Philip Shaw

These are uneven, unprecedented times. Social distancing for me is pretty easy as I farm alone. However, when people do show up it still seems so strange to make sure I keep 2 metres away. As we move ahead, trying to flatten the curve, our world is reeling from so many things, we never thought…

I like to plant corn. In fact, that’s what I’m getting ready to do. If you’ve read this column over the last 34 years, you’ll know, I always say, I’ll be happy when planting starts, as then I’ll be able to relax. Invariably, every year, there is more anxiety exacted on the process of getting…

You know we are in unusual times when the United States briefly considered moving troops toward the Canadian border. This was confirmed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in response to a report from the Trump administration about putting troops close to the American border. That will be a first, since 1814, when those American troops…

With lineups at grocery stores in Ontario urban areas, a light is being shone a spotlight on our food system. The lack of emphasis in Canadian agricultural policy is showing. Farmers have long thought there will be no real change until consumers see the spectre of empty shelves. Needless to say, nobody wanted to listen….

This country is a very big place. Last week I found myself in an agricultural gem, Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province. I gave a presentation on Eastern Canadian grain markets in Summerside PEI at the PEI Annual Cereal and Oilseed Conference. It was my third time speaking in PEI over the last 10 years…

Today the Dow Jones lost the most value in one day in its history. Markets hate uncertainty and despite the fact a few weeks ago the equity markets were telling us the coronavirus didn’t matter, it isn’t the case now. A few weeks ago, commodities markets were getting beat up while equities weathered the storm….

It has been a harrowing week in Canada. With railroads blockaded at different points across the country, you can almost feel the economy contract. Across the country, trains are either stopped or slowed or something in between. Tensions are rising as our politicians disagree with each other. At the vortex of the disagreement is the…

The weather has turned cold earlier in February giving me temperatures last seen November 14th as my combine was stopped by snow. This winter has been mild in southwestern Ontario and even tonight’s cold temperatures are supposed to be short lived. We’ve had mild winters before, followed by normal summers. With the dread year 2019…

As the plane landed, I could only recount the many other times I had been in Bangladesh. Last month, I boarded a plane in Toronto and once again, made my way toward Dubai and ultimately Dhaka Bangladesh. When I first ventured there 27 years ago there were 92 million people. Today, there are 160 million…

It is hard to believe we are here, but 2019 is coming to an end and for many farmers across the great North American corn belt, it can’t come soon enough. It’s been a difficult year. As I write this, there are still many farmers in the fields across Ontario and Quebec getting the last…