Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Durham couple wins Young Farmers Award

Durham couple wins Young Farmers award

Orillia Packet & Times
 
Taking a different approach to farming has paid off for Lisa and Steve Cooper.

The Durham Region residents were named Outstanding Young Farmers of the Year at a province-wide awards ceremony in Belleville.

 

They were chosen from a list of six nominees by the Ontario's Outstanding Young Farmer committee. The award is a recognition program organized by past winners and funded by industry.

"It was a complete surprise to us," Steve Cooper said Wednesday morning. "We feel really fortunate."

 

The Coopers received a trophy and gifts and will now compete this November in Victoria, B.C. for the Canadian title.

 

Cooper said they enjoyed being among the nominees and being able to discuss work with other like-minded people. He added they're looking forward to doing the same thing at the national level.

"That's a big, big thing when you can network with high-quality people."

 

The Coopers run an agritourism business in Zephyr, south of Lake Simcoe. Their farm started out as a beef cattle operation, but that changed in the late 1990s as they sought a more stable source of income.

 

They started to raise meat goats, created a store on the farm, added a corn maze and children's play area and launched a fall festival.

 

"We're in the people business and my wife has fantastic skills dealing with people," Cooper said. "People look at us like, 'You generate money how?'" he added with a laugh.

 

He explained their approach isn't always understood by older or more traditional farmers, but it works. This year, Lisa Cooper is planning to bring 2,000 children to the farm on school tours, and their service of providing weekly vegetable baskets to more than 235 Toronto-area clients has expanded to 23 weeks per year.

 







Views: 297

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

Alberta Biotech to Strengthen Environmental Performance in the Energy Sector

Genome Alberta, with support from the Government of Alberta, is pleased to announce five new projects, with a total value of $2.9 million to accelerate broader application of genomic technologies for improving environmental outcomes in Alberta’s energy sector. Genomics is the big data science that allows us to study the genetic material in all living things. Leveraging machine learning and AI tools allows us to understand how things function at a molecular level including how microbes contribute to environmental processes like reclamation, enhance recovery of oil while lowering emissions intensity and interact with hydrogen through production, transportation and storage. The Genomic Innovations: Energy and Environmental Solutions initiative supports collaborative projects between academic research and industry to scale genomics innovations from the lab and support their real-world deployment for broader benefit. This initiative brings energy companies and researchers together to brid

Replenish Nutrients Secures $250,000 in Sustainable CAP Funding to Support Beiseker Facility Scale-Up

Replenish Nutrients Holding Corp. (CSE: ERTH) (OTC: VVIVF) ("Replenish" or the "Company"), a leader in regenerative agriculture solutions, is pleased to announce that it has been approved for a grant of up to $250,000 funded by the governments of Canada and Alberta under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) Value-Added Program. The funding is designated for the Beiseker Granulation project, supporting the Company's previous 2025 capital investments in fertilizer processing equipment at its Beiseker, Alberta facility. This facility recently achieved significant operational milestones, reaching sustained production rates of 4–5 metric tonnes per hour as it transitions toward full-scale commercial operations. The facility's targeted output is approximately 2,000 metric tonnes per month once final conveyance, load-out systems, and 24-hour operations are fully implemented. Supporting Diversification, Innovation and Growth The Sustainable CAP Value-Added Pro

Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network

Quality assurance, market access and yield are key to the success of Alberta’s agriculture industry. Surveillance and monitoring for insects provides a key piece to this success by gathering information about established species populations and new invasive threats to the cropping industry. This information can play an important piece in support of pest related trade discussions. This work helps us to understand insect populations and range expansion of the targeted insects so that industry can understand the risk and potential damage. The information gathered from pheromone traps, field insect collections and counts or damage assessment is used to create forecast maps and make control recommendations. The data from the surveys is used for more than just creating forecast maps though, it can be used to direct insect pest research priorities or researchers can use the collection of samples in their studies. The Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network coordinates, manages and carries ou

Cleanfarms Recognized as a Best Workplace in Canada for 2026

Cleanfarms is proud to announce it has been identified among the top organizations on the Best Workplaces™ in Canada list for 2026. Ranked 69th out of the top 100 in the group of companies with under 100 staff, this recognition highlights the organization’s strong commitment to its staff and reflects the positive workplace culture that supports its mission to provide sustainable solutions to farmers across the country. The ranking is based entirely on employee feedback gathered through the Great Place to Work® Trust Index™ survey, which evaluates key factors such as trust in leadership, respect, camaraderie, and pride in one’s work. The results represent the experiences of more than 600,000 employees across Canada, highlighting organizations that consistently deliver inclusive, high-quality workplace environments. For Cleanfarms, this recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the voices of its team members working across Canada in just our third year of participating i

Public feedback welcomed for updating Beef Code of Practice

Canada's Beef Code of Practice is undergoing its most significant update in more than a decade. The code, last updated in 2013, sets national expectations for cattle care and animal welfare. One of the most noticeable changes in the draft is a stronger focus on how cattle cope with adverse weather. For the first time, heat and humidity are clearly addressed. "There is a recommendation pertaining to accessing adequate water during heat events and also strategies to support cattle and I will note that this is heat and/or humidity, recognizing that the two operate very much in tandem." said Dr. Leigh Rosengren, Chief Veterinary Officer with the Canadian Cattle Association. Nutrition and water management are another focus. Dr. Rosengren notes there will be strengthened expectations around monitoring body condition and taking action before cattle become too thin. "We did emphasize in the code that there is a requirement for corrective action to be taken for beef cattle with a body cond

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service