Philip Shaw's work is published across Canada and the United States. He is an accomplished speaker, journalist, commodity market commentator, agricultural economist and farmer from Dresden, Ontario, Canada.
In Ontario it seems everybody knows someone who has left for Alberta. With oil prices going threw the roof over the last year the pot at the end of the rainbow was Alberta. They say in Northern Alberta if you have a pulse, you have a job. That’s one reason why our greater Canadian economy…
Continue ReadingMeet Me in Louisville
Continue ReadingA week ago a mini-uproar occurred in Southwestern Ontario, the place where I’m from. Word came that cheap subsidized US corn was about to be imported into Wallaceburg Ontario by barge on the relatively small and environmentally fragile Sydenham River. It set off a fury of media speculation on whether this was really true and…
Continue ReadingYou know, consumers just don’t get it. I’ve said it many times. Consumers’ pay too much for food, farmers don’t get paid enough for growing it and big corporations limit food choices. It all results in consumers getting ripped off, farmers continually frustrated and the big food corporations raking in supernormal profits. However, if you…
Continue ReadingThe USDA released its September crop production report last Tuesday. It projected US soybean yields to be 41.8 bushels/acre with the total crop projected to be 3.09 billion bushels. Corn production was increased from the August USDA report to 11.114 billion bushels; expected yield was pushed to 154.7 bushels/acre. It was a bit of a…
Continue ReadingFor fellow Canadian Maher Arar, I’m sure he is a bit relieved. Last week the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the case of Maher Arar released its report. It vindicated Arar. However, I’m also sure his nightmare of being whisked away to Syria by the Americans is a recurring nightmare in this life. …
Continue ReadingI have always looked for the proverbial silver bullet when it comes to taming the hard, clay soils of Dawn Township in Lambton County, Ontario. I’m still not there but I think I’m getting closer. Pictured here is my land leveler I bought last year.  It consists of a whole bunch of iron welded together. …
Continue ReadingInforma Economics came out last week and pegged the US corn crop at 11.07 billion bushels. They pegged the US soybean crop 3.11 billion bushels. Both estimates were more than the Aug 11 USDA crop production reports. Coming up on September 12th, we’ll get to see the new numbers from USDA. Will these already huge…
Continue Reading