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Agriculture Roundup for Thursday February 4, 2021

Feb 4, 2021 | 10:29 AM

MELFORT, Sask. – Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) and Blair’s Family of Companies (Blair’s) have reached an agreement to work together.

The joint venture will own and operate Blair’s seven retail locations in Lanigan, Nokomis, Watrous, Liberty, McLean, Lipton and Rosthern, Sask.

FCL Vice-President of Ag and Consumer Business Ron Healey said Blair’s is a trusted and well-respected local family business.

“Those values match our own. The joint venture is an opportunity for FCL to expand our presence in central and southeastern Saskatchewan,” Healey said in a news release.

Blair’s management and team will continue to lead the day-to-day operations of the ag retail business. Blair’s fertilizer terminal near Hanley as well as the farming operations, including Blair’s Ag Cattle Company, are not part of the deal.

For 73 years Blair’s has provided crop input and animal nutrition products and services.

Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) is supporting the Chinook Applied Research Association (CARA) through the purchase of field equipment.

Roughly $266,000 will be used to purchase a plot combine, tractor, three-quarter ton truck, GPS unit, cargo trailer, and a mower tractor.

WGRF Board Chair Dr. Keith Degenhardt said a full line of small plot equipment will give CARA the capacity to conduct quality applied research and demonstration projects. CARA’s applied research includes over 3,500 plots of variety trials, agronomics, and rotation studies plus evaluation of crop and soil amendments.

Chinook Applied Research Association is located at Oyen, Alta.

Tim Hortons is committing to 100 per cent Canadian freshly cracked eggs in all its breakfast sandwiches.

In partnership with the Egg Farmers of Canada, Tim Hortons is sourcing farm-to-table fresh eggs from Canadian egg farmers.

It will also display the Egg Quality Assurance certification mark, which signifies the use of the highest quality Canadian eggs that meet national food safety and animal welfare standards.

alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF