Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

CFFO Blog's Blog (97)

The CFFO Commentary: Animal Agriculture’s Role in Feeding a Hungry World

By Nathan Stevens

October 28, 2011

 

According to some estimates, mankind will cross the seven billion person threshold on October 31st, 2011. Despite that unrelenting growth, thousands are dying each and every day of hunger as we climb towards nine…
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Added by CFFO Blog on October 28, 2011 at 7:55am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: CFFO Convention to Focus on Building Agriculture through Sustainable Profits

By John Clement

October 21, 2011

 

Farm meetings generally contain a lot of material regarding management techniques or marketing opportunities. But without sustainable profits throughout the entire farming venture, management techniques alone simply won’t keep a…
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Added by CFFO Blog on October 21, 2011 at 1:47am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Price Volatility a Key Challenge for Global Food Security

By Nathan Stevens

October 14, 2011

 

A recent global food security conference at McGill University in Montreal looked at the issue of feeding a hungry world from a number of different angles. At the heart of the conversation is the incredible challenge that agriculture faces as the human population soars towards nine billion people by 2050. One of the key factors in the discussion was the impact of food price volatility in the developing world.

 

The volatile situation of… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on October 14, 2011 at 2:32am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Selling Confidence and Authenticity alongside Pork Chops and Pears

By John Clement

October 7, 2011

 

Farmers may think that they’re just selling products like pork chops or pears to consumers. But they’re selling much more. They’re also selling health, environmental sustainability, animal welfare and a host of associated “values.” By understanding these consumer values, farmers can capitalize on this knowledge to develop strategies that increase or diversify sales.

 

John Scott, head of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers,…

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Added by CFFO Blog on October 7, 2011 at 1:30am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Keeping Farm Issues on the Election Agenda

By Nathan Stevens

September 30, 2011

 

In just a few short days many Ontarians will be heading to the polls in order to cast their vote in this year’s provincial election. There are serious issues for rural Ontario as they head to the ballot box on election day. The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has a number of issues that we feel need to be addressed by our future government.

 

The Christian Farmers strongly supports Environmental Goods and Services. We hope that… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on September 30, 2011 at 3:41am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Discussing the Merits and Reforms of Marketing Systems

By John Clement

September 23, 2011

 

Over the past few weeks, my colleague Nathan Stevens has been discussing different dimensions of supply managed marketing systems for agricultural products. In particular, he’s been responding to comments made by Andrew Coyne, a columnist for MacLean’s magazine. As the commentary series progressed, we had a number of readers correspond with us about why the organization chooses to become involved in a debate about supply… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on September 23, 2011 at 3:41am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: The $25,000 Cow - The Rest of the Story (part 3)

By Nathan Stevens

September 16, 2011

 

Andrew Coyne, one of Canada’s most respected journalists, has garnered a lot of attention in his recent article in Maclean’s that turned a harsh eye towards supply management. He makes a number of strong assertions in his article that are worthy of further discussion. This is the third in a series of commentaries that will provide counter-points to those assertions, this time focusing on trade and a final comment on the necessity for… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on September 16, 2011 at 1:37am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary The $25,000 Cow - The Rest of the Story (part 2)

By Nathan Stevens

September 9, 2011

 

Andrew Coyne, one of Canada’s most respected journalists, has garnered a lot of attention in his recent article in Maclean’s that turned a harsh eye towards supply management. He makes a number of strong assertions in his article that are worthy of further discussion. This is the second in a series of commentaries that will provide counter-points to those assertions, this time focusing on trends towards higher prices and fewer… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on September 9, 2011 at 2:34am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: The $25,000 Cow - The Rest of the Story (part 1)

By Nathan Stevens

September 2, 2011

 

Andrew Coyne, one of Canada’s most respected journalists, has garnered a lot of attention in his recent article in Maclean’s that turned a harsh eye towards supply management. He makes a number of strong assertions in his article that are worthy of further discussion. This is the first in a series of commentaries that will provide counter-points to those assertions, this time focusing on why there are different rules for different… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on September 2, 2011 at 5:42am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Creating New Options for Preserving our Top Farmland

By John Clement

August 26, 2011

 

Farmland preservation is a key component in keeping a strong and vigorous agricultural sector. And with Ontario having one of the biggest agriculture and food clusters in North America, it only makes sense that our citizens be proactive in ensuring that we do our best to preserve and maintain our best farmland.

 

The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has a long history of advocating for farmland preservation. We’ve taken up the fight… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on August 26, 2011 at 1:51am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: Fairness in Farming Is Never Far From the Surface in Most Discussions

By John Clement

August 12, 2011

 

The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario places a lot of emphasis on values. And, arguably, one of the biggest and most constant values for most of our members comes down to “fairness.” It’s not always stated upfront when our members engage each other at committee meetings and seminars, but it’s a steady presupposition that drives a good deal of conversation.

