across the Prairies discussed and endeavored to reach consensus on important issues such as safety net programs, international trade and rail transportation.
The Prairie Farm Leaders were also the guests on a special edition of CKRM 620AM's NewsLine at Noon with Jim Smalley on Tuesday, October 27. Greg, Ian and Humphrey answered questions about the issues that affect farmers in all three Prairie Provinces and across Canada. Read more here.
In other news, the APAS BOD meeting originally scheduled for October 28 & 29 has been postponed in order for BOD members to complete as much of harvest as possible before it snows. In its' place, the BOD will be participating in an early morning conference call on October 29.
And District 4 Director David Spencer is in Ottawa part of this week attending the National Forum on Seed and visiting Sask MPs to discuss key issues affecting our farmers.
October 19 - 23, 2009
This week, President Greg Marshall, along with other Canadian Farm Leaders, is attending the 34th North American and European Union Agricultural Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The meeting, which takes place every two years, brings together farm leaders and producers from the EU, United States, Mexico and Canada – in a forum to discuss key issues and challenges and share strategies and solutions to capture opportunities.
The Conference focused on several key agricultural issues, including:- Review of Agricultural Policy Developments. This session will feature a presentation of the world agricultural situation by Secretary General of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) as well as an overview of developments in the EU, USA, Canada, and Mexico.
- An assessment of Current Trade Policy and its Future Direction
- Profiting in Volatile Markets
- Marketing Systems and Cooperatives and the Role of the Farmer in the Value Chain.
- Climate Change – Farm Impacts and Farm Solutions
- Energy Policy – Renewable Fuels and Bio-Energy.
In Greg's absence, Vice President Don Connick represented the APAS at the opening of the 3rd session of the 26th Saskatchewan Legislature on Wednesday afternoon. APAS was pleased by the promise of reduced surgical wait times in the province but was disappointed that the Throne Speech focused little attention on agriculture in Saskatchewan.
On Monday night, General Manager Nial Kuyek and District 2 Director Norm Nordgulen participated in a ratepayers' meeting in the RM of Wood River #74. Following a presentation by APAS, the RM ratepayers voted overwhelmingly to rejoin the Association.
Meanwhile, Policy Manager, Doug Faller spent the early part of this week investigating and analyzing the impacts of last Friday's announcement that the Ministry of Agriculture voluntarily reduced its' programs and services budget by over 20 million dollars as the Government of Saskatchewan deals with falling potash royalties. Doug's other focus continues to be the numerous issues involved in railway transportation.
Sonia Korpus and Aj Thakker will be busy most of this week finalizing details regarding next week's Prairie Farm Leaders Meeting, November's Balancing the Bottom Line Conference and December's midterm meeting.
Speaking of the Prairie Farm Leaders' Meeting, be sure to listen to CKRM 620AM's NewsLine at Noon with Jim Smalley on October 27 as Greg Marshall, Ian Wishart and Humphrey Bannack will be discussing issues that affect farmers in all three Prairie Provinces. All three Farm Leaders will also be available on Tuesday for additional media opportunities.
On Friday morning, , Greg, Nial and Doug participated in an informal conference call with members of other concerned groups regarding CN's proposed de-listing of producer car sidings.
October 13 - 16, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. This week, in addition to eating leftover turkey, APAS staff and executive have a full week of meetings. On Tuesday, President Greg Marshall attended the RM Council of Mount Hope's monthly meeting to update the council on APAS activities. In addition, the Balancing the Bottom Line Conference Committee met at the APAS office to review planning activities to date.
On Wednesday, the APAS team will be attending a series of meetings throughout the day, including:
- 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Greg, Doug, and Nial will meet with Meyers Norris Penny to discuss the AgriStability/Safety Nets session to be part of the Prairie Farm Leaders' meeting on October 26
- 9:00 am to 10:00 am - Aj will participate in a conference call with CFA and member organizations to discuss opportunities to highlight and promote CFA's 75th anniversary
- 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Greg, Doug, Aj, and Nial will meet to discuss and develop an draft strategy for evolving grain transportation issues.
- 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. Ignatieff luncheon at the Queensbury Centre in Regina. Greg, Doug, Nial, and Norm Hall will be attending.
- 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Dennis Sherratt will be available to meet with Greg, Doug, Aj, Nial, and Norm Hall to discuss and develop a next-step strategy for EG & S in the province.
On Thursday, Aj Thakker traveled to Saskatoon to meet with the Saskatoon Farmers Market staff to discuss event details for the Balancing the Bottom Line Conference in November.
Friday, Greg, Nial and Doug attended the meeting of the Economic, Trade, and Strategic Growth Committee in Saskatoon. Key areas of discussion included APAS' Inter-generational and New Entrant research, Safety Net Programs, specifically AgriStability, and the myriad of issues related to railway transportation.
October 5 - 10, 2009
Nial is back from his travels in PEI and Greg will be back shortly from his trip to Ottawa to meet with the Minister of State (Transport) regarding CN's continued plan to close a large number of producer-car sidings after the end of this year.
The first 5 episodes of the 2009 EG&S Symposium are now edited and have been sent for final approval by the partners before being forwarded to Access Channel 7 for broadcast across the province.
Aj is currently working on the second day's presentations and expects the entire series of 10 hour-long programs to be completed and available well before the end of the year.
Sept 28-Oct 2, 2009
This week, General Manager, Nial Kuyek is in the Maritime provinces to meet with the Provincial Coordinator for PEI's ALUS program.
Over all this week, the staff will be focusing their efforts on the implications and possible outcomes of CN's announcement to delay the closing of over two dozen producer car loading sites in Saskatchewan.
On Monday afternoon, President Greg Marshall will be meeting with consultant Al Sholtz to review progress to date on the Inter-generational Transfers research commissioned by APAS.
On Tuesday, Aj Thakker will be meeting with the Balancing the Bottom Line Conference committee in order to finalize the agenda and outline the publicity and communications campaign.
On Wednesday, Greg and Doug both spent time concentrating on their farm businesses, while Aj spent the morning editing the fifth episode (Kevin Hursh's keynote address) of the 2008 EG&S Symposium at Smart Ideas Studios in Regina.
September 21 - 25, 2009
Nial Kuyek left early Wednesday morning for the CFA Managers Meeting in PEI. Nial will also be meeting with the ALUS program coordinator in PEI early next week in order to increase APAS knowledge and expertise regarding successful EG&S programs.
APAS staff met together a number of times this week in order to coordinate a number of ongoing initiatives and to ensure that staff have sufficient information and resources to properly manage the APAS office while the General Manager is away next week.
(Aj was away from September 14-18, so no weekly website updates are available for that week.)
September 8 - 11, 2009
Go Riders Go!! Labour Day weekend saw the Riders win the first of their back-to-back games with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Let's wish them the same sort of luck next week in the Banjo Bowl!
Saskatchewan farmers were forced to exercise some patience this weekend - some even watched the game guilt-free while waiting for their crops to ripen just a little bit more before the cooler weather arrives.
President Greg Marshall is still receiving numerous requests from media in response to the joint APAS/KAP/WRAP Farmers Share events held last week. Watch CTV next weekend for Greg's interview with FarmGate's Bob Simpson and check your local Access 7 program guide for a special television broadcast of the September 2 CKRM 620AM NewsLine at Noon call-in program with host Jim Smalley and our own Greg Marshall and Ken Rosaasen.
On Wednesday, GM Nial Kuyek will continue his work with the other members of the Balancing the Bottom Line Conference Planning Committee.
Aug 31 - Sept 4, 2009
APAS staff and executive are in the office this week, focusing on a number of upcoming events.
On Monday, GM Nial Kuyek met with the other members of the Balancing the Bottom Line Conference Planning Committee.
On Tuesday, District 6 Director Jeff Simpson had an opportunity to stop farming for a very brief moment to submit a short report for the rest of the province regarding conditions in the Northwest. Jeff indicated that swathing is finally underway and his own fields are just about dry enough to start swathing. Click here to read more.
If you're in Regina on Wednesday, APAS will be at the Regina Farmers Market from 9 am to 1 pm. President Greg Marshall will be hosting a special media scrum at 10 am to release key details of the joint KAP/APAS/WRAP research into the cost of food and the farmers' share.
If you can't be at the Market on Wednesday, tune in to CKRM-620AM at lunch time as Greg will be the special guest on the NewsLine at Noon with Jim Smalley.
For a quick look at some of the extensive media coverage the Farmers' Share events generated across Western Canada, visit our New in News page
August 24 - 29, 2009
This week APAS BOD are busy on their farms and APAS staff are all working on specific projects and upcoming events. The balance of this week will be spent preparing for next Wednesday's media announcement regarding the joint APAS/KAP/WRAP "Farmer's Share" research report. APAS will be at the Regina Farmers Market, Wednesday, September 2 at 10 am to release the reports findings. And be sure to listen to Jim Smalley's News Line at Noon program on 620 CKRM for a lively panel debate on the cost of food and the farmers share later that same day.
