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Visiting a citrus cooperative

AALP class 17 left Seville the morning of January 15 heading to Sunaran Citrus Coop near the town of Palma De Rio. We were greeted by our tour guide Rosa for an informative tour of one of the biggest citrus coops in Spain. The coop consists of 98-100 members, all of which are farmer members.

The coop has 1500 acres of land growing a wide variety of orange variety’s with the main being “Salustiana” which is a juice press variety. Besides oranges they also do grapefruits with the main…

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Added by AALP on January 16, 2020 at 4:00am — No Comments

Picking strawberries in January

Day 7 of AALP Class 17 IST contintued with one of the highlights so far on the trip, a fruit cooperative named Cuna De Platero. We were lucky enough to be taken on a tour of their greenhouses where they allowed to try some of the different varieties of strawberries that they grow.  The greenhouses are once again made with plastic and are of similar style to our previous visits this trip. They have a cooperative structure, which is something we have come to find is very common here in Spain.…

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Added by AALP on January 14, 2020 at 4:00am — No Comments

Exploring traditional and modern agriculture in Spain

Jan 12 - Sunday

Our day began leaving the sunny Mediterranean coast and travelling to the small rural village of Alameda. We visited the Centre Tematico del campo Andaluz. This was a museum dedicated to teaching people about the past farming practices and traditions. We were met by a museum guide, and two local farmers, a father and son – Antonio Sr. and Antonio Jr. Antonio Sr. was 90 years old and had, in his lifetime, farmed in the traditional way which, for olive oil production,…

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Added by AALP on January 13, 2020 at 7:00am — No Comments

Ag and city tours make up our first few days in Spain

The AALP Class left the beautiful Toledo to head to a feedlot outside the city. We were toured around a feedlot that is part of a cooperative that consists of 9,500 head of cattle. Our host, who is the president of the cooperative, has two feedlots and 600 hectares of crop land. It was interesting to learn that the cooperative’s major export market outside of Spain are Lebanon, Turkey and Israel. These destinations have particularly stringent standards for how the beef must be treated and…

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Added by AALP on January 10, 2020 at 11:00am — No Comments

AALP Class 17 leaves for Spain

Sadly, one class member, Bernice Weber Passchier, is ill and was unable to join us for our rescheduled International Study Tour. The rest of AALP Class 17 met at Pearson airport and boarded the plane to Philadelphia; after a short layover we were on an overnight flight to Madrid, Spain. 

Once we landed, we met up with Rafa, our bus driver, and Ismael, our tour guide. We were happy to learn that Ismael had an agricultural background and has been doing ag-focused tours for the last five…

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Added by AALP on January 9, 2020 at 11:00am — No Comments

Telling our story in Plano

Out last day in Texas had the AALP Class visit BNSF Railway headquarters (the air traffic control of the railway) a 23-billion dollar company situated outside of Fort Worth in an impressive, modern facility. We were greeted by James Titsworth, General Director of Business Development. We viewed the impressive state-of-the-art dispatch area, where over 250 people work together 24/7 ensuring safety of the railway system West of…

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Added by AALP on July 18, 2018 at 4:30am — No Comments

Going back in time in Dallas

Sunday, July 15th saw AALP Class 17 visit the Sixth Floor Museum Sixth Floor Museumin Dallas. This is the floor…

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Added by AALP on July 15, 2018 at 4:00am — No Comments

History, Culture and Cowboys

Our day began in the historic Stockyards District of Fort Worth, once called "Cowtown". This was once the great livestock exchange of the region, as animals made their way into the area‎ by rail. The economy and infrastructure has changed, but the industry has adapted.

At Superior Livestock Auction, bimonthly…

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Added by AALP on July 14, 2018 at 3:30am — No Comments

In the fields of Texas

Friday morning saw the group continue its NAST with an early morning visit to the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB). Located on a 70-acre campus outside of Waco, the Texas Farm Bureau advocates for the agricultural needs of all Texas farmers at the local, state and national level. With over 500,000 member families, the TFB prides itself as being the “Voice of Agriculture”.…

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Added by AALP on July 13, 2018 at 12:00am — No Comments

From the Capitol to cattle

Day 5 of our tour started with the drive from College Station to the capital city of Austin. We headed to the Capitol, taking in the architecture and city sights. We also learned a few fun facts about the Capitol building, such as it is taller than the US Capitol building!

Our first speaker was Christi Craddick, Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission.…

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Added by AALP on July 12, 2018 at 10:00am — No Comments

Farms.com 20 Years Helping Farmers and Agri Business.

Added by OntAG Admin on July 11, 2018 at 3:17am — No Comments

Everything's bigger in Texas

Our first visit of the day was to J.D. Hudgins, a family business breeding registered Brahman cattle for sale in ‎38 states and 43 countries, most located around the equator. This breed is very well suited to tropical and subtropical climates, having originated in India. We got to "meet" Manso, the bull bought by Hudgins in…

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Added by AALP on July 10, 2018 at 12:30am — No Comments

AALP class takes NASA

Houston, we have landed. On day two of the North American study tour AALP class 17 stopped in at NASA Johnson Space Center. We had the chance to see the historic mission control center where they navigated the first man to the moon, in addition to many other missions to space.

