Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

All Blog Posts (764)

The CFFO Commentary: Decades of Dynamic Change for Ontario Agriculture

By John Clement

July 15, 2011

 

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 — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Farmers Need to Enroll in Ontario Risk Management Program

By Nathan Stevens

July 8, 2011

 

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 — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Management Groups Can Hone the Skills of Farmers

By John Clement

July 1, 2011

 

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 — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Evaluating the Value of Dollars spent on Environmental Projects

By Nathan Stevens

June 24, 2011

 

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 — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Profitability in the Ontario Food Chain Extends to Input Suppliers

By John Clement

June 17, 2011

 

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 — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Healthy Food Processing Sector Creates Opportunities for Our Farmers

By Nathan Stevens

June 10, 2011

 

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…
Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on June 10, 2011 at 2:19am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Helping Out In The Rebuilding of An Agricultural Sector

By John Clement

June 3, 2011

 

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,…

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Added by CFFO Blog on June 3, 2011 at 2:16am — No Comments

Farms.com Market School: Factors That Influence Grain Commodity Price Basis

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.



For the additional lessons visit…

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Added by OntAG Admin on June 3, 2011 at 2:14am — No Comments

Farms.com Market School | Basis in Time vs. Basis in Space

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…

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Added by OntAG Admin on June 3, 2011 at 2:09am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Charting the Unknown Territory of Source Water Protection

By Nathan Stevens

May 27, 2011

 

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…
Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on May 27, 2011 at 2:07am — 1 Comment

The CFFO Commentary: Key Questions for a Changing Agriculture

By John Clement

May 20, 2011

 

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 — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Social Change Creates Evolving Standards for Farmers

By Nathan Stevens

May 13, 2011

 

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…
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Added by CFFO Blog on May 13, 2011 at 4:39am — No Comments

On Site Ethanol Processing - Use of crop waste

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 — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Promise of Federal Farming and Food Strategy Needs to Deliver

By John Clement

May 6, 2011

 

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…
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Added by CFFO Blog on May 7, 2011 at 7:56am — No Comments

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

Canada invests in youth ag employment

The federal government will invest $27 million into the Youth Employment and Skills Program

Global Conflict Drives Major Surges in Commodity Markets

A major international conflict the war in Iran has disrupted trade flows, pushing energy and grain prices sharply higher. Farmers face rising input costs as fertilizer, fuel, and shipping remain uncertain during this developing situation.

Welcoming input on watershed plan

Members of the public are invited to an open house to learn about the development of a Xwulqw’selu (Koksilah) Watershed and Water Sustainability Plan, and provide input to help guide long-term approaches to water supply and ecosystem health in the area. The open house will take place on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 3-6 p.m. at The Hub at Cowichan Station, 2375 Koksilah Road in the Cowichan Valley. The B.C. government and Cowichan Tribes are leading the development of the plan, building on several years of engagement with community members, farmers and industry through local advisory tables, such as the Cowichan Tribes Guidance Group and the Community Collaborative Advisory Table. This project has been supported by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food to gather and analyze information and develop options related to water allocation, watershed restoration priorities and land-use recommendations. Engaging with the community

Protect AAFC Research, Not Bureaucracy: Why Farmers Need Smart Fiscal Discipline

As Ottawa looks for savings, industry leaders argue cuts should target administrative overhead — not the public agricultural research that delivers higher yields, stronger varieties and real returns for Canadian farmers. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) plan to close research stations across multiple provinces targets the very infrastructure that underpins Canada’s agricultural competitiveness while leaving the department’s growing administrative overhead largely untouched. No one disputes the need for fiscal discipline. But cutting front-line science that consistently delivers some of the highest returns of any public investment is not fiscal responsibility; it’s short-term thinking. AAFC’s regional research network is Canada’s only coordinated system capable of evaluating new crop genetics and management practices across diverse agro-ecological zones. These sites generate the multi-location, multi-year data that determine whether a new variety actually performs under heat

EMILI wins Ecosystem Builder Award at the 2026 DARE Innovation Awards

EMILI was honoured to be awarded the Ecosystem Builder Award at the inaugural DARE Innovation Awards in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on February 24, 2026. The DARE Innovation Awards, hosted by North Forge, celebrated Manitoba’s entrepreneurial excellence and innovation, recognizing bold vision, transformative leadership and lasting impact. The Ecosystem Builder Award, which EMILI was shortlisted for alongside Adam Kelly of Social Entrepreneurship Enclave and Paul Card of Manitoba Innovates, honours a leader, mentor or organization dedicated to growing and supporting Manitoba’s innovation ecosystem. “It is a privilege to be recognized alongside such a talented group of Manitoba innovators, and we are honoured to be shortlisted as ecosystem builders alongside Paul Card and Adam Kelly, two individuals we have so much respect and appreciation for,” said Jennifer Cox, communications manager with EMILI during the award acceptance speech. A key place EMILI supports Manitoba’s innovation ecosystem i

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