August 17 - 21, 2009
Rain fell and fell ...and fell this weekend on many parts of the province. While appreciated, we need the sun and warm weather now to end the summer and lead us into fall.
Conference calls, committee meetings and ongoing dialogue with a variety of agricultural groups will fill the schedules of APAS staff and executive most of this week. Stay tuned to this page over the days to come for more details!
August 10 - 14, 2009
APAS executive and staff began the week with a quick debrief of last week's events - most importantly, the Saskatchewan Livestock sector meeting which took place on Thursday afternoon.
Given that our livestock industry continues to face significant problems and members in many farm organizations are demanding and expecting further action from all levels of government to protect the future of the industry, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan hosted a meeting of interested rural and livestock organizations representing affected Saskatchewan producers last Thursday afternoon. The meeting had two primary objectives:
- To have each organization provide their perspectives on the current problems and opportunities of our provincial livestock industry
- To determine if there is interest in ongoing communications and potential collaboration and to develop a framework for further dialogue.
APAS executive appreciated the attendance, engagement and openness of representatives from the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) , Saskatchewan Bison Association (SBA), Saskatchewan Pork Council (SaskPork), Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) , National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Dairy Farmers of Saskatchewan (DFS).
The meeting was an honest and respectful dialogue about current and future issues facing the industry and our members; and it created a far deeper understanding of each group's specific issues and positions on a host of common concerns.
APAS looks forward to additional opportunities to meet with and learn from these groups in order to better understand them and work in partnership in advocacy on behalf of Saskatchewan agriculture.August 3-7, 2009
Monday was a recognized holiday in most provinces; and like many other organizations across Canada, our offices were closed as APAS Executive and staff enjoyed the one of the last long weekends of the summer.
Sonia , Nial and Aj are all back from holidays, Doug Faller is now officially onboard as Policy Manager and everyone is back from the CFA Semi Annual Meeting, which took place past week in BC.
AgriDigest Online did a wonderful story on July 27 about our recent Midterm Meeting in Saskatoon. Click HERE to read the text and HERE to view the photos.
Tuesday, APAS GM Nial Kuyek and President Greg Marshall spent the morning welcoming and briefing new APAS staff member, Doug Faller, to provincial agricultural politics and his role as Policy Manager. Doug will be spending this week getting settled and attending key meetings with Nial and Greg. In the weeks to come, Doug will also be meeting with his counterparts in the provincial Ministry and other provincial agricultural organizations.
Tuesday afternoon, APAS Executive and GM, Nial Kuyek met with the SARM Executive and Executive Director to discuss if the two organizations can better work together to provide a united voice for Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers. APAS Executive appreciated the opportunity to discuss issues of mutual concern and to better understand SARM's goal and objectives. APAS looks forward to continued dialogue with SARM staff and executive whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Given that our livestock industry continues to face significant problems and members in many farm organizations are demanding and expecting further action from all levels of government to protect the future of the industry, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan is hosting a meeting of key livestock organizations representing affected Saskatchewan producers on Thursday afternoon. The meeting will have two primary objectives:
- To have each organization provide their perspectives on the current problems and opportunities of our provincial livestock industry
- To determine if there is interest in ongoing communications and potential collaboration and to develop a framework for further dialogue.
July 27-August 1, 2009
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) met in July in Kelowna, BC for its 2009 Semi Annual Meeting. The meeting brought together farm leaders from across Canada, representing all commodities and regions, to discuss issues and challenges, propose workable solutions, and build new partnerships that will strengthen the agriculture industry as a whole. The theme of this year's meeting was “Restoring Profitability to the Farm Gate.”
Read More...
July 20 -24, 2009
The BOD will be meeting this Tuesday in Regina. Stay tuned to this page for more details. We will be updating the President's Message & GM's Report pages immediately following the BOD meeting. The balance of the week will be spent preparing for the Prairie Farm Leaders and CFA meetings in Kelowna.
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July 13 - 17, 2009
Well, it was cool and wet to start the week when APAS' President Greg Marshall returned from the Federal/Provincial Ag Ministers Roundtable. The big news out of Niagara on the Lake was Minsiter Ritz' 11th hour announcement of $20 million dollars to track livestock from grocery stores around the world back to the Canadian farms where they were raised.
Like other groups across the country, APAS applauds the Ministry's objectives but reminds the Minister that we have more pressing concerns in the sector that are far more immediate. And we concur with Minister Bjornerud's comments that any traceability program should be driven by producers, recognized farm groups and industry stakeholders and not imposed on the sector by Ottawa.
GM Nial Kuyek was on holidays until Wednesday; though Sonia is back in the office this week. Greg attended the Chicken Farmers of Canada meeting on Monday evening; followed by a meeting with the RM Council for Perdue on Tuesday morning. On Thursday, Greg traveled to Saskatoon for a CWB meeting while Aj and Sonia were preparing the June/July edition of the APAS newsletter for publication.
On Friday, APAS staff/executive finalized preparations and registrations for the July CFA midterm in Kelowna, July 27-30.
July 6 -10, 2009
Sonia went west (she's visiting some of her family on the West Coast) and Nial went south (he's in Las Vegas for a week of R&R), so Greg and Aj are the only ones around the APAS office this week.
Greg Marshall will be flying out of Regina on Tuesday night to attend the Federal/Provincial Agricultural Ministers' Roundtable at Niagara-on-the-Lake on July 8 & 9. Minister Bjornerud confirmed at our recent midterm meeting that the ongoing livestock crisis will be on the agenda so we look forward to Minister Ritz and the AAFC offering real solutions to help producers through the deepening crisis. To see Greg's report from Niagara on The Lake - click here
On Wednesday, Board Members Norm Nordgulen and Don Connick will be visiting a number of RMs to update councils about APAS activities and priorities. In addition, this week, APAS will be sending an invitation to all Saskatchewan livestock groups to invite them to a special meeting on August 6 in Regina.
Given that our livestock industry continues to face significant problems and members in all of our organizations are demanding and expecting further action, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan is offering to host a meeting of key affected Saskatchewan organizations representing livestock producers. The meeting will have two primary objectives:
- To have each organization provide their perspectives on the current problems and opportunities of our provincial livestock industry
- To determine if there is interest in ongoing communications and potential collaboration and to develop a framework for further dialogue.
And on a final note, Aj will be at Smart Ideas Studios the balance of this week, editing the EGS Symposium program for Access 7. For urgent requests, you can reach him by cell at 531-7955 or email ajthakker@accesscomm.ca
June 29 - July 3, 2009
With a Stat holiday smack dab in the middle of the week, APAS staff and Executive spent Monday and Tuesday cleaning up from the midterm meeting and catching up on other office administration. We hope everyone had a good Canada Day. Kids are now all out of school, so please exercise just a little more caution as you head out each morning.
We have been a little lax in updating the site, so expect a number of updates this week and next to catch us up. APAS' new Policy Manager, Doug Faller, will be joining us at the beginning of August. Doug will take over responsibility for the New in News, Policy Committee and Research portions of the site - so you can expect numerous changes and revisions starting in August. And our new portal software and front page design is continuing to evolve and will be launched soon.
July staffing schedule
Sonia Korpus will be on vacation from July 3-10. Nial Kuyek will be on vacation from July 6-14. Aj will be out of the office attending meeting or editing the EGS Symposium programs between July 6 and July 17 and will therefore be out of the office. Aj will be available by cell if required.
Aj Thakker will also be on vacation from July 20-24. Please contact Nial or Sonia for urgent matters.
Nial, Aj, Greg and a number of BOD members will be attending the CFA AGM from July 27-30. The APAS office will only be open from 1-4:30 pm each day of that week.
June 22 - 26, 2009
The APAS midterm was on Wednesday and Thursday. The rest of the week is a blur....
WOW. What a week. An amazing two-day conference in beautiful downtown Saskatoon capped by a stunning evening at the Saskatoon Farmers Market. Debbie, Bill and all the market vendors were incredible. Photos and video will be available soon - and watch Acccess Channel 7 in the Yorkton area for full coverage.
It is clear that Minister Bjornerud heard our concerns regarding the continuing livestock crisis as illustrated by this recent story.
APAS staff were back in the office on Friday, unpacking and cleaning up from the midterm meeting. Photos and reports from the midterm meeting will be posted next week. For all APAS reps - be sure to fax and/or mail in any receipts and expense claims as soon as possible. For those that were unable to attend due to spraying, we will be putting your rep package in the mail on Monday.
Thanks to everyone that made our midterm meeting such a resounding success!
