Ontario Agriculture

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AALP's Blog – July 2016 Archive (11)

AALP Class 16 Interacts with Leaders in Canada and the United States

Guelph, ON, July 25, 2016 - Over 10 days in early July, the future agricultural leaders that make up the current Advanced Agriculture Leadership (AALP) class were exposed to interactive learning through their North America Study Tour (NAST).



The 2016 NAST included stops in Eastern Ontario, Quebec, New York State, Washington DC, Maryland and Pennsylvania focusing on production challenges, unique marketing initiatives, environmental obligations and the evolving concept of social…

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Added by AALP on July 28, 2016 at 4:02am — No Comments

Heading home

As we pack up the bus for the last time open, we begin to prepare for the long ride home. Many are excited to see their family and friends, to share their experiences during our NAST and to get back to normal life.

We start off our journey with off the cuff (impromptu) speaking, responding to questions about our thoughts regarding specific speakers and stops along our travels. We hear members reflect on the importance of the relationship between Canada and the USA, our…

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Added by AALP on July 13, 2016 at 7:00am — No Comments

Learning the RULEs of Leadership at State College, Pennsylvania

Today marks our ninth stop on this “Amazing Race across North America.” We’ve parked our bus at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania, for a joint day of leadership learning with the RULE participants and alumni of Pennsylvania. RULE stands for “Rural Urban Leadership” and they’re currently in their 16th class of participants, just like us…

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Added by AALP on July 12, 2016 at 3:00am — No Comments

Day 8: Out with a bang! Battles, beers and baseball

The day started off early with a 6:30 departure from Alexandria, Virginia, with a two-hour drive to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Our in-flight service was compliments of Tom and Robin and consisted of snacks, moist towelettes and…

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Added by AALP on July 11, 2016 at 4:30am — 1 Comment

Day 7: Talking about the rural/urban divide

We started the day bright eyed, bushy tailed, and ready to learn!! First stop was at the Chestertown Town Hall where Nancy Nunn, Educator, Outreach, and Advancement Coordinator at the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, and Kees de Mooy, Zoning Administrator for the Town of Chestertown, spoke to us about the history, troubles and opportunities of Chestertown.…

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Added by AALP on July 10, 2016 at 3:00am — No Comments

Day 6: A day at the Canadian Embassy

Our day began with a fabulous breakfast at the Crown Plaza hotel. We boarded the bus and were reminded a few times by our daily coordinators, Ann Vermeersch and Dylan Wiens, not to forget our passports for the Embassy. We arrived safely at the Canadian Embassy, driven, of course, by our spectacular bus driver Nancy, where we were reminded once again – do not forget your passports!…

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Added by AALP on July 9, 2016 at 2:30am — No Comments

Day 5: The rich history of Washington, DC

Thursday morning started with an early breakfast so Nancy could get us on the road and headed towards Washington to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.



Once on the bus, we all enjoyed some quiet time to catch a few zzzz’s for the first hour or so to help prepare us for the busy schedule we have over the next few days. Throughout the morning we had the opportunity to meet with our Issues Analysis Project teams to…

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Added by AALP on July 8, 2016 at 5:30am — No Comments

Day 4: From melons to margaritas

AALP Class 16 started Day 4 of our North American Study Tour in the New York State capital of Albany with a breakfast speaker. Jackie Lendrum from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation shared her experiences with water quality regulations and issues primarily with dairy farms in the state. Dairy is the…

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Added by AALP on July 7, 2016 at 7:30am — No Comments

Day 3: More farms and fun in Quebec

After participating in the famous local tradition that is Montreal International Jazz Festival, the class packed up and headed for the border, making stops along the way before crossing.

The first stop was La Ferme Quinn, a 150-acre…

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Added by AALP on July 6, 2016 at 5:00am — No Comments

Day 2: A day at the Farm

As the chariot pulled away from the Crown Plaza in Montreal this group of AALP participants knew they were in for an info-packed day starting off with McGill MacDonald Campus.

We all have our favourite post-secondary campus, but many participants on the…

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Added by AALP on July 5, 2016 at 4:03am — No Comments

Day 1: The journey begins

With blue skies and sun, we couldn’t have asked for a better day to start our North American Study Tour. The majority of the class gathered at the Rural Ontario Institute parking lot and we are thrilled to reunite with our classmates, and to see that our chariot is NOT a yellow school bus but in fact a coach bus. After Andy McTaggart confirms that all are present -- although it takes a couple of counts -- we start off on the first…

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Added by AALP on July 4, 2016 at 3:30am — No Comments

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

Winter Wheat Harvest Nears Two-Thirds Complete; Spring Wheat Condition Rebounds

Almost two-thirds of the 2025 American winter wheat crop is now in the bin, while the condition of the spring wheat rebounded from the previous week’s drop. According to Monday’s USDA crop progress report, the national winter wheat harvest advanced 10 points to reach 63% complete as of Sunday. That’s near the five-year average of 64% but still 7 points behind last year. Meanwhile, the spring wheat crop was rated 54% good to excellent as of Sunday, up 4 points on the week and more than recovering all the previous week’s 3-point decline. However, the condition of the crop continues to lag well behind 77% good to excellent last year. In the top winter wheat production state of Kansas, the harvest gained 11 points to 93% complete as of Sunday, 3 points behind last year but 5 points ahead of the state average. The Oklahoma harvest is close to wrapping up, also advancing 11 points from a week earlier to 94% done, behind both last year and the average. The harvest in the Soft Red state

Biogas pitched to turn farm waste into renewable energy

McGill University researcher Anjaly Paul says that converting farm waste into biogas and organic fertilizer through anaerobic digestion could provide farmers with additional income and support Canada’s net-zero emissions goals. Photo: Acilo/IStock/Getty Images Canadian farms could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while generating renewable energy by converting agricultural waste into biogas, a McGill University doctoral student said. Anaerobic digestion could transform livestock manure and crop residues that would otherwise decompose in landfills into valuable resources, said Anjaly Paul. What if we could use these leftovers to power a greenhouse, fuel a tractor, or even replace synthetic fertilizers with organic ones?” Canada’s agriculture sector is being pushed by both consumers and policy makers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Much of that conversation has centred around farm efficiency, from 4R fertilizer management and precision agriculture to new products, su

Wotherspoon launching tour, calls for action on drought

The NDP’s Deputy Agriculture critic Trent Wotherspoon is set to hit the road to meet producers and leaders in areas of the province ravaged by drought conditions. Wotherspoon will be going to five rural municipalities including the Rural Municipality of Big Stick, which declared a local emergency last month, as well as Waverley, Maple Creek, Enterprise and Fox Valley.  He plans to meet producers and local leaders and hear from them about how farm and ranch operations are being hit. “Really, what we're seeing in this province right now, in parts of this province, you know, if you look at the southwest, is utter devastation caused by drought,” said Wotherspoon.  “Drought conditions are deep. Feed is non-existent. Water is scarce. And the pressure on farm and ranch families is building by the day.” Wotherspoon particularly noted that in the southwest, the drought “has been protracted, a severe drought going on nine years. This is a very serious situation. These aren't just tough year

Fresh, local, and in season: it’s Ontario fruit’s time to shine

With summer in full swing, so too is the sweet season of Ontario fruits — fresh from the orchard, grove, bush, field or vineyard.

BC vote regarding apple commission extended to July 21

A historic vote is underway for BC’s apple growers on whether they wish to see an apple marketing commission. BC agriculture minister Lana Popham has given thumbs-up on the proposal. If the vote passes with a majority, then next steps would lie with her ministry in terms of establishing legislation under BC’s Natural Products Marketing Act. 

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