Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

May 2011 Blog Posts (10)

The CFFO Commentary: Charting the Unknown Territory of Source Water Protection

By Nathan Stevens

May 27, 2011

 

Ontario is taking steps to protect our source water. However, we really don’t know what sort of impact this protection will have on farmers and their livelihoods. The requirements farmers may face, and the manner in which this process develops, will greatly impact agriculture’s support for the Clean Water Act.

 

There are a variety of options that source water committees are able to use to improve water quality. These range from…
Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on May 27, 2011 at 2:07am — 1 Comment

The CFFO Commentary: Key Questions for a Changing Agriculture

By John Clement

May 20, 2011

 

Farming is changing. And it’s not just changing in the scale of operations we now have, or the increasingly diverse markets we now supply. It’s also changing in how we view the vocation of farming and how it connects to rural communities and our fellow farmers. Simply put, our emphasis on the business of farming now often overshadows other dimensions to farming that we used to take for granted.

 

At the core of this change is predominately the… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on May 20, 2011 at 3:15am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Social Change Creates Evolving Standards for Farmers

By Nathan Stevens

May 13, 2011

 

There are times when a series of events come together and force change within an otherwise stable industry, game, or community. The status quo can change over time as new knowledge or societal expectations emerge. A perfect example is the shift in attitude towards head-shots in hockey. The question arises – are there uncomfortable areas within agriculture that are not being dealt with because the pressure to change isn’t great enough…
Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on May 13, 2011 at 4:39am — No Comments

On Site Ethanol Processing - Use of crop waste

I would like to start a discussion regarding On-site ethanol processing.  I believe that 'decentralized' production of ethanol using waste from farm crops is a niche that has not been exploited.  The problem with the large ethanol plants trying to workout the cellulosic ethanol problem is the cost of the enzymes for pre-treatment of the waste products.  However, if a farmer can process the waste him/herself on his own farm using his waste or even his corn and then use the ethanol in his/her own… Continue

Added by Richard Edmonds on May 9, 2011 at 5:32am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Promise of Federal Farming and Food Strategy Needs to Deliver

By John Clement

May 6, 2011

 

Now that the election signs are being gathered up and put away for another four years, it’s time to consider some of the implications of a majority Conservative government for Canadian agriculture. And nothing may be a greater opportunity for farmers than a commitment by the newly-elected Conservative government to create a new national farm and food strategy to guide and support agriculture over the…
Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on May 7, 2011 at 7:56am — No Comments

Supreme Court ruling is good for farming

By Mark Wales, Vice President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture

 

On April 29, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against allowing exclusive representation for farm workers. Eight out of the nine judges supported this decision. This is welcome news for the entire agriculture sector in Ontario and our provincial leaders should be applauded for vigorously defending this…

Continue

Added by OntAG Admin on May 6, 2011 at 9:16am — No Comments

Baxter Black: It Could Be Worse.

Added by Joe Dales on May 5, 2011 at 4:17pm — No Comments

Monthly Archives

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

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

Ontario Agricultural Conference 2024

FINDING NEW WAYS to be more efficient and net better results is always a priority for Ontario farmers; this is also true of the organizing committee behind the 2024 Ontario Agricultural Conference (OAgC) “From Good to Great”. After three years of experimenting with new ways to deliver agricultural information and extension in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic — in 2021 and 2022, the Ontario Agricultural Conference was entirely virtual; in 2023, it was a hybrid online and in-person event held at Ridgetown, Kemptville, and Waterloo — this year, farmers will have more options to participate virtually or in-person at events in Ridgetown, Kemptville, or Waterloo. HOW IT STARTED In 2021, the organizers of the Southwest Agriculture Conference (SWAC), the Eastern Ontario Crop Conference (EOCC), and representatives from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (who formerly organized an agricultural conference annually in Waterloo and Guelph) joined forces to produce an online confer

Quebec market gardeners are switching to less risky large-scale crops

The threat that climate change poses to Quebec’s food security is no longer theoretical: the Association des producteurs maraîchers du Québec (APMQ) says its members, severely affected by extreme weather events, are producing less and less food for Quebecers. “Producers are reorienting their activities to large-scale cultivation where the capacity to operate a farm and risk management are much less important than for a market garden farm,” says the association’s general manager Patrice Léger Bourgouin. Large-scale cultivation crops include grain corn, soybeans, cereals, forage crops and beans, among others. Article content The torrential rains this summer had a catastrophic effect for a majority of produce farmers growing small fruits, vegetables for processing and root vegetables like potatoes. A survey carried out among 250 producers shows significant production losses, with a majority of crops affected not only by rain, but also by frost or hail. Three-quarters of respondents de

Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Viterra mark working milestone

As the hunger crisis persists in many places around the world, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Viterra, and its volunteer farmers are celebrating their eighth consecutive year of working together toward ending global hunger. In 2023, about 172 acres of land were provided at Viterra facilities in Balgonie, Grenfell and Raymore in Saskatchewan, as well as Trochu in Alberta. Volunteer farmers working at these terminals gave their time and effort to plant and harvest crops on the acres designated for Foodgrains Bank use, raising funds to help respond to hunger around the world through the Foodgrains Bank network.

Fruit and vegetable producers optimistic as Bill C-280 moves to second reading

A bill that will provide fresh produce sellers in Canada with financial protection in case of buyer bankruptcy has moved to second reading in the Senate. Bill C-280, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act was adopted by the House of Commons on Oct. 25, with its first reading in the Senate the next day. Presented to the House with no amendments, the private member’s bill sponsored by York-Simcoe MP Scot Davidson was passed with one vote against by Oakville North-Burlington MP Pam Damoff. Why it matters: The bill offers financial protection to fresh produce sellers similar to that offered to counterparts in the U.S. Bill C-280’s deemed trust emulates the United States Perishable Agricultural Marketing Act’s Trust in providing fresh produce sellers in Canada a way to secure payment in case of buyer bankruptcy with no additional burden on the government. Ottawa-based Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) is a member-based, non

Colostrum has value for sick calves

Now they are pushing the boundaries further on uses for colostrum and finding value in feeding transition milk. Why it matters: Heifers that don’t receive colostrum early in life are at significantly greater risk of being less productive cows. “The single most important thing that you can do is ensure that you give colostrum right away,” says Dr. Dave Renaud, a veterinary epidemiologist at the University of Guelph. “There’s no other magic bullet that’s out there. This is the magic bullet.” Colostrum, the first milk from the mother just after calving, is highly nutritious for calves and also gives them passive immunity. Calves are born with no immunity. In 2004, now-retired Guelph professor Ken Leslie studied 500 calves. About 37 per cent failed passive immunity tests and were in the poor category. In 2019, 1,200 calves were studied and 19 per cent failed a passive immunity test. “We’ve had improvement over time, but there’s still opportunity to improve,” Renaud said at the recen

© 2023   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service