Did you know that farmers' markets in Canada generate over $3,000,000,000 (that's three billion dollars!) in economic activity each year? This is just one of the findings from a new national study - and a number that every agricultural policy maker should know.
For a full copy of the study, visit Farmers' Market Canada's website.
June 15 - 19, 2009
WCFPS is this week and APAS Directors, staff and BOD will be attending a variety of functions throughout the week.
On Monday, Greg Marshall and Nial Kuyek met with Brian Gilbertson, Director of Government and Stakeholder Affairs with Agrium. APAS staff continued to work on Midterm registration and coordination.
On Tuesday morning, the APAS Economic, Trade and Strategic Growth Committee will be meeting at the APAS office at 10:30 am. APAS Reps have recently received an invitation from Rob O'Connor to attend a special VIP Preview Day for the Western Canadian Farm Progress Show during the afternoon of June 16, 2009. As well on Tuesday, Aj will be attending the RM of Cana's RM Council meeting to present up-to-date information about APAS activities.
On Wednesday, Nial and Greg will be attending the CGC Information Breakfast and then spending the morning at the Farm Progress Show. In the evening, the APAS Finance Committee will be participating in a conference call at 8 pm.
On Thursday, Nial and Greg Marshall will attend the Canadian Wheat Board Breakfast Meeting while APAS Directors Norm Hall and Garth Burns will attend the CGC Information Breakfast. Following a full day at the WCFPS, President Marshall will attend the Bank of Canada Reception and Dinner.
Friday will see Director David Spencer and Shawn Borgeois attend the CGC Information breakfast. The two will also join President Greg Marshall and Aj Thakker at the Outstanding Young Farmers luncheon at noon while General Manager, Nial Kuyek will participate at the Agricultural Council of Saskatchewan's annual general meeting and luncheon.
And on top of all that, we will be printing and assembling the midterm meeting registration kits whenever time allows. See you all in Saskatoon on the 24th!
June 8 - 12, 2009
The cool wet weather continued through the weekend and into this week - but the good news is that Saskatchewan farmers have planted a full 100% of the 2009 crop. The moisture is here and now we need lots of sunshine.
Monday afternoon. President Greg Marshall delivered a Talk Mail Voice message to reps. Click [HERE] to read the text version.
On Tuesday, President Greg Marshall met with the Council for the RM of Baildon, while GM Nial Kuyek and staff person Aj Thakker were in Saskatoon for the final planning meetings with the Radisson Hotel Saskatoon and Saskatoon Farmers' Market for the June midterm.
APAS is pleased to announce that refreshments at the Farm Gate to Dinner Plate event will be provided by local success story, Paddock Wood Brewing Company - winner of the GOLD Medal at the Calgary Beer Fest for Best Canadian lager out of a field of 35 breweries!
For the wine lovers attending, we have two excellent wines from the Okanagan, courtesy of Kalala Organic Estate Winery. Kalala's philosophy is to let the terroir and varietal characteristics to be fully expressed by adhering to minimal handling and gentle processing from growing to harvesting and to final vinification. Combining that with organic practices, their wines are truly a unique experience.
The balance of the week will be spent in the office finalizing details for the midterm and taking catre of other administrative duties.
On another note, the 2009 Spring issue of Field Notes, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council’s (CAHRC) quarterly newsletter, is now available. In this issue the focus is on what CAHRC is doing to deliver on its mandate to improve access to training and skills development programs in agriculture. Learn about a new Web site linking Canadians to learning opportunities in agriculture, view a new video highlighting the link between education and industry, and more. The newsletter also has a brand new, streamlined look. See for yourself by clicking here.
Full URL: http://www.cahrc-ccrha.ca/fn_ca/sp09/en/chair.html
Printer friendly version: http://www.cahrc-ccrha.ca/fn_ca/sp09/fr/print.html
June 1 - 5, 2009
Registration forms for APAS Reps for the 2009 Midterm meeting are due this week and guest registrations are due on June 15. If you haven't already done so, be sure to book your hotel room before the end of the week or the rate will be going up!
This week, President Greg Marshall is busy working at the farm and praying for warmer weather, while in Regina on Monday afternoon, General Manager Nial Kuyek and Aj Thakker met with Brenda Patton of AAFC.
APAS staff members were busy the rest of the week finalizing many of the details surrounding the Midterm meeting agenda and social event.
