By Nathan Stevens

January 27, 2012

 

The burden of over-regulation is wearing thin for many farmers in Ontario. Red tape is being sighted as a key constraint for small and medium businesses across Canada. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) has made this issue one of their key issues, and published its annual report card on red tape in Canada earlier this month.

 

Perhaps…

Its the time of year I start to empty my grain bins.  The farm is situated in a flood plain and if the winter results in an ice jam at the mouth of the Thames river, several feet of water could easily lay over the land if any of the dikes let go.  This hasn't happened since 1976, but he who is not prepared will eventually suffer.  So generally I plan to get the bins empty or within a truck load of empty so it won't take too long to save the grain.  With the winter being mild, there is no ice…

01/25/2012    CanWEA disappointed with OFA statement on wind, will continue to work to ensure farmers enjoy productive relationship with wind energy…

By Mark Wales, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is calling on the provincial government to suspend the invasion of rural Ontario with industrial wind turbines. 

Earlier this week OFA took a hard look at our own concerns with wind turbines. We have always been concerned with the price paid for wind power and the fact that it is not dispatchable – it is not stored for use during peak demand periods, making…

By John Clement

January 20, 2012

 

I grew up on a tobacco farm. My brother grew tobacco, as did my father and grandfather. I have spent literally months of my life replanting, weeding, irrigating, harvesting and moving flue-cured leaf. Accordingly, I have viewed the rise and fall of the Ontario tobacco industry with keen interest and have tried to glean lessons from it that can be used when studying other agricultural…