I’m starting to show my age because I recently realized that I’ve spent very close to 30 years working at a professional career in Ontario’s entrepreneurial agricultural community. Having grown up on a century-plus farm in southern Ontario, I moved into agricultural journalism for a number of years before going to work as a staff member for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. Over the course of those three decades, I’ve assembled some… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on July 15, 2011 at 4:20am —
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Last week’s formal announcement of a Risk Management Program is arguably one of the most significant accomplishments for Ontario’s agricultural groups in a long time. From the perspective of agricultural leaders, this is a program that has been fought for over an extended time period that seeks to address needs for Ontario’s farmers in a global environment. The next step is to see whether the average farmer agrees with this assessment and chooses to… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on July 8, 2011 at 2:44am —
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Farm business management groups have been used across Canada over the past few decades but there appears to be a renewed push today to broaden their appeal. Although these groups can vary widely from sector-to-sector, most feature a small group of farmers working with a facilitator to compare individual production and financial records against those of peers. In the process, the aim is to grow and develop the management skills of all participants in… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on July 3, 2011 at 7:14am —
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In a world of limited financial resources, choosing the best environmental projects and the targets to be met can be difficult for policy makers. Recently, Dr. Anna Roberts from the Department of Primary Industries in Victoria, Australia, shared an approach to establishing and evaluating environmental improvement goals.
The approach is known as INFFER, which is short for Investment Framework for Environmental Resources. The key point of… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on June 24, 2011 at 4:45am —
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The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has said repeatedly that a sustainable Ontario agriculture needs to be profitable for all those in the food chain. Typically, most people view the food chain as only extending upwards from farmers to processors and retailers. But the reality is that it extends much further than that conception to include both consumers and farm input suppliers.
That reality was spelled out in a recent letter I… Continue
Added by CFFO Blog on June 17, 2011 at 5:45am —
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Efforts are being made to increase awareness of the importance of the food processing industry in Ontario. The Government of Ontario and Synthesis Agri-food Consulting recently developed A Global Hub for Food Processing: Agri-food Asset Map. This document highlights the province’s diverse food growing and processing sector.
The Agri-food Asset Map highlights the strengths that Ontario has to offer as a place for…
The University of Guelph and Njala University in Sierra Leone have entered into a unique arrangement to strengthen the African institution’s ability to help in the rebuilding and development of agriculture and community service. As part of that arrangement, a delegation from the Sierra Leone university recently toured Ontario to gain a sense of how our province has put together a strong working relationship between farmers, producer groups,…
Lesson 17: Moe Agostino of Farms.com Risk Management provides some information on what the main factors that impact on the grain commodity price basis.
Lesson #16: Part 3 of 4 in the mini series of understanding basis. This video looks more closely at basis in time and space and it's effects on your bottom line.
For all the Farms.com Market School Videos - Visit…
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…
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 —
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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…
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 —
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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 —
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The Wheat Growers Association is welcoming China’s final ruling to sharply lower the anti-dumping tariff on Canadian canola seed to 5.9 percent, plus the standard 9 percent import duty, alongside the suspension of 100 percent tariffs on canola meal effective March 1. The decision marks a positive step forward for prairie canola farmers who have faced prolonged uncertainty in one of Canada’s key export markets. “This is a positive development for prairie canola farmers and a welcome sign of improved market access,” said Daryl Fransoo, Chairman of the Wheat Growers Association. “For many growers, canola is a cornerstone of crop rotation alongside wheat and other grains. Restoring more predictable access to China provides needed relief on prices and cash flow at a critical time.” While today’s announcement is encouraging, the Wheat Growers caution that past disruptions underscore the importance of long-term market stability. “China has restricted or closed its canola market several ti
The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission (APG) has confirmed that 30.3% of eligible producers’ 2025 check-off payment is eligible for the Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credit for their investment in APG-funded research and development projects. Producers are eligible to claim up to a maximum of 15% for non-incorporated farm operations and up to a maximum of 35% for incorporated operations of the determined 30.3%. Producers who have paid check-off this past year and have not asked for refunds are eligible claimants for this year’s credits. For more detailed information about the SR&ED Tax Credit, APG advises you to contact an accountant or the Canada Revenue Agency. For a history of SR&ED with Alberta Pulse Growers visit https://albertapulse.com/research-tax-credit/ . Information about APG research investments in 2024-25 is available at https://albertapulse.com/resource-library/ . The federal SR&ED tax program is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CR
This article takes a look at the top-performing tillage brands in North America and provides a straightforward comparison table to help guide farmer equipment decisions.