Delegates, MPs, MLAs and confirmed speakers received event details last week. Additional invitations will be going out this Thursday and Friday to all other invited guests. For the full agenda, convention registration and hotel reservation forms and a list of participating Farmers Market vendors, click here.
May 25 - 29, 2009
As the final week of May begins, Saskatchewan farmers have seeded almost half of the 2009 crop, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture's Crop Report. If the warmer weather continues as predicted, most producers should have their seed in the ground by the end of the month.
Last week started relatively slower in the APAS office as we recover from the recent office painting and other leasehold improvements - but it definitely ended on a number of high notes - with the Premier's Dinner on Thursday evening and Friday's meeting with the Saskatoon Farmers Market.
This week - on Monday, Greg Marshall spent the better part of this morning fielding media calls regarding the latest farm receipts numbers. On Tuesday Greg will be participating in a conference call with the Governance Committee to finalize the wording on a number of by-law changes to be voted on at the midterm meeting and on Thursday, the President will participate in the CFA BOD conference call with discussions centering on the upcoming Federal/Provincial Agricultural Ministers roundtable.
APAS staff will be busy throughout the week preparing and distributing formal invitations and documentation for the June midterm.
May 19 - 22, 2009
The May long weekend brought clouds and cold weather across much of Saskatchewan, with snow touching down in many parts of the province. According to the latest Sask Ag Crop Reports, our province's farmers have seeded 23 per cent of the 2009 crop, which is on par with the five year average (2004-2008). Last week, seeding progress was reported as four per cent complete.
This week, Aj and Nial will be busy negotiating the final details surrounding the midterm meeting agenda, while Sonia is continuing to distribute the April/May newsletter and straightening up the offices following the renovations.
On Thursday May 21, District Three Rep Dorothy Weetman and her husband Richard, District Two Rep Lawrence Johnstone and his wife Faye, District Four Director David Spencer; President Greg Marshall, General Manager Nial Kuyek and your writer had the pleasure of joining a record-setting crowd of over twenty-two hundred guests at the Premiere's Dinner in Regina. Together they enthusiastically welcomed back home-town hero Jason Clermont, who acted as MC for the evening. Retired Saskatchewan Roughrider, Gene Makowsky introduced the young Premier, likening his role and impact to that of former Riders coach, Kent Austin.
Premier Wall was gracious, humorous and humble during his keynote address - paying tribute to his family, caucus and staff, the Sask Party faithful and the people of the Province of Saskatchewan. He even paused a moment to specifically recognize the important role that farmers and ranchers play in the province. Premier Wall took the opportunity to outline his vision of the province as a centre for sustainable energy production and a place that offers eternal hope, strategic economic development and unlimited opportunity. He finished his rousing remarks by reminding the assembly that Saskatchewan's best days are still ahead of us.
APAS attendees did remain after the dinner to mix and mingle with Provincial MLAs and other guests. Thank you to Dorothy, Richard, Lawrence, Faye and David for taking valuable time away from seeding to attend the dinner on APAS behalf.
Earlier this month, Communications Consultant, Aj Thakker, met with the Saskatoon Farmers Market to coordinate the midterm meeting social event for Wednesday, June 24. APAS looks forward to working with the General Manager Debbie Claude to promote Saskatchewan producers and products to the midterm meeting attendees.
Did you know that farmers markets in Canada generate over $3,000,000,000 (that's three billion dollars!) in economic activity each year? This is just one of the findings from a new national study - and a number that every agricultural policy maker should know. For a full copy of the study, visit Farmers' Market Canada's website.
And before that....
Previous to May 15
May 11-14
Aj Thakker is away this week, but the rest of us are still working! Nial Kuyek and Greg Marshall were at the RMAA (Rural Municipal Administrators Association) annual convention in Saskatoon this week. Nial and Greg would like to thank the organizing committee for an excellent afternoon of golf and networking on Monday afternoon.
We continue to work on the mid-term meeting arrangements and agenda. Next week, you can expect some updates from CFA meetings with Minister Ritz and discussions with Minister Bjornerud's office.
May 4-8
Hurray Hurray for the first of May! Hopefully spring seeding will soon be well underway!
Agricultural groups across Canada continue to monitor emerging reports on the devastating effects of H1N1 on our country's hog producers as news broke this weekend that more than 200 pigs on a central Alberta hog farm were found to be infected with the virus. Meanwhile, sixteen new cases of Canadian's infected with the flu were reported on Sunday. By Monday night, the total had risen to 140 confirmed cases in the country and the number continues to rise.
