Ontario Agriculture

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CFFO Blog's Blog – December 2010 Archive (4)

The CFFO Commentary: Christmas and the Difference it makes for Farming

By John Clement

December 24, 2010



I'm not by nature a person devoted to creeds and confessions, but every once in awhile something will strike me as particularly meaningful in one of those documents. At this Christmas season, some of the words found in the beginning of the Heidelberg Catechism strike me as appropriate. The question is asked "what is your only comfort in life and death?"… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on December 24, 2010 at 6:34am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary:Farm Policy Increasingly Needs to Pay Heed to the “Missing Middle”

By John Clement

The challenges of farm policy used to be simpler. Most farms in most commodities were about the same size and generated somewhat comparable farm revenues. But those days have been leaving us for awhile now, with new challenges emerging about how to deliver public support that is both fair and appropriate to changes in the scale of production. 

 Increasingly, farming and public interest groups are noting that we are starting to experience what could be called the…

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Added by CFFO Blog on December 17, 2010 at 7:00am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Farmers Matter and Need to Build Goodwill with Consumers

By Henry Stevens

There is general agreement in the farm community that a number of our commodities are in serious financial difficulty and face an uncertain future. There is also general agreement on why family farms in those sectors are facing such difficulties. Where there is less agreement is “how do we solve those problems and…

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Added by CFFO Blog on December 10, 2010 at 6:13am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: New Agricultural Opportunities in Bio-Products

By Nathan Stevens

There are some industry leaders that would argue that one of the greatest opportunities for farmers in the next 20 years will be the development of the bio-products sector. At a recent information session held by the Wellington…

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Added by CFFO Blog on December 3, 2010 at 4:45am — No Comments

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

Tariff tools

Multiple tools are available to help Canadians determine tariff levels and what goods may cost

Premier Ford names new ag minister in cabinet shuffle

Sam Oosterhoff takes over for Trevor Jones

Restoring property rights for Alberta farmers

This fall, Alberta’s government will remove Water Act approval requirements for routine agricultural activities involving ephemeral water bodies and temporary and seasonal wetlands on private cropland. “Farmers should not have to spend thousands of dollars and wait on government approval to carry out routine work on their own land. We are restoring private property rights and getting government out of the way where it doesn’t need to be. These common-sense changes will save farmers time and money and give them greater control over how they manage their own property.” Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas The changes respond directly to concerns raised by Alberta farmers and agricultural organizations about unnecessary regulatory burden. Under the current system, routine farming activities can trigger regulatory requirements if they affect a temporary or seasonal wetland. In some cases, a farmer may have to hire a qualified wetland professional, complete an assess

Minister MacDonald announces initial list of 2026 Livestock Tax Deferral regions

Canadian producers and ranchers are on the front lines of climate change, and its effects can significantly impact operations. When extreme weather strikes, livestock producers may experience forage shortfalls and need timely information and support to make effective herd management decisions. Today, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an initial list of regions that will qualify for Livestock Tax Deferral in 2026 due to extreme conditions. The Livestock Tax Deferral provision allows livestock producers in prescribed areas, who are forced to sell all or part of their breeding herd due to forage shortfalls resulting from drought, excess moisture or flooding, to defer a portion of their income from sales until the following tax year. The income may be at least partially offset by the cost of reacquiring breeding animals, helping to reduce the tax burden of the original sale. Since 2024, regions that are nearby to drought, excess moisture or

Extinguishing the risk of combine fires

It only takes a small spark to potentially turn a productive harvest day into a costly and dangerous situation. That’s why proactive combine maintenance and fire prevention, both before and during harvest, are essential for preventing machinery fires, which can jeopardize land and lives. Think taking a bit of time during harvest to inspect and clean combines creates costly delays? The reality is that skipping routine maintenance could have significantly higher cost implications if a combine fire were to damage crops or equipment or cause physical injuries. Crop residue, heat, and dry conditions that are typically present during harvest can unfortunately create a perfect storm for combine fires. And considering that some combines can hold upwards of 1,500 litres of fuel, combine fires are a significant hazard during the harvest season that should never be overlooked. Fortunately, combine fires are often preventable with proactive maintenance, a safety mindset, and fire awareness. B

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