Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP's Blog (118)

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.…

Continue

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…

Continue

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

Continue

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…

Continue

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

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 11 - Going Home



July 15, 2010 - We awoke to a foggy morning on the final day of the legendary AALP Class 13 study tour. The mood on the bus was happy as we looked forward…

Continue

Added by AALP on July 19, 2010 at 2:55am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 10



July 14, 2010 - We packed our bags this morning and left Washington for Andrews Air Force Base. There…

Continue

Added by AALP on July 15, 2010 at 2:34am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 9



July 13, 2010 - It was another early morning as Day 9 kicked off for the AALP 13 class. The group decided to get an early start as we would be battling traffic heading into the downtown core of Washington…

Continue

Added by AALP on July 14, 2010 at 4:19am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 8



July 12, 2010 – The eighth day of our tour took Class 13 to Chesapeake Bay to learn about the opportunities and challenges in this area. The Chesapeake Bay…

Continue

Added by AALP on July 13, 2010 at 3:03am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 7



Sunday, July 11, 2010 - We started our day at 10:00 a.m. with the bus dropping our group off in the heart of Washington DC in the National Mall area.…



Continue

Added by AALP on July 13, 2010 at 2:44am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 6



Continue

Added by AALP on July 12, 2010 at 4:00am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 5

Continue

Added by AALP on July 12, 2010 at 4:00am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 4

July 8, 2010 - As the class travelled from the state of Ohio and into Pennsylvania, we enjoyed the rolling hills and deep wooded valleys on our way to State College PA, home of Penn State University. It was here that we would meet a number of cutting edge leaders from the Pennsylvania Commonwealth.



Upon our arrival in State College, we were fortunate to have Mr. Russell…
Continue

Added by AALP on July 9, 2010 at 2:00am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 3

July 7, 2010 – Today was a step back in time as we continued our tour through north-central Ohio. Our first stop was the…

Continue

Added by AALP on July 8, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 2

July 6, 2010 – Day two of the legendary AALP North American Study Tour continued despite sweltering heat. A continental breakfast greeted the class at 7:30 a.m., although there were those who chose to skip breakfast and bank the extra…

Continue

Added by AALP on July 7, 2010 at 3:00am — 1 Comment

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 1



Day one of Class 13’s North American Study Tour came to an end after a 10 hour trek to our first destination point in Columbus, Ohio. We covered a lot of Ohio landscape…

Continue

Added by AALP on July 6, 2010 at 1:30am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour

The North American Study Tour component of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) is an integral part of the program curriculum. This and the International Study Tour provide opportunities for AALP class members to meet and dialogue with community, organization and business…

Continue

Added by AALP on June 29, 2010 at 4:12am — 1 Comment

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour - June 5/6, 2010



In exactly one month Class 13 of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program will be loading a bus and embarking on their North American Study Tour – July 5 – 15, 2010. As with all AALP seminars and study tours, a central theme and…

Continue

Added by AALP on June 6, 2010 at 2:30am — No Comments

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour

Each class of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) includes two study tours as part of the curriculum – one in North America, and one involving international travel. These study tours give participants the opportunity to gain an even broader perspective and understanding of regional/national/ international issues and their…

Continue

Added by AALP on May 20, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments

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

January-June Farm Cash Receipts Up 3.3%

Canadian farm cash receipts through the first two quarters of 2025 were up slightly from the same period a year earlier, thanks mainly to strong livestock returns. A Statistics Canada report Friday pegged total farm cash receipts in the January-June period at $49.6 billion, up $1.6 billion or 3.3% from the previous year. But it was livestock that led the way. Total livestock receipts rose 10.8% or $2.1 billion to $21.3 billion in the first two quarters, on account of higher prices for all livestock types except poultry. On the other hand, crop receipts were little changed – inching up $80.2 million or 0.3% - to $25.9 billion. Meanwhile, program payments declined, falling $584.5 million or 20% to $2.3 billion. While cash receipts increased for most crops in the January-June period, StatsCan said those gains were offset by reduced receipts for barley and lower liquidations of deferred crop sales in Western Canada. Total oilseed receipts through the first two quarters of 2025 wer

Alberta Harvest Advances; Yield Potential Improves

Alberta yield potential is improving as the harvest advances. Friday’s weekly crop report estimated dryland yields for major crops at 19% above the 5-year average and 11% above the 10-year average. That marks a 4-point increase in both indexes from the estimates last reported two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the harvest of major crops (spring wheat, oats, barley, canola, and peas) was pegged at about 8% complete as of Tuesday, up 6 points from a week earlier although still behind the five- and 10-year averages of 15% and 12%, respectively. The harvest of all crops was reported at 11% done as of Tuesday, versus 2% two weeks earlier. The average Alberta spring wheat yield is now estimated by the province at 50.6 bu/acre, with oats and barley at 71.8 and 69.1 bu. Canola is estimated at 39.7 bu/acre, and peas at 47 bu. “The extended period of rain and cool temperatures, which occurred while crops matured, appears to have been beneficial with multiple reports of yields surprising to the up

Pulse Market Insight #281

First StatsCan Crop Estimates for 2025 This week, StatsCan issued its first yield and production estimates for 2025 crops. These numbers are based on computer models using satellite vegetation images which, in our view, have been getting better at estimating yields. That said, these first estimates were based on the situation at the end of July; weather and crop conditions have changed considerably since then, some worse but mostly better. As combines got rolling this fall, one common theme we’ve been hearing from many parts of the prairies has been that yields are coming in better than expected. Rainfall was variable across the prairies but in all regions, 2025 was a much milder summer than the last 3-4 years when extended periods of extreme heat reduced yields. If these early positive results continue through the rest of harvest, we wouldn’t be surprised if these initial StatsCan numbers are the low-water mark for the season. For peas, StatsCan reported a yield of 36.6 bu/acre, up

Association of Equipment Manufacturers plans to lobby ahead of fall parliamentary session

Policies that help farmers adopt precision technology and maintain their right to repair are among priorities for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers ahead of the fall parliamentary session. The association says equipment manufacturers are looking to lawmakers to help them adapt in the midst of significant trade challenges and other issues like chronic labour shortages and an infrastructure deficit. Tariffs and the uncertainty surrounding them have led to higher costs for manufacturers. Aaron Wetzel, John Deere’s vice-president of production systems, said in July that the majority of their whole goods and components were exempted from tariffs under the CUSMA trade agreement. However, materials needed to make equipment may face tariffs — for instance, Canada’s 25 per cent tariffs on U.S. steel, copper and aluminum.

New traceability regulations coming for Canadian cattle ranchers

Canadian cattle producers are awaiting new federal traceability regulations following a two-year consultation process. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) released an “owner’s guide” based on early industry consultation. Amendments to the guide are anticipated, but have been delayed by the federal election. Rick Wright, the chief executive officer of the Livestock Markets Association of Canada, expects that it will happen in the first or second quarter of 2026, and after that, there’ll be a one-year soft launch of the enforcement of it. He says the lengthy implementation has been necessary. The regulations represent what he calls an essential emergency management tool in an era of increased global trade and travel risks. The updated regulations are designed to prepare for disease outbreaks by shortening the movement reporting window from 30 days to seven and introducing new requirements for premises identification.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service