Hog prices tumbled as more than ten countries immediately banned Canadian pork products in response - despite calls from industry and health officials that the meat is safe. The World Heath Organization (WHO) agreed that consumption of properly handled pork is completely safe and that there are no plans to put down the infected animals. Canadian health officials continue to remind consumers that there should be no concern of the virus entering the food chain.
In the APAS office this week,
On Friday, the Steering Committee investigating options for Producer Payment Security Mechanisms released the final report by Scott Wolfe Management. The objective of the project was to examine payment security options as a result of the proposed changes to the Canada Grain Act affecting the payment security program under the Canadian Grain Commission. Four options, including the current system, were studied by Scott Wolfe Management, the consulting firm hired to conduct the research. The options included the following models: security-based, insurance-based, fund-based, and clearinghouse models.
Nial Kuyek was at lunch on Monday with representatives from WCFLC. Discussions included potential collaboration on upcoming events. On Tuesday, the staff was busy in the office cleaning up administrative tasks and replacing furniture after the recent renovations. On Wednesday, APAS staff participated in a conference call to discuss Bill C-13 and the Producer Payment Security Report commissioned by a number of farm groups.
On Thursday, APAS GM Nial Kuyek participated in the Provincial Environment Ministry's Regulatory Policy Review Consultation, with the APAS Environment Committee holding a conference call on Wednesday to review the proposed changes and the potential effects on agricultural producers. The Environment Committee identified several areas that needed clarification in terms of the impact on agriculture. Thursday's consultation clarified many of these issues and provided APAS and other agricultural participants with better understanding of the process overall and the manner in which agriculture will be impacted.
In addition, Nial and Greg continued to contact and confirm guest speakers this week for the midterm meeting in June, while staff were busy finalizing the other event details and preparing the April/May newsletter for printing and distribution early next week. Aj is currently working in partnership with the Saskatoon Farmers Market on a very special hospitality event for the Wednesday evening.
April 27-May 1
With spring seeding backed up by a week or more due to the cold wet weather, the APAS Directors took their places around the board table last Thursday and Friday for their last face-to-face meeting before the June mid-term. In addition to regular Board business, Directors discussed and debated the agenda for the midterm meeting, reviewed key details of Director Shawn Borgeois presentation on APAS' proposed scholarship program and agreed to a strategy to further the 'inter-generational transfer' and 'safety net' resolutions from the 2008 AGM.
On Monday evening, President Greg Marshall, GM Nial Kuyek and District One Director Ernie Briggs attended a ratepayers meeting in the RM of Rocanville. A resolution was overwhelmingly passed at the meeting to renew the RM's membership in APAS through 2009.
On Tuesday, members of the APAS Livestock Committee were to meet at the APAS office in the morning and attend a Saskatchewan Livestock Sector Roundtable meeting in the afternoon with representatives from a number of the province's livestock groups. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, this meeting has been temporarily postponed, however APAS executive are currently awaiting confirmation of alternative dates and times from the invited groups in order to coordinate a similar meeting prior to the June midterm. The objective of the meeting, which is being organized and hosted by APAS, is to enhance cooperation and communications between the various organizations and to provide a forum for dialogue and partnership on common issues.
On Wednesday, the President and staff will be discussing and confirming a number of the key details for the June midterm - recently confirmed for June 24 and 25 in Saskatoon - including the exact location and a tentative agenda. Member Reps and all guests can expect to receive a formal meeting notification by email or fax next week.
As the week ended, APAS Executive and staff were in the office making final arrangements for the mid term meeting in June. President Greg Marshall participated in a number of media interview covering topics ranging from migrant farm workers to livestock support programs. The week ended with the Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Ritz announcing changes to the Farm Improvement and Marketing Cooperatives Loan Program (FIMCLA). The PM and Minister Ritz made the announcement in Edgeley, Saskatchewan earlier today that new legislation will guarantee an estimated $1 billion in loans over the next five years most of which will go to farmers and co-operatives that were previously ineligible.
APAS President, Greg Marshall will be available at the APAS office for media calls throughout Friday afternoon to respond to today's announcement.
April 20-24
A special thank you to the RM of Grass Lake for hosting a delicious supper on Monday evening as APAS staff provided an update on recent activities. This week, APAS Directors and staff also attended ratepayer meetings in the RMs of Preeceville, Fertile Belt and Clayton.
