Ontario Forage Council's Page

Tariffs, Tension, and Trade: -- Why Grains Are Outpacing Stocks

Strong exports in corn have traded with resilience.

Farmers Weigh In on 2025 Leaders Debate

Users on Agriville.com saw Poilievre as the debate's strongest performer, criticized Carney’s focus on Trump, questioned media bias, and called for greater attention to Western Canadian concerns.

What’s the Value of Understanding Disease Prevalence in Your Herd?

A robust vaccination protocol at the sow and finisher levels greatly contributed to a low prevalence of Lawsonia intracellularis (Li), according to the results of a recent study led by Hannah Walker, a student in the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University. She participated in the Swine Veterinary Internship Program last summer and conducted a Li surveillance study with her host farm Country View Family Farms and sponsor Pharmgate Animal Health. She also developed a sampling method. “Li is the organism that causes the disease known as ileitis or proliferative enteropathy,” she said during the 2025 American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting. “This is an endemic disease across many systems and can be a contributor to poor growth and poor feed efficiency, thus affecting a producer’s bottom line.” She presented the results of her study in a poster competition at AASV titled, “Developing a Lawsonia intracellularis surveillance program to define p

Back to Basics: Feeder Management

At the most basic level, it is often said that pigs need three things to grow: good food, good water and good air. The swine industry spends a great deal of input resources and effort on producing feedstuffs, precisely formulating diets based on stage of production and available ingredients, and processing and transporting those finalized diets to the correct pigs at the correct time. In fact, research by Iowa State University shows 60% to 70% of the total cost to raise a weaned pig to market weight is attributed to feed costs, highlighting the importance of feed in the overall productivity equation. A 2015 study by National Pork Board showed an estimated 70% of the energy needed to produce a market weight pig was used for production and transportation of feed. Many efforts are focused on reducing feed costs via custom formulations, additives and optimized transportation, but management of the feed after it arrives in the finishing barn can also have an impact on feed efficiency and

Protect Our Legacy Through Transparency and Advocacy

As the fifth generation on our Ohio family farm – paving the way for the sixth and seventh generations – I can attest to how much our business has changed over the years. Across the industry, we have embraced advancements and science-based best practices that have helped us produce safe, high-quality pork in ways that are better for the animals we care for, as well as for our people and the planet. I’m proud of how we raise pigs today. However, increased activism has forced us to play defense. I firmly believe we are on the right side of these issues, so I’ve always strived to meet them head-on. In fact, I have welcomed thousands of visitors to my farm, including policymakers and nonfarming audiences, to provide a firsthand view of the realities of pork production. As a result, we’ve successfully changed misperceptions about how our animals are cared for, how our land is utilized, and how modern farms operate. As president of the National Pork Producers Council, I am bringing that sa