If I had to sum up 2017, I’d say, “Hurry up and wait.”

It was a year of endings (think of the period with no interest rate hikes) that will produce a difference in 2018 and beyond. But it was also a year of new beginnings (think of the Barton Report and the growing presence of young Canadian farmers).

Much of what happened in 2017 that was newsy didn’t have immediate clout, but many of its big-ticket items will have long-term impacts on Canadian agriculture. So, as it winds down, I’m taking a look at the year that was.