On Tuesday afternoon, elected Reps from District Six gatherer in Reward, SK for the Spring District meeting. APAS’ Vice-President Jeff Simpson and District Six Director Charles Boser along with Communications Consultant, Aj Thakker reviewed APAS accomplishments and recent activities and elected members provided feedback and direction on key policy initiatives. RM Reps also discussed and debated a number of key motions that are to be forwarded to the Resolutions Committee for the midterm meeting in June. The District Six APAS reps and staff would like to extend a very special thank you to Mrs. Boser, who graciously provided a wonderful home cooked meal for lunch.
President Greg Marshall participated in the CFA BOD meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday and Wednesday while Vice President Don Connick met with Heather Smith, the new Director General of Policy, Planning and Integration Directorate for Agriculture and AgriFood Canada on Wednesday afternoon. APAS appreciated the opportunity to meet with the newly appointed Director General and to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. Thank you to Dean Vey, Regional Director, Market & Industry Services Branch (Saskatchewan), Debra Boyd-Chisholm, Senior Analyst, Intergovernmental Affairs, Strategic Policy Branch, and Brenda Patton, Senior Marketing & Trade Officer, Market & Industry Services (Saskatchewan) for their participation in the meeting as well. APAS looks forward to continuing the dialogue and will be forwarding an invitation to Ms Smith and the AAFC staff in Saskatchewan to join us in Saskatoon in June for the 2009 midterm meeting.
The BOD will wrap up the week with a Directors' meeting in Regina on Thursday evening and all day Friday.
(Note - APAS' offices will be closed Friday for leasehold improvements - or painting to be more exact)
April 13-17
A relatively warm and pleasant Easter weekend turned to rain and then snow in some parts of the province this week and on Thursday, District 4 Director David Spencer and staff member Aj Thakker were welcomed by the RM Council of Barrier Valley as they presented an update on APAS activities. The RM may also be sending an observer to the mid-term meeting in June as they consider membership. On Wednesday, APAS sent invitations to a number of provincial livestock producer groups in order to initiate dialogue aimed to enhance relationships and communications between the various organizations. On Tuesday, District Five Director Garth Burns, APAS President Greg Marshall and Communications Consultant, Aj Thakker attended the District Five Spring Meeting at the Diner in Manitou Beach. APAS Directors and staff attended meetings with the RMs of Mountain View, Garry and Barrier Valley and Greg Marshall and Nial Kuyek will end the week at the Western Farm Leaders meeting in Winnipeg.
Earlier in the month, the CFA Grains and Oilseeds Committee held a conference call on the issue of Bill C-13. APAS President Greg Marshall chaired the meeting, which focused on:
- an update from Laurent Pellerin on the meetings CFA has had with all parties on this issue
- articulating sector and industry’s concerns with the bill
- development of key messages
- consensus on next steps for CFA and member organizations
...and April began with the Provincial Ministry of Agriculture announcing that we are Going Forward with Growing Forward in Saskatchewan.
In late March...
APAS President Greg Marshall met with Saskatchewan Minister of Agriculture Bob Bjornerud to discuss issues of mutual interest.
The organizing committee of the Saskatchewan's Natural Capital: Exploring Ecological Goods and Services (EG&S) Symposium would like to thank the excellent speakers and enthusiastic attendees and guests at the EG&S Symposium held last week at the West Harvest Inn in Regina. The Symposium presentations will be aired on the Access 7 cable television network and selected clips will be available on the Symposium website for download later this spring. Please visit the EG&S website for presentations, speaker bios, and additional details.As well in March,
Finance Minister Rod Gantefoer handed down Saskatchewan's provincial budget at approximately 2:15 p.m. local time, Wednesday, March 18, 2009. APAS President Greg Marshall attended the budget speech and responded to the budget announcements on behalf of the province's agricultural producers.
...and...
We've launched a new radio campaign on CJGX104, CK750 AM ,CK620, the Rawlco NewsTalk network in PA, North Battleford, Regina and Saskatoon and Golden West Stations in the southern part of the province. The campaign aims to remind listeners of the importance of a united voice in Regina and Ottawa for our province's agricultural producers.
Listen to both of the promotional spots currently running.
You can call all you want - 30 seconds
and...
APAS President Greg Marshall was the guest on CKRM's Newsline at Noon program with Jim Smalley on Monday, March 2. Greg and Jim discussed pressing issues in Saskatchewan agriculture and took calls from listeners.
Click here to download and/or listen to an MP3 file of the complete interview