The control center, which closed in 1992, still features the speaker where many historic words were said –…

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Added by AALP on July 9, 2018 at 12:30am — No Comments

Howdy from Texas

AALP Class 17 arrived at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and were greeted by Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz, the leadership program director and professor of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Jim is also the director of Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership…

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Added by AALP on July 8, 2018 at 10:00am — No Comments

What's New at the London Farm Show at Western Fair District - March 7-9, 2018

Added by Joe Dales on February 20, 2018 at 4:15am — No Comments

AALP Class 17 continues with their leadership journey at Seminar 3 in Sarnia

Sixteen of the eighteen current and emerging Agricultural Leaders in agriculture, agri-food and rural sectors have been continuing their leadership journey with their third seminar in the Advanced Agriculture Leadership Program. For Class 17’s seminar in Sarnia, the customized leadership program explored the theme of “Shaping the Future, Dynamics of Change, Decision Making and Responsibility”.

During their time in Sarnia, the AALP Class 17 group had the opportunity to expand…

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Added by AALP on January 30, 2018 at 9:00am — No Comments

Farms.com Technology Report - Using Imagery To Check Plant Health

Added by Joe Dales on December 15, 2017 at 6:42am — No Comments

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

Why Getting Your Acres Counted Could Put More Money in Your Pocket

Alberta Grains and Fertilizer Canada have launched Make Your Acres Count!, a campaign aimed at getting more Alberta farmers to register acres under the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework. The initiative encourages producers to work with a 4R Designated Agronomist to develop nutrient management plans that improve fertilizer efficiency, crop productivity and environmental stewardship. More than 2.15 million acres in Alberta were self-reported under 4R in 2024. The campaign’s goal is to nearly double that by the end of the 2025 crop year. “This campaign is about celebrating what Alberta farmers are already doing right and giving them a practical path to build on that success,” said Scott Jespersen, Alberta Grains chair and a farmer near Spruce Grove. “By getting your acres counted, you are demonstrating to governments and markets alike that we farm responsibly and with care for the land, while also improving the bottom line.” The 4R framework is based on applying the right source of nu

US Farmer Sentiment Down in August

US farmer sentiment slipped again in August, dragged down by souring expectations about the future. The latest monthly Purdue University–CME Group Ag Economy Barometer – released Tuesday – came in at 125 points, down 10 points from July. The barometer is based on a survey of 400 producers across the country. The August survey noted a marked disparity in optimism between livestock and crop producers, with the crop sector struggling mightily amid continued low prices. On the other hand, beef cattle operations especially are experiencing record profitability as the smallest cattle inventory since 1951 has pushed cattle prices to record levels. On the crop side, the barometer uncovered increasingly dire financial circumstances. Every January, the barometer survey includes questions on farm operating loans, but given rising concerns about farm income in 2025, the same questions were added to the August survey. The results underscored farmers’ financial stress. Twenty-two percent of

US Spring Wheat Harvest Nears Three-Quarters Finished

The US spring wheat harvest is approaching the three-quarter pole, slightly ahead of the average pace. According to Monday’s USDA crop progress report, 72% of the national spring wheat crop was in the bin as of Sunday. That is up from 53% a week earlier and ahead of both last year and the five-year average at 67% and 71%, respectively. In the largest production state of North Dakota, the harvest advanced 22 points from a week earlier to reach 62% complete as of Sunday, 4 points ahead of last year and 1 point ahead of the state average. The Minnesota harvest gained 16 points to 89% complete, compared to 72% last year and 76% on average, while Montana climbed 15 points to 73% done, behind 74% last year and 79% on average. At 91% complete, the South Dakota harvest advanced 7 points from a week earlier but was still behind 92% last year and 95% on average.

Alberta Boosts Loan Program to Support Beef Industry

The Alberta government is stepping up support for its livestock producers by raising the cap on the Feeder Associations Loan Guarantee Program to $225 million from the current $150 million. Announced last week, the move comes as international demand for Alberta’s beef continues to climb, pushing prices higher and creating greater financing needs for producers. The loan program provides government-backed, low-interest financing through 45 locally run feeder associations, enabling farmers to buy cattle and sheep and expand their operations. Since its creation in 1936, the program has issued more than $12 billion in loans and now finances between 17 and 24 % of Alberta’s calf crop each year. Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson said the increase will help ensure Alberta remains competitive in global markets. “Increasing the limit will ensure thousands of producers have access to the capital they need to keep producing Alberta’s world-renowned beef,” he said in a statement. “With

Keeping farmers’ voices heard in tariff and trade challenges

By Drew Spoelstra, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

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