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

Waterloo Farmer Convicted for Breaking Detention

On April 27, 2023, investigators with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness’ Regulatory Compliance Unit executed a Provincial Offences Act search warrant at Joris Salverda’s farm in Wilmot on an unrelated matter. Investigators found unlabelled meat product and subsequently detained it to determine if it was from an inspected source. Detention involved marking a potentially non-compliant product with a detention tag and placing it in a freezer or cooler to preserve its integrity until it could be determined whether the meat product was compliant. No person shall move or interfere with a thing that has been detained unless authorized or required to do so by an inspector. Later, officers conducted an inspection at Salverda’s farm and discovered the detained meat product had been removed without authorization. Following an investigation into the movement of the unlabelled meat product, Salverda was charged with one count of breaking detention of a thing without autho

Guelph Business Owner Convicted of Obstructing Inspectors

Background: On October 4, 2023 and January 10, 2024, Compliance and Advisory Officers with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (then the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) attended Klops Meat and Deli for the purpose of verifying compliance. On both occasions, the owner/operator, Leszek Rzeznik, refused the inspectors entry to complete an inspection. Subsequently, investigators in the Ministry’s Regulatory Compliance Unit initiated an investigation that resulted in Rzeznik being charged with two counts of obstructing an inspector under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001. On January 8, 2025, after a trial in absentia, Rzeznik was convicted on both counts by Justice of the Peace Michael Cuthbertson. Rzeznik was fined $3,000 for each count, plus a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, which totalled $7,500.

York Region Man Convicted of Obstructing an Inspector

Background: On September 25, 2024, an inspector from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness appointed under the Food Safety Quality Act, 2001 attended Ve & Be Corporation at 793 Alness Street to conduct an unannounced inspection. As a free-standing, licenced meat plant, the business is subject to inspection by ministry inspectors. When the inspector arrived, the plant operator, Andrei Berliaev, behaved in an aggressive manner and prevented the inspector from conducting the inspection. The inspector then left the plant and withdrew the inspection. Following an investigation, Berliaev was charged with one count of obstructing an inspector under the Food Safety Quality Act, 2001.

From soil to supper – how farmers care for the Earth all year long

Every April, countries around the world mark Earth Day – an excellent and vital opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of caring for and protecting our environment. As farmers, we often like to say that every day is Earth Day on the farm, and while that sounds a bit cliched, it actually is very true. That’s because in raising livestock and growing crops of all kinds, farmers work very directly with the soil, the air, and the water every single day. The weather is our constant companion and more than almost anything else, will influence the kind of year we’re going to have. Whether it’s too much or too little rain, temperatures that are hotter or colder than normal, or snow, ice and rain storms, it all impacts the quality and quantity of the products we’re able to produce on our farms. I farm near Burford close to Brantford with my wife and son where we raise sheep and grow hay, corn, and soybeans as well as a biomass crop called miscanthus. I’m also a director on the bo

Q+A: Trevor Jones to draw on experience as Ontario agriculture minister

Chatham-Kent–Leamington MPP Trevor Jones is settling into his role as Ontario agriculture, food and agribusiness minister. The former Leamington town councillor and OPP officer was named to cabinet last month in just his second term as an MPP. We asked Jones about his new role in cabinet. His responses have been edited for style and brevity. Q: Just beginning your second term as an MPP, can you describe the honour of being named minister for a portfolio as prominent as Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness? A: It is an honour . . . I grew up and continue to live and raise my family in Chatham-Kent-Leamington, where our communities have a long tradition of farming, greenhouse growing and food processing. As such, I developed a strong appreciation for this sector and remain inspired by the hard-working people who feed Canada and the world. Early in my career with the OPP, I earned a position on the Emergency Response Team and . . . was given the opportunity to work with members of the

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