Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

All Blog Posts (764)

AALP Class 13 International Study Tour to Guatemala and Belize – February 28, 2011

A man of the land ! Our morning started with a walk to the Dandriga airport, that's right... Walk! Our class divided into three groups and we flew on small planes to Punta Guarda - but this was more than just transportation. We flew along the coastline, seeing shrimp farms, plantations and fields from 5000 feet. Due to limited seating, some of us were able to ride in the… Continue

Added by AALP on March 3, 2011 at 7:22am — 2 Comments

AgCanada Reports: A Bright Future For Canadian Agriculture.

Bright Future for Canadian Agriculture

 

Ottawa, Ontario, February 28, 2011 - Three major reports released today all point to healthy prospects for the agricultural industry. The reports give a clear snapshot of the state of the sector, portraying a highly complex, integrated and globally-competitive value chain that is an expanding and vibrant part of the Canadian economy.

"We are looking at another bumper year for farm incomes in 2010…

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Added by OntAG Admin on February 28, 2011 at 2:31pm — No Comments

AALP Class 13 International Study Tour to Guatemala and Belize – February 26 & 27, 2011

February 26, 2011 - Best Last Day in Guatemala Ever! Another beautiful sunny hot day in Guatemala; we actually haven’t seen rain since we arrived. The mornings have been cool and pleasant, and the last two mornings we were able to have breakfast under a huge 60-foot-high thatch roofed mezzanine overlooking Lake Peten Itza. The lake has a turquoise hue from the limestone base.…

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Added by AALP on February 27, 2011 at 5:00pm — 2 Comments

AALP Class 13 International Study Tour to Guatemala and Belize – February 24 & 25, 2011

February 24, 2011 - Go DIEGO GO!!! Can’t stop thinking about the kids and the cartoon character Diego the animal rescuer, as we took the plane, the bus, the boat and seemingly endless uphill hike (with luggage) to arrive at ARCAS animal rescue shelter at a balmy 32 degrees Celsius.



ARCAS is a wonderful place where we found very passionate people. It is an NGO…

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Added by AALP on February 27, 2011 at 4:30pm — 2 Comments

Farms.com Market School: Lesson 5: Reviewing USDA Demand and Supply Reports

Added by OntAG Admin on February 25, 2011 at 7:28am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Seminar Series to Focus on Improving the Farm Regulatory Process

By John Clement

February 25, 2011



Ontario’s farmers are fed up with the heavily regulated business environment in which they operate their businesses. At the same time, society and government have become overly cautious, trying to out-smart common sense by putting more and more costly rules and regulations in place that are burdening our farming community.



This year’s CFFO Seminar Series is entitled Enough is Enough and examines the case for an improved regulatory process.… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on February 25, 2011 at 6:59am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 International Study Tour to Guatemala and Belize – February 22 & 23, 2011

February 22, 2011 - Today felt like we truly started our AALP International Study Tour. We woke up in Antigua, the original capital of Guatemala, which is surrounded by three active volcanoes. We even saw some smoke from one of them from the roof of our hotel.



We did not know what to expect from our visit at CasaSito, a non-governmental organization working with…

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Added by AALP on February 24, 2011 at 12:00pm — 1 Comment

AALP Class 13 International Study Tour to Guatemala and Belize – February 20 & 21, 2011

As AALP Class 13 gathered for departure from Pearson Airport early on the morning of Sunday February 20, the group soon realized that flights were running late and that American Airlines would be redirecting the flight. John Borland and Bonnie den Haan were first in the check in line and were sent to Dallas while all of the others were sent to Miami on a later flight. Bonnie and John arrived safely in Guatemala City on Sunday evening, while the remainder of the class overnighted in Florida…

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Added by AALP on February 21, 2011 at 3:00pm — 1 Comment

The CFFO Commentary: Have We Learned Anything From Agricultural History?