Over the years, many CFFO conversations and position statements have emphasized the… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on August 12, 2011 at 2:59am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: New Compensation for Wildlife Damage a Welcome Update

By Nathan Stevens

August 5, 2011

 

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs recently announced that the 30-year old wildlife damage compensation program has finally been updated. This has been an important issue for members of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario over the last number of years, and as an organization we are pleased that this could finally be updated. This is a solid step forward in balancing the broad number of goals desired by society… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on August 5, 2011 at 1:32am — No Comments

The CFFO Commentary: The Discussion between Farmers and Urban Society Is Constant and Changing

By John Clement

July 29, 2011

 

A decade or more ago, the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario hosted a number of seminars and other events centered on the theme of “Farming in the Park.” The title was kind of a cheeky expression designed to attract people’s attention and get them thinking about critical issues in farming. The key issue at the root of the discussion was the ongoing relationship between farmers and urban society.

 

During that time, the interest… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on July 29, 2011 at 2:00am — No Comments

Energy Planks Need Close Scrutiny in Coming Election

By Nathan Stevens

July 22, 2011

 

The Ontario election is looming for Ontario’s politicians and the voting public. Energy is emerging as “the” hot button topic for many voters. The big question is how we are going to organize a sustainable energy system that truly considers the economic, environmental and social consequences.

 

There is a need for broad deliberations regarding this province’s energy policy. In particular, balance needs to be struck to accommodate both long… Continue

Added by CFFO Blog on July 22, 2011 at 4:30am — No Comments

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

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

Key International Export Markets See Significant Agri-Food Volume Increase

Algeria, Indonesia and Morocco, three of Saskatchewan's key international markets, saw significant increases in provincial agri-food exports in 2023 over, the previous year. "The increase in exports to important international markets like Algeria, Indonesia and Morocco are yet another example of our agriculture sector's resiliency and dedication to providing reliable, high-quality agri-food products worldwide," Agriculture Minister David Marit said. "Numbers like these showcase the success we are seeing through our presence in world markets and building key relationships with our partners across the globe." Exports to Algeria had the third-highest increase in volume among Saskatchewan's top markets at 1,232,110 tonnes, or over 69 per cent. Algeria is Saskatchewan's fourth-leading market in volume with the top export commodities being durum and lentils. Indonesia's export numbers had a similar rise with an over 62 per cent increase in volume. Indonesia rose to Saskatchewan's sixth-

Supporting Research and Innovation in Agriculture with Funding for 101 New Projects

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing $16.3 million in grant funding under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to support 101 projects under the Research and Innovation Program over the next three years, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today. “Folks around the world are looking for more sustainable agri-food products and I know our producers can deliver,” said MacAulay. “By investing in research and innovation across the value chain, we can address current and future challenges and help make sure the sector remains resilient, competitive, and efficient.” The funding will go towards research and capacity building to accelerate innovation in agriculture in Manitoba, supporting companies that are leading innovative research and putting Manitoba at the forefront of sustainable agriculture research. “Research and innovation drives growth and economic de

Low to Moderate Risk of Significant Spring Flooding for Manitoba

Manitoba is facing just a low to moderate risk of significant spring flooding this year, according to the provincial Hydrological Forecast Centre. With normal- to below-normal soil moisture at freeze-up and well-below-normal to above-normal winter precipitation for most Manitoba basins, the March Flood Outlook report on Tuesday said the risk of significant spring flooding is low to moderate for most Manitoba basins. Water levels are expected to remain below dikes and community or individual flood protection levels. The spring flooding risk is low for the Red River and tributaries, low to moderate for the Assiniboine River and tributaries and the Interlake region including the Icelandic and Fisher rivers; and generally low for the Souris, Qu’Appelle, Rat, Roseau, Pembina, Saskatchewan and Churchill river basins, and the Whiteshell Lakes region. Most Manitoba lake levels are normal to below normal and forecasted to remain within their operating range after the spring runoff, the out

Potato planting in peril: Irish farmers face uncertain future amidst wet weather woes

In a concerning turn for the Irish potato industry, farmers across the nation are grappling with a pressing dilemma due to unrelenting rainfalls. The situation has left them in a state of uncertainty, as they question whether planting their crops this year is a feasible option, as Louise Walsh reports in a news story published on breakingnews.ie.

CPMA announces the 2024 PFP participants

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is proud to announce 20 rising stars who will participate in the 2024 Passion for Produce (PFP) program in Vancouver.

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