Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

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 buried under a foot of soil, but although I like seeing the ground fit, it is too cold to plant and I am beginning to wonder if this is a sign of a dry year to come.

I can change a lot of things, the weather is not one of them, so I gladly accept it for what it is and make the best of it.

When things are so dry soil compaction is not a big concern, but that is what I have been working on.  A few new culverts on the home farm will allow me to haul grain out at five points instead of 3, this cuts the number of feet wagons are hauled in the field in more than half.  Now to accomplish this I will be farming the property at 90 degrees to the last 30+ years, and across the tiles.  Not sure if a more east-west orientation will have much impact on the yield, I have heard support for every direction, but I do know using the road more will mean driving on the farm less - and thats less soil compaction.  So if the weather does turn to wet, I am ready for it - or more likely ready to wait until it is fit as I should.   

So if the forecast holds true, I will likely burn a few vacation days next week to get the corn in the ground.  Its an exciting time of year.  This is the moment to get everything started off right, or to make troubles for the rest of the season.  My Grandfather often told me "take your time, get it just the way you want it before you plant".  That was good advice.  If the field isn't level for some reason that bump will line up perfectly with the wheels of the tractor when you spray, and will be completely invisible until the combine header is half full of dirt.  Not this year, its going to be TOTALY right before the seeds go in the ground.  

On the down side, I fully admit my farm is too big for part time.  The full time job seems to always be in the way of getting things done.  And when you go three straight weeks without taking any time off, it wears a man down.  And the real work hasn't even begun.  

For those who caught my last post, when leaving 5 feet extra space between sprayer passes you get a 2 foot wide green strip.  Which means i will leave at least 3 feet extra space between the edge of the sprayer and a non compatible crop.  Good to know when some crop is round-up ready and some is not.  It also means I didn't bother to go back and spray those strips of volunteer wheat.  Hope it doesn't cause plugging in the cultivator!  

Views: 139

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

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

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service