Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Here's something from the Toronto Star...

If you're eating organic turkey this weekend, savour it, because by next Thanksgiving it may be easier to buy crack cocaine in Ontario than a drug-free bird.

Here's why: While the turkey industry marketing board tells growers to confine their turkeys indoors to reduce the chance of transmission of viruses from wild birds, new organics standards administered by the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency mandate raising organic birds outdoors.

Caught in this Catch-22 are turkey farmers Matthew and Janice Dick – organic farmers who wanted their birds to roam free outside. They recently took on the Turkey Farmers of Ontario at an appeals tribunal in what amounted to a battle between antibiotic-free, open-air, small-scale farming and drug-intensive, confinement, factory farming. The organic farmers lost.

The Dicks raise birds on an 80-hectare certified organic farm in Markdale, about two hours northwest of Toronto, along with pigs, cattle, chickens and about a half-dozen organic crops. Their farm looks, well, a lot like the way farms used to look in Ontario.

Organic turkeys get about 25 per cent more space than in the industrial system and take 14 weeks to grow to about 10 or 12 pounds, compared with 10 weeks in a factory barn. They're also fed an organic vegetarian diet, with no genetically modified crops, antibiotics or animal by-products such as pig fat, blood or bone meal. Many organic livestock farmers also try to raise heritage breeds to increase genetic diversity, hardiness and flavour.

Perhaps most important, the birds have full access to pasture so they can live a relatively natural life basking in fresh air and sunlight.

"You'll get a more natural taste with a bird on grass," Matthew says of the birds. "There's certainly more flavour to it."

He also argues access to outdoors is crucial for the health of the birds. "You give the turkey everything it requires: fresh air, outdoor exercise and no stress. If they run into a problem, they're going to have the immune system to deal with it. You just have to look at human flus. When you're in a confined situation, you're under more stress and things spread easier."

If you want to see the rest of the article - click here - http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/708416--turkey-wars

They are pretty tough on conventional production. Should they be? Is this bad for the production practice or bad for the marketing board? Maybe both?

Views: 111

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

This is an other example of self interest and closed market policies that trying to push their ideas onto others, through the regulation legal system,and stiffle competion in the market place. When you have two or three big produces writing policy and not allowing others to operate using different methods. I think the Dicks should be allowed to raise their birds as they see fit. As long as the meat is deemed safe and they have proven desease measures in place.

I find most regulational pratices and code of conduct have a agenda behind them, and when reading them, agreeing to them and voting for them, you must look at who has the most to gain. Specially if written by the government.
The organic farmers should be able to develop an outdoor system that can reduce the chance of transmission of diseases...
Define confinement...there should be a way to keep everyone happy.

Reply to Discussion

RSS

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

Neo-P causes PEI strawberry grower to close U-pick patch

A relatively new disease, neopestalotiopsis, or Neo-P, is causing economic damage to strawberry growers. The fungal pathogen was first reported in Ontario in 2020, but it is now threatening growers as far afield as Prince Edward Island. 

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser to headline GGO 40th Celebrity Luncheon

The Grape Growers of Ontario’s (GGO)

CanAgPlus AGM to be held Dec 3 in Calgary

The 2025 Annual General Meeting for CanAgPlus, the not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates the CanadaGAP Program, will be held on December 3, 2025 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Calgary, Alberta.

Ontario projects announced for food safety and traceability funding

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $4.4 million under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to help small businesses in the agri-food industry grow their businesses and enhance their food safety and traceability systems. This funding will support 90 projects across the province through Ontario’s Food Safety and Growth Initiative. 

Dispute Resolution Corporation re-elects three board members

The Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) successfully convened its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, May 29, 2025. The meeting was held both in person and virtually, bringing together DRC members, staff, and Board Directors to discuss the corporation’s progress and future direction.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service