Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

31st Annual Eco Farm Day conference in Cornwall, ON

Healthy Land, Healthy People, Healthy Profits

A winter day full of food, friendship and inspiration – it’s Eco Farm Day 2015 and it’s a highlight of the season for organic (and organic-curious) farmers and gardeners in eastern Ontario and western Quebec. As a matter of fact, Eco Farm Day is on of the largest agricultural conferences in the region, save the Ottawa Valley Farm Show!

Eco Farm Day takes place on Saturday, February 28, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Ramada Inn in Cornwall. This is the 31st annual conference presented by the Ottawa-St Lawrence-Outaouais chapter of Canadian Organic Growers (COG-OSO), this year with the cooperation of Organic Meadow and the Bauta Initiative on Seed Security.

Keynoter Tony McQuail presents Healthy Land, Healthy People, Healthy Profits: Holistic Management for Sustainable Agriculture. A farmer since 1970, Tony has extensive experience with agricultural and government programs, and is an educator with the Holistic Management Institute. Holistic Management is a planning methodology used by farm families to help make short term and long term decisions on the farm that are ecologically, economically and socially sustainable.

After the keynote presentation, conference attendees have a number of interactive workshops to choose from, a buffet feast of organic foods (many also local) to enjoy for lunch, and plenty of opportunity to visit with old friends and new, as well as investigate the products and services of the exhibitors and sponsors.

Workshops focus on practical techniques and management skills that work in our area and emphasize sustainable organic stewardship of land, food and fibre.  Most presenters are producers, most from Ontario and Quebec, with knowledge and passion to share. Topics include:

  • Scaling up the market farm - increasing profits and sustainability
  • Organic certification - proposed alternative models for small-scale farmers
  • Crop rotations, cover crops and weed management in organic field crops
  • Organic pasture management optimizing animal health AND farm profits
  • Root cellars - modern profits from traditional root cellaring
  • Organic pastured pork - adding breeding stock to your organic farm
  • Open pollinated corn - growing and adapting varieties for organic farms
  • Don't sell the sprayer - Things you can do with a sprayer on organic farms
  • Growing and marketing organic medicinal herbs in the Outaouais region
  • Pasturing laying hens and ducks - balancing ecological, economical and animal welfare issues
  • Organic beehive management techniques

 

There is simultaneous translation from English to French of the keynote presentation and three workshops.

 

Registration, including lunch, is $60 (before Feb 14) or $75 at the door, with a $10 discount for COG and Organic Meadows members. A sliding scale down to $25 is available for limited-income individuals. Register online at ecofarmday.ca

 

Eco Farm Day is your best opportunity all year to learn from the experiences of other farmers in the region. Join us in Cornwall on February 28th!

 

More information and updates at: 

internet: ecofarmday.ca

facebook: facebook.com/cogosochapter 

twitter: @EcoFarmDay

email: ecofarmday@cog.ca

phone: 613-244-4000 ext.4 

Views: 187

▶ Reply to This

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

Canadians Back Supply Management and Dairy Farmers Ahead of CUSMA Review

As Canada prepares for a review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), a new survey reveals most Canadians want the federal government to protect dairy farmers, maintain supply management, and preserve Canadian control over the nation's food supply.

USMCA Not Renewed - What the Decision Means

The United States has chosen not to renew the USMCA in its current form following the agreement's mandatory six-year review. The trade pact remains in force.

Former Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach Supports United Canada

Former Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach has endorsed Vote to Stay, encouraging Albertans to support a strong future within Canada and join a growing grassroots movement.

Tragedy averted as central Alberta farmhand rescued from grain bin

On an early morning in May, Aaron Dingle, an 18-year-old New Zealand man here in Alberta working as a farmhand, was rescued from a canola bin where he was buried up to his neck. The entire incident could have ended in tragedy but for the quick response of his employers, and the actions, training, and use of specialized equipment by Hardisty and Killam firefighters who answered the call. Dingle is working at the Burden farm north of Lougheed on an informal farm exchange. John Burden says, “We were part of the Ag Exchange program for many years, and now all those kids keep sending their friends and family our way.” Burden says it’s also much easier for foreign farm workers to come now than in the past. Burden, his son Graham, and Dingle were unloading a canola bin last week, one where they saw a heated core and some sprouting in a small area. Graham says he’d worked in the bin all day Tuesday with a grain vac, sucking out any problem spots, and could see that the further down towards

Canola Watch

One big spray Excess moisture, spraying delays and weeds were the top yield robbers again this week, same as last week. These challenges in combination with advancing crops and weeds, a lot of canola will get just one pass of herbicide this year. Crop stage and max labels rates depend on the system. Last kick at the blackleg can Fungicide labels may say, in many cases, that the window for blackleg on canola is from the two- to six-leaf stage...but six-leaf is usually too late to prevent early infection that drives yield loss. Application around the two-leaf stage is best, if the situation justifies a spray. Remember 2024? It was a bad blackleg year. Fields with canola this year that were in canola in 2024 will be at higher risk, especially if the cultivar is the same. Moisture could increase early infection rates. Relative humidity of 80 per cent or higher and cool temperatures of 13-18°C are conducive to blackleg infection. Tank mixing fungicide with herbicide can save a field pa

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service