By Henry Stevens

February 18, 2011 

I’m a firm believer in paying attention to the lessons of history. With that in mind, I took great interest in some speeches from past CFFO leaders that our staff recently uncovered when searching through the organization’s archives. And it’s led me to ask, “Have we learned anything from history?”

One of the speeches was written by then Vice-President, Sid Sikkema, in 1986. Sikkema had attended a workshop entitled “The Globalization of…

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Added by CFFO Blog on February 20, 2011 at 11:26am — No Comments

Farms.com Market School: A Look At The Seasonality Trends in Grain Prices.

Added by OntAG Admin on February 11, 2011 at 4:41pm — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: The Pile of Reports on Canada’s Agricultural Potential Grows Higher

Plans for national or provincial food strategies have become hot commodities in recent years. In addition to the CFFO’s Goals for an Ontario Food Strategy, other farm groups and think-tanks have either issued reports or are in the development stages.



A new report from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute is the latest foray into this marketplace of ideas. Entitled Canada’s Agri-Food Destination, the report highlights growing problems for Canadian agriculture. In addition to… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on February 11, 2011 at 6:50am — No Comments

Farms.com Market School: Factors affecting volatility

Added by OntAG Admin on February 4, 2011 at 6:43am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Water, Water Everywhere ... But We Need to be Stewards

By Nathan Stevens

February 4, 2011



A recent Water Innovation Forum focused on the importance of water for agriculture and food. The people of Ontario are blessed with tremendous access to fresh water and this has instilled the belief that we live in an area of water abundance. The reality is that while there is a considerable amount of water available for use, wise stewardship of this resource is needed to ensure that we do not create a “Tragedy of the Commons” with our water… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on February 4, 2011 at 6:41am — 1 Comment

Farms.com Market School: The Impact of Commodity Price Risk On Your Farm

Lesson 2: Moe Agostino looks at how the commodity price volatility can impact the financial performance of your farming operation. Understand your cost of production and marketing your grain and livestock to reduce the downside price risk. This educational series is sponsored by DEKALB Brand Seed. To view the other Farms.com Market School lessons visit…

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Added by OntAG Admin on January 28, 2011 at 10:30am — No Comments

Market School Video: Moe Agostino on How Grain Prices Are Determined.

Added by OntAG Admin on January 21, 2011 at 4:38pm — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Focusing in on Feeding the World

By Nathan Stevens

January 21, 2011



At a recent policy conference on the future of food and farming, Robert Thompson of the University of Illinois painted the big picture for agriculture worldwide over the next 40 years. There are huge factors that are shaping the future of food that have created an array of challenges and opportunities for agriculture.



The most obvious challenge will be that of ensuring that nine billion people are able to get the food they require to… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on January 21, 2011 at 6:44am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: The Positive and Negative Roles of Farm Debt

By John Clement

January 14, 2011



Farm debt can be a contentious issue in farm circles. Used properly, and with clear sailing on the horizon, debt is a very practical tool for building a business. However, used improperly, or accompanied by stormy economic times, debt can be a millstone that strangles a business and limits future options.



The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario is currently taking some time to re-examine the role of debt within farming businesses. Many… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on January 14, 2011 at 6:13am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Helping our Consumers to Choose Ontario Food

By Henry Stevens

January 7, 2011



Canada has some strict rules regarding truth in advertising. Advertisers are expected to tell the truth about their products and refrain from misleading the buying public. There are consequences for failing to do so. That leads to several questions about whether labels, and the information they contain, should qualify as advertisements. I would argue that labels and advertisements should be held to the same standard regarding accuracy and… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on January 7, 2011 at 5:51am — No Comments

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

Cannabis stocks surge after reports of Trump planning to ease federal restrictions

