Being inspired - a great day on AALP's North American Study Tour

The FFA Creed - as applicable now as when it was written in 1930

After staying with some terrific families in their homes, AALP Class 15 traveled to the National FFA Center in Indianapolis. For some of us, this was the first introduction to the FFA while others had a more in depth understanding of who they are. We learned that FFA goes through the school system, starting in middle school, and to have a chapter the school must have some sort of agricultural educational component. The membership dues are only $5 and in some states, this cost is covered by the school system. They have 579,678 members and 4,570 chapters in the US. The national FFA convention has almost 63,000 attendees!! Wow.

We then visited Elanco. Its mission is inspiring: "Food and companionship enriching life". They use technology and innovation in the world of animal health protection, nutrition and quality of life to make a difference in agriculture. Quality assurance is important to the company as a deferential factor in the business. Elanco is bridging the gap between what goes in the animal to the family table, and in order to do this food safety has to be at the top of the list.

Elanco is leading the ENOUGH campaign to bring more awareness to world hunger and food security issues. You can learn more about the initiative at sensibletable.com.

We participated in a discussion with a graduate of an ag leadership program in the area who gave some insight on the experience: "It's the small things that make a difference and journal everything so weeks later revisiting it will give a different perspective."

We then embarked on our long plane ride to Washington DC, Stay tuned for a great blog tomorrow!!

Be sure to follow along with the class on Twitter #NAST2014.

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by OntAG Admin on July 10, 2014 at 4:56am

RSS

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Alberta Announces Major Water Sharing Agreements

The Alberta government on Friday announced that municipalities, industry, and irrigation districts in the province have voluntarily agreed to reduce water usage in case of drought this spring or summer. A provincial release said 38 of the largest and oldest water licensees in southern Alberta have voluntarily agreed to the reductions. The groups represent up to 90% of the water allocated in the Bow and Oldman basins and 70% in the Red Deer River basin. The largest water-sharing agreements in the province’s 118-year history, the deals will let “more Albertans access water in a drought and reduce the negative impacts on communities, the economy and the environment,” the release said. The agreements are at the centre of Alberta’s drought response efforts. In 2001, agreements between southern irrigators and others played a key role in helping share water during that drought. This year’s agreements, facilitated by the Alberta government, are even bigger in scale and scope. There ar

Farmland Rental Rates Keeping Pace with Value Appreciation

Canadian farmland rental rates and values are climbing at generally the same rate, but renting still offers benefits – especially for new producers. A Farm Credit Canada analysis pegged the rent-to-price ratio for cultivated farmland at 2.52% in 2023, little changed from a year earlier. Notably, the three provinces that recorded the highest farmland value increases in 2023 - Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec - also saw increases in rental rates, maintaining stability in rent-to-price ratios. A ratio trending lower suggests cash rental rates are appreciating at a slower pace than land values. Conversely, an increase in the ratio indicates that rental rates are increasing faster than land values. The FCC analysis provides a detailed breakdown of rent-to-price ratios by province, highlighting variations in rental rates and farmland appreciation across different regions (see table below). Notably, provinces like Ontario and select Atlantic provinces have witnessed divergent trends,

Wheat and barley producers can claim SR&ED credit on their 2023 taxes

Wheat and barley producers who pay check-off through Alberta Grains (formerly Alberta Barley and the Alberta Wheat Commission) and do not request a refund are eligible for a 34 per cent and eight per cent tax credit respectively through the Scientific Research and Experimental Development Fund (SR&ED) program for their investment in research and development (R&D) projects. For example, producers who paid $100 in check-off on their wheat in 2023 would earn $34 in tax credit, whereas producers who paid $100 in check-off on their barley in 2023 would earn $8 in tax credit. The federal SR&ED program encourages R&D investment through tax-based incentives, giving claimants tax credits for their expenditures on eligible R&D work. The tax credit percentage is based on the amount invested in R&D that meets the criteria laid out by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). “The SR&ED program is incredibly beneficial, and I would encourage all eligible growers to utilize it,” says Alberta Grains chair,

Canadian innovation taking plant-protein nutrition to new heights

Today, Protein Industries Canada held a tasting and networking event to celebrate the launch of its latest project announcement: A collaborative effort to de-risk, scale and expand Wamame Foods’ new high protein product line. Working with project partners Apex Food Source, Crush Dynamics and AGT Food and Ingredients, Wamame Foods is using Canadian ingredients to develop, commercialize and scale a new functional athlete-focused high-protein line of food products, such as high-protein burritos, that exceeds the protein-to-calorie ratio of the average American protein bar. Soon to be available in a variety of North American and overseas retail grab-and-go locations, these high-protein products will add diversity of choice for athletes and health-conscious individuals everywhere and enable consumers to enjoy their food while maintaining an elite lifestyle. “With support from Protein Industries Canada, Wamame and its project partners are helping to get premium plant-based meat alternative

Back to Basics: Improving Soil and Creating Opportunities for a Healthy Food System

Dr. Lord Abbey, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences at Dalhousie University and Bioenterprise SIAC Advisor, speaks about soil health, compost, and creating pathways for Canadian immigrants interested in agriculture.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service