Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

April 2011 Blog Posts (8)

The CFFO Commentary: Growing Forward 2 needs a Family Farm Focus

By Nathan Stevens

April 29, 2011

 

The CFFO brought forward a number of key messages during a recent dialogue between farmers and the federal government on Growing Forward 2, Canada’s next agriculture policy framework. Many of these important messages lie outside the limited scope the federal government wants to look at, but they are issues that need to be addressed for the good of Ontario farmers.

 

The current directions outlined in Growing Forward 2 fail… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on April 29, 2011 at 4:49am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Renewal in Public Policy and Whispers of Encouragement

By John Clement

April 22, 2011

 

Public policy development and advocacy is slow and steady work. It can take years for a good idea to move from conception to adoption on a wide scale, if it happens at all. Those who work for groups advocating proactive options realize that public policy development is more like a marathon than a sprint.

 

There are no shortages of challenges within agriculture. Developing and maintaining an agricultural system that offers optimum amounts of… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on April 27, 2011 at 3:47pm — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Agricultural and Rural Issues Loom Large for Federal Election

By Nathan Stevens

April 15, 2011

 

Another federal election is upon us. While some question the need for an election so soon, it is our democratic opportunity to make our individual voices heard. There are serious issues for farmers and rural Ontario as voters head to the ballot box on election-day.

 

The reasons behind voting patterns are naturally diverse. Some voters have a loyalty to a party regardless of minor policy concerns. Some look at local…

Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on April 15, 2011 at 5:39pm — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Biotechnology Will Remain an Ongoing Discussion for Farmers

By John Clement

April 8, 2011

 

The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has had a number of long, focused conversations about the role of Genetically Modified Organisms in agriculture. It’s a lightning rod of an issue, with most people either being for or against the use of the technology. Few individuals…

Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on April 11, 2011 at 8:53am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Farmers Working Together Brings Results

By Henry Stevens

April 1, 2011



The hard work of the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition has finally produced positive results. As many people know, the 2011 provincial budget was announced this week and farmers received the eagerly anticipated news that new types of Business Risk Management programming are coming for many Ontario Farmers.

Presenting solutions that will cover the programming gaps found in existing programs like Agri-Stability has been the…

Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on April 3, 2011 at 5:41am — No Comments

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

*Webinars* Strategies for Reducing Calf Losses: Veterinary Insights from Across Canada

Are calf losses cutting into your beef operation’s productivity and profitability? You are not alone! The BCRC is hosting two 90-minute webinars featuring veterinarians from across Canada who work directly with cow-calf operations like yours. A March 18 webinar will feature veterinarians who work with Eastern Canadian cow-calf operations, sharing insights on practical prevention strategies to implement before, during and after calving to increase calf survivability. During the March 25 webinar, Western Canadian veterinarians will outline regionally relevant approaches for reducing calf losses, highlighting essential pre-calving strategies and practical management techniques to use during calving to help ensure healthier outcomes for both cows and calves.   Both webinars will include an extended Q&A session, giving you plenty of time to ask questions. Each webinar will also be available for?one continuing education (CE) credit for veterinarians and registered veterinary technologists

China halts tariffs on some Canadian ag

Some Canadian ag products will have tariff-free access to China as of March 1

Farmers Face Harsh Truths While Refusing to Abandon Their Way of Life

A recent post on social media by a friend asked to add a line from a movie that fans of it would instantly recognize. One of my contributions was, “You can’t handle the truth.” While that line came in a courtroom scene from one of my favorite movies with Jack Nicholson yelling it at Tom Cruise, it actually got me thinking about farming. Many of us who grew up on a farm have seen both good and tough times. That is the truth. But what are we currently experiencing and can we handle these truths? American Farm Bureau recently said there was a 46% increase in farm bankruptcies in 2025. That’s pretty sobering. Those of us who grew up during the farm crisis in the 1980s, when more than 250,000 farmers filed for bankruptcy, never want to hear about someone losing a farm. For a few years I’ve personally been concerned about what’s happening in our farming communities. Interest rates have been plenty high; input costs don’t seem to come down when market prices do. Farmers have always been pr

As US agriculture flails, farmers see big corn acres as best bet to break even

U.S. farmers, though punished by slumping prices after last year’s monster corn harvest, are expected to cut back only slightly on their plantings of the grain in 2026 as they brace for a fourth straight year of narrow profit margins or even losses. Farmers expect corn, the most widely grown U.S. crop, to hew close to break-even levels this year, supported by strong usage. Some see soybeans as riskier, given rising competition from Brazil and a volatile U.S. trade relationship with top buyer China. “Right now, you absolutely cannot make money on beans,” said Tim Gregerson, who farms in eastern Nebraska. “You can probably break even on corn, but you are going to have to have an extraordinary yield, or a price increase,” Gregerson said. Most growers in America’s Midwest farm belt grow both crops, alternating what gets planted on each field from year to year to boost soil health. Many add wheat, sorghum, cotton or other crops to their rotations. But among farmers who have some flexible

This is Agriculture: Producer, advocate, industry leader

Jill Verwey lives and breathes agriculture. Her roots growing up on a mixed grain and cattle operation in rural Manitoba lend themselves well to her current roles – the office manager for Verwey Farms Ltd., president of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), and first vice president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). Jill’s pride in Canadian agriculture is unmistakable. Learn more about her career and advocacy journey below. Describe your job or product in one sentence. My role includes managing the day-to-day administration and financial operations of our family farm, overseeing food and animal safety and human resources, and representing agricultural producers provincially and nationally through leadership roles with KAP, CFA, and various boards and advisory groups. Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment? I grew up in rural Manitoba on a mixed grain and cattle operation. I have been married for 32 years, and my husband and I are involved in

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