Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario Commentary By Josh Kraemer, CFFO Communications Intern Last week was the Farm and Food Care Ontario Speakers Program, which focused on public conversations about agriculture. Keynote speaker Tamar Haspel described how to reach out to the public in ways that spark people’s interest and encourage engagement in meaningful discussion. Connecting with a public audience is … Read More

Ontario Federation of Agriculture Commentary By Keith Currie, OFA President Ontario’s proposed high-speed rail offers nothing but problems for farmers and rural residents. The provincial government’s plan to connect Toronto to London by 2025, and eventually extend to Windsor by 2031, through a high-speed rail line is a contentious issue for the communities and landowners that will be affected. The … Read More

From the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association Ontario has a new strategy to help ensure the province’s agricultural soils remain healthy and productive for future generations. “New Horizons: Ontario’s Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Strategy” was developed in collaboration with the Agricultural Soil Health and Conservation Working Group, experts from provincial farm organizations, agri-food businesses, conservation organizations, the research … Read More

We all have eaten many products from our friend the pig. Bacon, pork chops, spare ribs, pork roast and so many other food items. But what do we really know about the pig? Today, let’s find our more. Despite their reputation, pigs are not dirty animals. They’re actually quite clean. The pig’s reputation as a filthy animal comes from its … Read More

By Lilian Schaer for AgInnovation Ontario A new sensor-based tracking system for livestock could provide peace of mind for farmers, food companies and consumers that animals are being treated humanely during transport. Transport Genie monitors microclimate conditions inside livestock trailers and provides that information to users along the supply chain using block chain technology. Block chains are a digital ledger … Read More

Ontario Federation of Agriculture Commentary By Mark Reusser, OFA Vice President Ontario is a vast province, but only about 5% of the total land base is capable of supporting agricultural activities. Farmland preservation is a top priority for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), and we work continuously to keep not only our prime agricultural land, but also lower capability … Read More

Corn ending stocks in the U.S. were raised while soybean stockpiles for 2017-18 were lowered in the April 10 World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. This month’s U.S. corn outlook is for reduced feed and residual use, slightly lower food, seed, and industrial (FSI) use, and increased ending stocks. FSI is lowered 5 million bushels, as a 10-million-bushel … Read More

From Canadian Cattlemen’s Association “Action News” In April, China announced a $50 billion list of U.S. goods for possible tariff hikes, including beef, corn and wheat, in an escalating dispute with Washington. China’s move was in response to actions by the U.S. Trump Administration, which proposed a list of roughly 1,300 Chinese goods ranging from agricultural equipment to raw metals, … Read More

From fieldcropnews.com By Joanna Follings, OMAFRA Cereals Specialist Co-written by Dave Hooker, University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus Winter wheat can often be found to survive short freeze thaw events throughout the winter. However with the recent dips in temperatures with little to no snow cover, there are some concerns about crop damage and survivability. There is also some concern that … Read More

By Matt Weverink April 10, 2018 12:09pm @Matt_Weverink Long-time Chatham-Kent farmer Bob Kerr is looking to save the earth one field at a time. He shared that message with the Rotary Club of Chatham Sunrise Tuesday morning along with some practical applications for how local farmers can help. Overall, Kerr’s message is focused on improving soil health by implementing farming … Read More