In just a few short days many Ontarians will be heading to the polls in order to cast their vote in this year’s provincial election. There are serious issues for rural Ontario as they head to the ballot box on election day. The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has a number of issues that we feel need to be addressed by our future government.
The Christian Farmers strongly supports Environmental Goods and Services. We hope that… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 30, 2011 at 3:41am —
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Over the past few weeks, my colleague Nathan Stevens has been discussing different dimensions of supply managed marketing systems for agricultural products. In particular, he’s been responding to comments made by Andrew Coyne, a columnist for MacLean’s magazine. As the commentary series progressed, we had a number of readers correspond with us about why the organization chooses to become involved in a debate about supply… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 23, 2011 at 3:41am —
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Andrew Coyne, one of Canada’s most respected journalists, has garnered a lot of attention in his recent article in Maclean’s that turned a harsh eye towards supply management. He makes a number of strong assertions in his article that are worthy of further discussion. This is the third in a series of commentaries that will provide counter-points to those assertions, this time focusing on trade and a final comment on the necessity for… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 16, 2011 at 1:37am —
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Here's video from the opening ceremony of Canada's Outdoor Farm Show with show VP Doug Wagner and Mike Wilson, editor, Farm Futures and President of the International Federation of Agricultural…
Visit me & my alpacas in the Alpaca Ontario booth @ Woodstock Outdoor Farm Show, Thurs Sept 15, and you'll see the fabulous products we make from there fibre.
Alpacas produce one of the world’s most luxurious natural fibres, much…
Andrew Coyne, one of Canada’s most respected journalists, has garnered a lot of attention in his recent article in Maclean’s that turned a harsh eye towards supply management. He makes a number of strong assertions in his article that are worthy of further discussion. This is the second in a series of commentaries that will provide counter-points to those assertions, this time focusing on trends towards higher prices and fewer… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 9, 2011 at 2:34am —
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Andrew Coyne, one of Canada’s most respected journalists, has garnered a lot of attention in his recent article in Maclean’s that turned a harsh eye towards supply management. He makes a number of strong assertions in his article that are worthy of further discussion. This is the first in a series of commentaries that will provide counter-points to those assertions, this time focusing on why there are different rules for different… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on September 2, 2011 at 5:42am —
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Farmland preservation is a key component in keeping a strong and vigorous agricultural sector. And with Ontario having one of the biggest agriculture and food clusters in North America, it only makes sense that our citizens be proactive in ensuring that we do our best to preserve and maintain our best farmland.
The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has a long history of advocating for farmland preservation. We’ve taken up the fight… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on August 26, 2011 at 1:51am —
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The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario places a lot of emphasis on values. And, arguably, one of the biggest and most constant values for most of our members comes down to “fairness.” It’s not always stated upfront when our members engage each other at committee meetings and seminars, but it’s a steady presupposition that drives a good deal of conversation. Over the years, many CFFO conversations and position statements have emphasized the… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on August 12, 2011 at 2:59am —
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The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs recently announced that the 30-year old wildlife damage compensation program has finally been updated. This has been an important issue for members of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario over the last number of years, and as an organization we are pleased that this could finally be updated. This is a solid step forward in balancing the broad number of goals desired by society… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on August 5, 2011 at 1:32am —
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A decade or more ago, the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario hosted a number of seminars and other events centered on the theme of “Farming in the Park.” The title was kind of a cheeky expression designed to attract people’s attention and get them thinking about critical issues in farming. The key issue at the root of the discussion was the ongoing relationship between farmers and urban society.
The Ontario election is looming for Ontario’s politicians and the voting public. Energy is emerging as “the” hot button topic for many voters. The big question is how we are going to organize a sustainable energy system that truly considers the economic, environmental and social consequences.
There is a need for broad deliberations regarding this province’s energy policy. In particular, balance needs to be struck to accommodate both long… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on July 22, 2011 at 4:30am —
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President Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on over 180 countries have triggered retaliatory measures, plunging global markets and casting uncertainty over the future of U.S. agricultural exports.
Large elk herds have become a big problem for farmers, but a plan to tackle the issue has raised ethical concerns. The province recently allowed a spring hunt in wildlife management zone 39, which is west of Yorkton to near Foam Lake and north to Kelvington, and the rural municipalities of Stanley and Leask. Licences were available for antlerless elk from March 10-31. However, the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation opposed the move, as did farmers who said shooting pregnant females is unethical. The SWF posted on social media that none of its habitat trust lands would be open for the hunt. Executive director Darrell Crabbe said the board made the decision “based on the ethical concerns of harvesting cow elk who are just a few weeks away from calving.” The SWF supports compensating producers who lose feed to elk herds and said hunting opportunities next fall should be implemented in accordance with the game management plan. Some landowners in the regions said they would also close t
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) strongly supports the federal government’s decision to remove the consumer carbon tax, or fuel levy, effective Monday, calling it a “significant victory for Saskatchewan farmers.” The organization has been opposed to the carbon tax since its inception in 2019. APAS also appreciated the provincial government’s move to remove the carbon tax from all SaskPower bills and reduce the industrial rate under its Output-Based Performance Standards Program (OBPS) to zero. The group wants a thorough analysis of the impacts the OBPS program had on farm input costs. President Bill Prybylski says getting rid of the carbon tax is more than relief; it is necessary to ensure farmers remain competitive in these uncertain economic times. Prybylski also noted the carbon tax dug into the pockets of farmers, claiming they were about to pay $9 per acre more from the tax this year alone. The next thing on APAS’s radar is the “potential continua
Bayer's Crop Science division, Zone Agtech, and Axceta have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch a three-party collaboration aimed at developing an innovation consortium to advance AgriTech and greenhouse technology in Quebec and across Canada. This strategic collaboration will drive the development and adoption of digital and IoT-based technologies, positioning the consortium as a leader in smart agriculture. "We are proud that Bayer has chosen Quebec as the foundation for developing the Canadian market, thanks to the strong network of partners within Zone Agtech, Axceta's technological expertise - already contributing to Bayer's innovations - and the depth of Quebec's AI ecosystem.", said Marilou Cyr, general director of Zone Agtech. The consortium will be structured around Bayer's HortiView platform, a digital crop management solution designed for international horticultural production markets. In its beta version, HortiView offers a range of management
Cultivator powered by the Conexus Credit Union announced the fourth cohort of its Agtech Accelerator at Canada’s Farm Show in Regina last week, with the three-month program offering resources to help participating companies scale their businesses. The new cohort includes startups from across Canada and the UK and was unveiled on March 19. The Saskatchewan-based program has already supported 47 agtech companies across three cohorts, empowering them to scale with capital, mentoring, and valuable industry connections. Laura Mock, director of Cultivator, said the program is pivotal to attracting global talent to the province. “Based in Saskatchewan and connected globally, this program leverages the natural strengths of Saskatchewan’s agricultural ecosystems to help founders build out their agriculture innovation in a way that will add value to producers,” Mock said. “Founders and farmers are at the heart of everything we do with the accelerator.”