Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

What Was The Ontario Agriculture Top News Story Of The Year? Any suggestions?

In 2010 What Ontario Agriculture Top News Story was the biggest and most impactful in the province?

 

Here are some of my thoughts?

 

Tremendous Financial Challenges Faced By the Pork and Beef Producers in Ontario.

 

Excellent Crop Production Year in Ontario - Yields and Strong Prices.

 

The New Role and Restructuring of Ontario Pork.

 

Ontario Land Prices Continue to Increase.

 

 

 

These are some of my thoughts looking back, what other topics do you have?

 

Thanks and Happy New Year,

 

Joe Dales

Farms.com

joe.dales@farms.com

877 438-5729 x5013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Views: 850

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve Twynstra on January 4, 2011 at 6:18am

I would suggest that one of the most interesting stories of 2010 was how many Ontario producers continued to shun basic  and fundamental business principles.  Examples include wilfully selling into local markets that were clearly uncompetitive to our major trading and global competitors, buying or renting land at P/E ratios that are well north of "bubble" territory, and continuing to operate as if they can borrow their way to prosperity judging by the latest StatsCan reports.  Will be of further interest to see how all sectors of the industry react when we return to below COP returns within the next 12 - 18 months as many pundits are suggesting.

Just my 2cents.

Permalink Reply by John Schwartzentruber on January 4, 2011 at 12:50pm
Government interventions have historically had a way of insulating producers from the realities of market forces that conflict with personal choices. So your thoughts are interesting, Steve, but no new story here! Remember the infamous Farm Debt Review Board of the 80's?
Permalink Reply by Joann on January 4, 2011 at 3:11pm

Albert Einstein is quoted to saying "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them".

 

Then by all means, I would suggest you are both righ. 

 

Our government has managed to further erode farmers' rights in Ontario but have not released our obligations to the public.   ......in other words..... our provincial government is incapable of solving our agricultural problems as they are the very people that lead us to this point.

 

Woe is us.

 

John Schwartzentruber said:

Government interventions have historically had a way of insulating producers from the realities of market forces that conflict with personal choices. So your thoughts are interesting, Steve, but no new story here! Remember the infamous Farm Debt Review Board of the 80's?
Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on January 6, 2011 at 3:22am

Hi Steve, John and Joann

Good thoughts...what does the future hold...what should we do....

 

One of my New Year's Resolution is to keep improving our business fundamentals and not make too many expensive mistakes....

 

I like to follow something that I heard a keynote speaker say called the Ant Philosophy.

 

Think Winter, All Summer   (Prepare when times are good)

and

Think Summer, All Winter   (Be Optimist when times are tough)

 

Take care and see you soon,

 

Joe Dales

 

Permalink Reply by Joann on January 6, 2011 at 10:51am

I lean towards Dr. Spencer Johnson's thoughts in "Who Moved my Cheese".

 

and I truly believe the farmers' cheese is about to be moved in a big way in Ontario.

 

take care

 

joann

 

OntAG Admin said:

Hi Steve, John and Joann

Good thoughts...what does the future hold...what should we do....

 

One of my New Year's Resolution is to keep improving our business fundamentals and not make too many expensive mistakes....

 

I like to follow something that I heard a keynote speaker say called the Ant Philosophy.

 

Think Winter, All Summer   (Prepare when times are good)

and

Think Summer, All Winter   (Be Optimist when times are tough)

 

Take care and see you soon,

 

Joe Dales

 

Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on January 6, 2011 at 4:11pm
I think the story could be the large swings in commodity prices....in June the experts were warning about $2.50/bu corn and now they are talking about $7 corn...Crazy markets is my vote.
Permalink Reply by John Beardsley on January 7, 2011 at 9:33am
i agree with you joe that crop price and yeild is the story. never have we been in the news more and because food prices never came down after the wheat spike in 2007-2008 we don't have all the noise about ethanol being bad for society.Never in my life in agriculture have i seen good yeilds and good prices in all main commodities of corn soys canola and wheat. pork buy out program allowed many to get out with dignity and equity intact. and teeth in not being able to refill barns for three years will allow even the pork industry to recover
Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on January 7, 2011 at 10:56am

Thanks John,

I heard the crops did well up there.

What kind of yields on corn and soy?

Talk to you soon.

Joe

Permalink Reply by bert on January 9, 2011 at 5:00am

You must have memorized all 180 sayings

 

Joann said:

Albert Einstein is quoted to saying "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them".

 

Then by all means, I would suggest you are both righ. 

 

Our government has managed to further erode farmers' rights in Ontario but have not released our obligations to the public.   ......in other words..... our provincial government is incapable of solving our agricultural problems as they are the very people that lead us to this point.

