New article series: Ag in the House

Sep 21, 2023

The weekly articles will summarize exchanges related to ag in the House of Commons

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

With Parliament’s fall session resuming, Farms.com is committed to keeping Canadian farmers informed about what’s going on in Ottawa.

Canadian producers may not have the time to watch question period each day or consult the hansard (record of debates) to see who said what.

With that at top of mind, Farms.com is launching a new article series.

Ag in the House will summarize the weekly exchanges related to agriculture in the House of Commons during question period.

This summary, to be released on Mondays, will include comments from the House of Commons hansard from Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay, Conservative Agriculture Critic John Barlow and other Members of Parliament who ask and respond to questions about farmers and the ag sector.

Farms.com hopes this useful information will help keep Canadian producers informed about what the government is doing to support the industry and how opposition parties are keeping the federal government accountable for their actions.

MPs gather for question period each day at 2:00pm ET. On Fridays, question period takes place at 11:15am ET.

If the hansard for Friday’s comments isn’t available that day, those will be included in a follow-up article.

The fall session kicked off on Monday.

To tee up what items could be on the docket in Parliament this session, Farms.com connected with Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.

Video: California Farm Bureau 2025 Farm Dog of the Year Contest Winner - Willy - CAFB 107th Annual Meeting

Meet Willy: California Farm Bureau’s 2025 Farm Dog of the Year!

We’re excited to introduce Willy, a miniature long-haired dachshund with a big heart and even bigger courage, and the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Farm Dog of the Year Contest!

Willy may be small, but he’s become an indispensable partner on owner Marshal Hagedorn’s forestry and cattle operations in Shasta, Tehama, and Siskiyou counties. Adopted in 2023, he quickly found his place on the ranch, helping manage critters, tagging along for long days in the woods, and offering unwavering companionship during demanding logging work.

Willy has even taken naturally to moving cattle, surprising calves (and more than a few full-grown cows!) with his burst of energy from the tall grass. As Marshal put it: “He goes with me everywhere every single day.”

Congratulations to Willy and his family, a perfect example of how every good farm dog, no matter the size, helps keep California agriculture running strong.