Cold weather and rainy conditions have a lot of farmers worried about getting their planting started, but Ken Ferrie, a Farm Journal Field Agronomist, says ensuring field conditions are ideal is far more important than hitting a particular start date. “The biggest mistake guys make is with tillage,” he says. “We know if we work the field it’ll dry out, … Read More

Bill C-49, or the Transportation Modernization Act, aims to improve rail transport of grain to make it more reliable and accountable. The 2017-2018 rail backlog cost farmers figures in the billions of dollars and caused the Canadian National Railway Co. to fire its CEO and issue a rare apology to farmers who were affected by the crisis. Grain Growers of … Read More

From fieldcropnews.com By Adam Hayes, OMAFRA Soil Management Specialist, Field Crops April 15 to 21 marked National Soil Conservation Week. Soil conservation for many years focused on protecting the soil from wind and water erosion. Today, that is still a focus but the soil is becoming an integral part of the larger environmental picture. Soil conservation is now directly linked … Read More

From a news release The Grain Farmers of Ontario welcomes the Ontario government mandate to increase renewable fuel blending in gasoline. The new mandate requires gasoline suppliers to maintain an average of 10 per cent renewable content in regular gasoline beginning in 2020, and requires that renewable content meet an average lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) performance threshold of 45 per … Read More

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