Shares in Canada’s cannabis companies surged after reports U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to ease federal restrictions on the drug. The Washington Post first reported that the president is expected to direct agencies to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug. The move would make it similar to some common prescription painkillers, the newspaper says. A reclassification of the drug in the U.S. could offer an opportunity for Canadian cannabis companies to expand their businesses stateside. Shares of Tilray Brands Inc. jumped 29 per cent or $3.35 to $14.94 in mid-morning trading Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange, while Canopy Growth Corp. shares were up 32 per cent or 49 cents at $2.07. Aurora Cannabis Inc. shares were up 13 per cent and Organigram Global Inc. was up nearly 10 per cent.  While many states have passed laws legalizing cannabis for adult use in the U.S., federally it remains a Schedule I drug, the same category as heroin and LSD. This report by The Cana

USDA Raises World Rapeseed Production to New High

Thanks mainly to a record large Canadian crop, 2025-26 global rapeseed output is estimated by the USDA at a new peak as well. The USDA this week pegged world rapeseed production for the current marketing year at 95.27 million tonnes. That’s up 3 million tonnes or 3.25% from last month’s projection and now sits almost 9.3 million or 10.8% above the 2024-25 global crop of 86 million. The rebound comes after the 2024-25 crop was hit by poor weather in major producing countries. The USDA has raised its 2025-26 Canadian rapeseed (canola) production estimate to 22 million tonnes, up 2 million from its November forecast, following updated Statistics Canada data released last week. The survey-based StatsCan report pegged national canola output at 21.803 million tonnes, up about 1.7 million from the federal agency’s model-based September projection and now 13.3% above the 2024 crop of 19.239 million. If accurate, it would be the largest crop on record, surpassing the 2017 crop of 21.458 m

New CDC Oat and Barley Varieties Gain Momentum With Prairie Growers

For more than two decades, Aaron Beattie has been a driving force behind some of Western Canada’s most prominent oat and barley varieties. Based at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC), Beattie continues to shape the future of Prairie cereals — work that increasingly impacts growers in Alberta. Beattie’s latest oat material, showcased earlier this year at the meetings of the Prairie Grain Development Committee in Winnipeg, continues to deliver standout performance. “OT3125 did perform really well again this summer. So it is still up there — over 10% higher than Camden,” he says. While the variety does not yet have a commercial name, Beattie expects significant discussion around it next year as it moves further into promotion and industry awareness. Momentum in the Market Beyond pipeline material, several CDC varieties are gaining traction with Prairie growers. “CDC Anson really took a big jump this year, from no acres to about 10% of the oat acres all in

Why Midge Tolerant Wheat is Sold as a Blend — and Why it Matters for Spring 2026

Unexpected wheat midge outbreaks across Western Canada highlight why the varietal blend remains essential. As farmers look ahead to spring, it’s a good time to revisit the cornerstone of protecting the Sm1 (midge tolerant) wheat gene: understanding why Midge Tolerant Wheat is sold as a varietal blend. In these blends, a variety of Midge Tolerant Wheat is mixed in with a small amount (10%) of wheat that isn’t tolerant to the wheat midge. That is, it doesn’t contain the gene Sm1, the source of genetic resistance. These non-tolerant wheat plants serve as a “refuge” to ensure the wheat midge doesn’t develop resistance to the Sm1 gene. “You never know when the wheat midge is going to strike or where it’s going to strike,” says Tyler Wist, an entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). “Sometimes it’s predicted to be a low-risk year, and then the rains come at just the right time and — boom — population explosion.” Wheat Midge Can Appear When Least Expected Forecasting too

This is Agriculture: Training Coordinator

There are an abundance of different careers in agriculture, and Angela Pearen has tried several of them. Now the coordinator of the agriculture extension programs at Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment, Assiniboine College, Angela has also worked helping producers diversify their farm income, and held positions in rural leadership, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning with Manitoba Agriculture. She says her role at Assiniboine College brings her back to the work she loves the most. Describe your job or product in one sentence. I coordinate training programs for people working in the ag industry and those that support the ag industry. Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment? I grew up in the Roseland district, southwest of Brandon on an acreage. We crop shared with our land neighbours and my parents still crop share with the next generations of that family – it’s been over 50 years. What was your dream job when you were a kid? The

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