March 2012 Blog Posts (13)

By Nathan Stevens

March 30, 2012

 

The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario is encouraged by the direction set out in the proposed Ontario Budget. The provincial government is taking the financial and economic realities in Ontario seriously, and is proposing a wide range of changes to adjust to the new reality. The tough measures laid out will require a strong commitment from our government and the people of Ontario to get this…

I am seeking farmers and landowners in these townships who would like to have a mature , safe, licensed hunter to come onto their property and help control damage done by coyotes. Calving, lambing is upon us, and that means coyote predation. If interested call Neil at (905) 985-2217 and lets chat.

With the summer like temperatures last week, I couldn't keep myself out of the field.  I took advantage of the warm weather to burn down the grass on the banks and burn off some bean straw piles in the field in uncharacteristic comfort - a short sleeve shirt in March.  And although the calendar scared me away from working any ground, that volunteer wheat which I left in the field last fall to prevent the ground from blowing was starting to look a bit big.  So I rushed home from work,…

By John Clement

March 23, 2012

 

Canadian agriculture has a history of great productivity gains. In fact, the publication called The Real Dirt on Farming suggests that overall agricultural productivity in Canada has increased by 300 per cent since the 1950s. Most of these productivity gains have been achieved through improved plant and animal genetics, better management of soils, plus strong strategies on pests,…

The day started off with intent to make good use of this summer like weather in winter.  With spring around the corner, I have a great deal of pre-field work field work to do.  There is always a few broken tile that need repair.  I have dug up a few with the old fashioned method - the spade.  But today I hooked up the three point hitch backhoe.  This is a great tool - not too big and heavy and much easier than shovelling by hand.  So I started out by extending a culvert i dug in last year…

By Nathan Stevens

March 16, 2012

 

The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario recently fine-tuned its core policy values. In the rapidly changing world of agriculture, it is important to take time periodically to ensure that the organization has the right priorities for its members. The process affirmed that the organization focus on three key themes when dealing with any issue.

 

First and foremost,…

The size of the world population is among the most significant changes for the future. There are many challenges, as the media tell us on a daily basis, but there are opportunities. The first and the main of these opportunities is the population increase itself. In the coming four decades, there will be two billion more people to feed. Never before, has humanity seen such a demand increase. This means that farmers and food suppliers do not have to worry about a lack of market opportunities.…

By Nathan Stevens

March 9, 2012

 

Animal welfare is a growing concern for farmers and society. In particular, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) is a topic of growing importance to farmers in Ontario. While there is no doubt that animal welfare issues are a serious concern and must be dealt with properly, the approach in Ontario when it comes to farming needs to…

The "slow" pace of winter months has been keeping me exceedingly busy lately.  Between getting paper work in order for tax time, learning and repairing my new to me grain header, general repairs and maintenance I must find time to work a full time job.  With todays warm weather it was like torture to read the odd tweet about other farmers using the good weather to get equipment ready.  To make maters worse, the plant lost its computer network today, so it was a bit slow at times, those times…

In this webinar from the Alberta Canola Producers Commission (@AlbertaCanola) , Rick Taillieu (@ricktlu) discusses why and how farmers are now using twitter as an important part of their business. This webinar…

By Paul Bootsma

March 2, 2012

 

Our society recognizes that education is an important factor in achieving success in our increasingly complex global economy. The next generation will need more knowledge in order to improve the economy both locally and abroad. The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario agrees with this assessment and has initiated a new program in support of education in…