 

Woe is us.

 

John Schwartzentruber said:

Government interventions have historically had a way of insulating producers from the realities of market forces that conflict with personal choices. So your thoughts are interesting, Steve, but no new story here! Remember the infamous Farm Debt Review Board of the 80's?
Permalink Reply by Joann on January 9, 2011 at 11:11am

No.

 

I just happen to like people such as Einstein and especially Hawking.

 

 

 

bert said:

You must have memorized all 180 sayings

 

Joann said:

Albert Einstein is quoted to saying "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them".

 

Then by all means, I would suggest you are both righ. 

 

Our government has managed to further erode farmers' rights in Ontario but have not released our obligations to the public.   ......in other words..... our provincial government is incapable of solving our agricultural problems as they are the very people that lead us to this point.

 

Woe is us.

 

John Schwartzentruber said:

Government interventions have historically had a way of insulating producers from the realities of market forces that conflict with personal choices. So your thoughts are interesting, Steve, but no new story here! Remember the infamous Farm Debt Review Board of the 80's?
Permalink Reply by Bristow on January 10, 2011 at 1:41pm
I would say Carbon tax mark two, this time by the proviencal means, as a poss to fedral acts.  The rock spiders are planning it already. 
Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on January 15, 2011 at 3:09am

Steve, I think the wild land prices and rents will be the story in 2011 with these crop prices and everyone tripping over themselves to get a bigger piece of the gold rush...

 

 

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

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

Elmers Unveils Super7 Harrow and WD2 Ditcher

Elmer’s Manufacturing introduces the Super7 Harrow and Wolverine WD2 Ditcher, offering improved field performance, smart technology, and reduced maintenance for modern farming operations.

Bioenterprise Canada Announces Round 3 Participants in the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub

Bioenterprise Canada is pleased to announce the successful applicants for Round 3 of the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub (GOAH). Twenty-two (22) Ontario-based companies have been selected to receive advisory, mentorship, and support services through Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, our growing national alliance supporting agri-food innovation. 

Cattle Chat: The economics of creep feeding

As the grazing season winds down toward fall, Kansas State University veterinarians say cattle producers may want to consider the practice of “creep feeding” to sustain growth in calves. In a recent episode of “Cattle Chat with the Beef Cattle Institute,” veterinarians Brad White, Bob Larson and Phillip Lancaster discussed potential benefits as well as potential disadvantages. What is creep feeding? “(Creep feeding is) providing some source of feed that nursing calves have access to that the dams do not have access to, which can be several different things,” Lancaster said. “We think about a creep feeder where we're feeding a grain supplement and have a creep gate where the calves can get to the feeder and the cows can't.” Lancaster also mentioned creep grazing, where a plot of high quality forage, is sectioned off with a creep gait just for the calves to get into and graze on. “Starting now and going into the early fall, forage quantity and/or quality are generally going down,” La

RDAR Boosts Support For Western Crop Innovations With $5 Million Investment

Backed by funding from the federal and provincial governments through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, RDAR is delivering an additional $5.2 million in Western Crop Innovations (WCI) to strengthen feed and forage barley and triticale breeding for Alberta and Western Canadian producers. The investment will strengthen Alberta’s plant breeding capacity, accelerate the development of locally adapted varieties and support the long-term competitiveness of crop and livestock producers in the province and across the west. Established in 2024 to carry forward the work of the Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC), WCI builds on a strong breeding legacy that includes 45 barley varieties and 19 triticale varieties. These include 40 general-purpose and five malting barley varieties, along with 10 spring and nine winter triticale varieties. The barley releases include advanced traits such as improved nitrogen-use efficiency and non-glycosidic nitrile, or non-GN. Non-GN varieties ar

Saskatchewan Climate Outlook: August 17, 2026

Welcome to the Saskatchewan Environmental Heatmaps, developed through a partnership between Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Ukko Agro Inc. These maps provide weather-based insights to support producers and agronomists across Saskatchewan, with a focus on forecasted key environmental and climate conditions. Using data from a 20 km grid of virtual weather stations with hourly inputs (sourced from IBM/The Weather Company), the system generates regularly updated maps that evaluate how recent and forecasted weather conditions influence environmental risk factors. Environmental and climate heatmaps are provided in parallel to support broader agronomic decisions and general crop management under variable weather conditions. Due to pulse crops maturing and pre-harvest interval restrictions, the window for fungicide application is generally past. Maps will focus only on climate for the remainder of the season. Temperature Maps: Agronomist Notes Moderate temperatures across Saskatchewan (max

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service