By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Thursday, July 6, 2023

Jul 6, 2023 | 10:25 AM

A Saskatchewan farmer texted what appears to be a very costly emoji.

Swift Current farmer Chris Achter was ordered by a judge to pay more than $82,000 for not delivering product to a grain buyer after responding to a text message with a thumbs-up image.

The farmer argued the emoji indicated only that he’d received the contract — not that he accepted its terms.

In the Court of King’s Bench decision, released in June, the judge pointed to a Dictionary.com definition of the thumbs-up emoji, which says it is used to express assent, approval, or encouragement in digital communications.

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International Spotlight

P.A.'s Howe one of 4 Sask. born players named to Canada's World Junior roster

13h ago

National

Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds

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Budget woes

Golf and curling centre faces grim season without financial boost

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There are no signs the two sides in the six-day-old strike at B.C. ports will be returning to the bargaining table.

The B.C. Maritime Employers Association now says binding arbitration could swiftly end the job action by more than 7,000 workers.

Talks stalled Monday and business groups are urging Ottawa to legislate an end to the strike, but federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan has so far resisted those calls.

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Cleanfarms is now certified as a Great Place to Work.

Executive Director Barry Friesen said going through the certification process was a unique opportunity to reflect on the culture they’ve worked hard to foster and to “hear directly from our staff about their experiences.”

“Receiving this certification represents our core values of putting people first and doing what’s right,” Friesen said. “We accept it with pride and recognize it as a celebration of our culture and community. We understand that when our team is well taken care of, they are better equipped to extend that care to others through the work we do.”

Cleanfarms is a non-profit environmental stewardship organization. Last year more than 5.2 million empty pesticide and fertilizer containers were collected through a Cleanfarms program, and nearly 300,000 empty seed and pesticide bags were returned.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW