Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

All Blog Posts Tagged 'Ontario' (50)

Variable Rate Technology – What Is It, Can I Do It?

Inputs prices are high and so are crop prices. Managing costs and yields is critical to success on your farm. With commodity prices high you cannot settle for average yields. The use of variable rate precision ag products and services helps farmers to do just that. Placing the inputs in the intended prescribed areas has become very popular and makes a tremendous amount of sense for many producers. With the use of satellite imagery, plant health data, soil testing and harvest data, some very…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 14, 2012 at 2:00am — No Comments

The Future of Agricultural Technology, Today

Veris Technologies has become a name known as the go to tool for advanced soil information.  Offering 3 different sensing systems Veris Technologies can provide information on Soil Type, Organic Matter and PH levels individually or in any combination of the 3.  Here is the 3 types of soil sampling systems available and how you can benefit from knowedge gained.

Soil EC Sensing- Is soil electrical conductivity, a measurement of how much current your soil…

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Added by Paul Smith on December 12, 2012 at 3:00am — No Comments

Ontario Beekeepers Prize Pungent Buckwheat Honey

After spending time with another local beekeeper and helping harvest his annual summer honey crop this son of a beekeeper has become even more acutely aware of the various honey regions that are waiting to be discovered by North American kitchens , across the province of Ontario.

One such naturally occurring region is the wild buckwheat fields in northeastern Ontario, above hwy 7 on…

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Added by Robert Campbell on September 1, 2012 at 3:00pm — 1 Comment

The CFFO Commentary: Ontario Food Banks Need Farmer Support

By Nathan Stevens

July 20, 2012

 

In an increasingly competitive and cost-conscious agriculture and agri-business climate, sometimes there are unintended results for other organizations. Today, farmers and food processors are reconsidering the concept of waste and are seeking to turn all their raw materials into marketable or reusable items. The unintended result of this movement is that the Ontario Association of Food Banks is short…

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Added by CFFO Blog on July 20, 2012 at 3:33am — No Comments

New Holland 658, Baling Hay in Ontario Canada

Talk about 'making hay while the sun shines'. Here's a short video I shot on Saturday June 16th 2012 of my nephew Ryan baling hay with his New Holland 658 hay baler. The grass feed is a mixture of alfalfa, red clover and timothy and as such will make excellent feed for the growing numbers of cows on their feedlots.

I can remember harvesting the hay in this field in the 1970s and 80s - we used to walk behind the tractor and wagon and pitch 80 lbs bales onto the wagon…

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Added by Robert Campbell on June 17, 2012 at 2:36am — No Comments

Farm work is never done

It is starting out to be an exciting season.  The weather has been cooperating with my work schedule and so far my decisions have resulted in planting success.  The warm weather has brought Soybeans out of the ground after about a week.  Most of my Soys are planted on land that was plowed last year, and this ground is holding moisture very well.  I had to work the ground…

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Added by Gus Ternoey on May 25, 2012 at 8:36am — 1 Comment

Black Bears Strike But Are Repelled By Electric Fences In Ontario Beeyards

Some black bears did launch an attack on of our remote beeyards last week! 

This is what bear damage looks like, and it could have been a lot worse. The total loss was only four frames of brood. And that's because this beeyard, like all of our locations in southern Ontario, is protected by a heavy duty solar fencer.

bear damage in beeyard

Its unlikely the hive blew over in the wind - in the…

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Added by Robert Campbell on May 13, 2012 at 1:49pm — 1 Comment

1, 2, 3rd Week of April Already!

Wow, does time fly when your busy.  The mild and dry spring has given me plenty of opportunity to take care of a lot of field maintenance issues.  New culverts, fixed tiles, disc/level plowed ground.  I have made use of every minute of sunlight and good use of tractor lights as well.  

The ground has dried out well, allowing field work on what is usually the last to be fit, that plowed ground.  Even spreading urea on the wheat, not a mark in the field.  The moisture is there, just…

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Added by Gus Ternoey on April 17, 2012 at 12:40pm — No Comments

Son of a Beekeeper Blog on Ontario Agriculture Network

Hello from Rob Campbell the original Son of a Beekeeper in Ontario Canada.

 

I hope to keep a blog presence here on the Ontario Agricultural network to keep readers updated on the latest challenges facing Canadian beekeepers. Because I have the good fortune of living near and helping out my family's…

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Added by Robert Campbell on April 15, 2012 at 4:50am — 1 Comment

One week left in my smartphone/social media survey - would you participate?

I'm very excited at the response to the OMAFRA/University of Guelph survey on social media and smartphone use in Ontario agriculture. If you haven't participated, would you take a few minutes this week to answer it?  It can be found at http://www.ipsosresearch.com/omafra/.  We are looking for participation from all parts of Ontario agriculture -- and not just from smartphone or social media users.  If you don't use those…

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Added by ontariotomato on February 27, 2012 at 9:25am — 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: Legislation and Regulations Reflect Underlying Goals and Values

By John Clement

March 25, 2011

 

At a recent provincial meeting of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, a guest speaker challenged our members to keep in mind that all public policies are aimed at particular goals and outcomes, based on an understanding of what we value in life. I think it’s an important piece of advice and one that needs to be kept front and centre when we create and debate new laws and regulations for farming.  

In my experience, most…

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Added by CFFO Blog on March 25, 2011 at 11:32am — No Comments

Farms.com Market School: Lesson 6: Currencies and the Grain Markets

Added by OntAG Admin on March 4, 2011 at 6:27am — 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

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

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

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: Prognostications for Farming in 2011

By Nathan Stevens

December 31, 2010



As 2010 draws to a close, a new year in agriculture is about to unfold. The sheer diversity of Ontario agriculture ensures that some farmers will be blessed with great production and good prices while others will face another trying year. Beyond the vagaries of weather and the market there are issues that Ontario farmers may have to face in the year… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on January 3, 2011 at 4:12am — No Comments

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World Food Commodity Prices Up in April

World food commodity prices edged higher for the second straight month in April.  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations on Friday reported that its food price index - which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a set of globally traded food commodities - averaged 119.1 points in April, up 0.3% from the revised March level, although still nearly 10% below its year-earlier level.  The advance in the March food price index was the first increase in seven months. The peak was reached in March 2022 at 159.3 points, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  The April increase in the overall food index was driven by rising meat prices and modest upticks for vegetable oils, and cereals, which offset declines in sugar and dairy products.  The cereal price index was up 0.3% in March, ending a three-month run of declines. Global wheat export prices stabilized in April as strong competition among major exporters offset concerns about unfavourable c

Map: Rain Eases Corn, Soybean Drought Area

The amount of US corn and soybean production being impacted by drought has fallen to its lowest in almost two years, following wetter Midwest weather this past week.  Based on the weekly US drought monitor released Thursday, the amount of corn production impacted by drought fell to 19% as of Tuesday, down 4 points on the week and the lowest since June 2022. Soybean production impacted by drought dipped an identical 4 points from the previous week to 17%, also the lowest since June 2022.  According to the drought monitor, most of the Midwest saw at least a half inch of rain, with parts of Missouri getting anywhere from 2 to 5 inches. Widespread improvements to ongoing drought occurred in Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri, with a few areas of two-category improvements occurring in west-central Missouri where some of the highest rainfall amounts fell, the monitor said.  On a regional basis, just over 18% of the Midwest was being impacted by some form of drought as of Tuesday, down from 23.3

DFC and Starbucks Canada join together to support a sustainable future for dairy

Farm Credit Canada's Dairy Sustainability Incentive Program returns with support from Dairy Farmers of Canada and Starbucks to reward the sustainability successes of farmers Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) and Starbucks Canada (Starbucks) have launched today a new collaborative effort to help advance sustainability in the dairy sector. Starbucks has committed $500,000 to support dairy sustainability-focused projects over the course of this year, rewarding the continued efforts of Canadian dairy farmers on their path to net zero. The partnership includes three exciting projects, the first of which is already underway for 2024 in collaboration with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and Lactanet for FCC’s Dairy Sustainability Incentive Program. This program rewards farmers who are successfully adopting environmental best management practices and encourages continued sustainable farming by granting annual incentives of up to $2,000 to FCC customers who meet select criteria. As part of its partnershi

Canola Council welcomes establishment of regulatory pathway for plant breeding innovation

The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) welcomes the release of new guidance on livestock feed released by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) today. The guidance clears the final hurdle to establishing a regulatory pathway for gene-edited products in Canada. “Today’s guidance is an important milestone in unlocking the next generation potential for innovation and growth in the Canadian canola industry,” says Chris Davison, president and CEO of the CCC. “As Canada continues its work to feed and fuel the world, plant breeding innovation will play an increasingly important role in developing even more productive and resilient canola crops.” With today’s guidance now published, Canada is also better equipped to encourage investment in support of development of gene-edited crops. New varieties will help make Canada’s canola crop more resilient in the face of pest pressures and climate volatility, support higher yields on each acre of farmland and enhance resource use efficiency. “Pl

Ontario grants $3.5M to Brock University research farm

The Ontario government has granted Brock University $3.5 million for a national sustainable agricultural project that aims to parlay the university’s grape and wine research into the broader agriculture sector.

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