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 DC’s business district. First up were morning sessions where AALP was joined by the IOWA LEAD program participants for a presentation with Monsanto’s Dr. Michael Dykes, US Government Affairs. He was an interesting presenter to say the least as he discussed current strengths and opportunities, general background info with respect to Monsanto and agriculture as partners. “If you haven’t been on a farm in the last 5-10 years, you don’t know production ag,” stated Dykes. A discussion on current issues concluded the time we had with Dr. Dykes.

We then had an opportunity to have a group discussion between our AALP class and the IOWA LEAD team, where we talked about similarities and differences, as well as sharing experiences by the two groups. The IOWA team has a similar two-year program meeting every 8 to 12 weeks. Their international trip took them to Vietnam and South Korea, which provoked many conversations between the various delegates.

Then it was off to lunch and then on to our afternoon destination, the Canadian Embassy. Because we are all in our best dress for this visit, our bus driver “Paul” agreed to pick us up and drive us 20 blocks to avoid the unbearable humidity. However half way there we had an incident with a car that was trying to travel beside the bus on a curve…we’ll just leave it at that.

It was now off to the Canadian Embassy, a very large and impressive building. At the embassy we were welcomed by Dr. Gary A. Bojes, from the USDA rural development board, Mary Kay Thatcher and Tara Smith from the US Farm Bureau and Chris Leggett, Pam Simpson, Paul Robertson and Anne Mattson from the Embassy. Our visit wrapped up with an interesting tour of the building and its various floors and departments given by Glen the embassy’s event planner. The visit to the sixth floor provided a spectacular view of Capitol Hill.

Mary Kay Thatcher and Tara Smith spoke about COOL (Country of Origin Labeling) saying that “COOL is not currently being discussed at any level outside of hogs and beef.” When it comes to the issues pertaining to the American Humane Society, “WTO talks continue to go nowhere - Canada is able to move forward and implement trade agreements with countries like Columbia and Korea, while the US falls behind as Obama refuses to send signed trade agreements to the hill.” Clinton Buttar, Guelph ON said, “Each of these topics is at the forefront of importance for Canadian agriculture and provide perspective with regards to the current state and challenges of U.S Agriculture and their #1 trading partner Canada.”

Drew Spoelstra, Binbrook ON reflected on the day’s speakers and concluded, “There was a definite message coming from each of the speakers today when they spoke about the remarkable change in the agriculture industry. The main message is that we have to get out there and get our message heard by both the public and our local representatives.”

Clinton Buttar, Rick Kush, Drew Spoelstra – AALP Class 13

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

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

Cannabis stocks surge after reports of Trump planning to ease federal restrictions

Shares in Canada’s cannabis companies surged after reports U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to ease federal restrictions on the drug. The Washington Post first reported that the president is expected to direct agencies to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug. The move would make it similar to some common prescription painkillers, the newspaper says. A reclassification of the drug in the U.S. could offer an opportunity for Canadian cannabis companies to expand their businesses stateside. Shares of Tilray Brands Inc. jumped 29 per cent or $3.35 to $14.94 in mid-morning trading Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange, while Canopy Growth Corp. shares were up 32 per cent or 49 cents at $2.07. Aurora Cannabis Inc. shares were up 13 per cent and Organigram Global Inc. was up nearly 10 per cent. While many states have passed laws legalizing cannabis for adult use in the U.S., federally it remains a Schedule I drug, the same category as heroin and LSD. This report by The Cana

USDA Raises World Rapeseed Production to New High

Thanks mainly to a record large Canadian crop, 2025-26 global rapeseed output is estimated by the USDA at a new peak as well. The USDA this week pegged world rapeseed production for the current marketing year at 95.27 million tonnes. That’s up 3 million tonnes or 3.25% from last month’s projection and now sits almost 9.3 million or 10.8% above the 2024-25 global crop of 86 million. The rebound comes after the 2024-25 crop was hit by poor weather in major producing countries. The USDA has raised its 2025-26 Canadian rapeseed (canola) production estimate to 22 million tonnes, up 2 million from its November forecast, following updated Statistics Canada data released last week. The survey-based StatsCan report pegged national canola output at 21.803 million tonnes, up about 1.7 million from the federal agency’s model-based September projection and now 13.3% above the 2024 crop of 19.239 million. If accurate, it would be the largest crop on record, surpassing the 2017 crop of 21.458 m

New CDC Oat and Barley Varieties Gain Momentum With Prairie Growers

For more than two decades, Aaron Beattie has been a driving force behind some of Western Canada’s most prominent oat and barley varieties. Based at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC), Beattie continues to shape the future of Prairie cereals — work that increasingly impacts growers in Alberta. Beattie’s latest oat material, showcased earlier this year at the meetings of the Prairie Grain Development Committee in Winnipeg, continues to deliver standout performance. “OT3125 did perform really well again this summer. So it is still up there — over 10% higher than Camden,” he says. While the variety does not yet have a commercial name, Beattie expects significant discussion around it next year as it moves further into promotion and industry awareness. Momentum in the Market Beyond pipeline material, several CDC varieties are gaining traction with Prairie growers. “CDC Anson really took a big jump this year, from no acres to about 10% of the oat acres all in

Why Midge Tolerant Wheat is Sold as a Blend — and Why it Matters for Spring 2026

Unexpected wheat midge outbreaks across Western Canada highlight why the varietal blend remains essential. As farmers look ahead to spring, it’s a good time to revisit the cornerstone of protecting the Sm1 (midge tolerant) wheat gene: understanding why Midge Tolerant Wheat is sold as a varietal blend. In these blends, a variety of Midge Tolerant Wheat is mixed in with a small amount (10%) of wheat that isn’t tolerant to the wheat midge. That is, it doesn’t contain the gene Sm1, the source of genetic resistance. These non-tolerant wheat plants serve as a “refuge” to ensure the wheat midge doesn’t develop resistance to the Sm1 gene. “You never know when the wheat midge is going to strike or where it’s going to strike,” says Tyler Wist, an entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). “Sometimes it’s predicted to be a low-risk year, and then the rains come at just the right time and — boom — population explosion.” Wheat Midge Can Appear When Least Expected Forecasting too

This is Agriculture: Training Coordinator

There are an abundance of different careers in agriculture, and Angela Pearen has tried several of them. Now the coordinator of the agriculture extension programs at Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment, Assiniboine College, Angela has also worked helping producers diversify their farm income, and held positions in rural leadership, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning with Manitoba Agriculture. She says her role at Assiniboine College brings her back to the work she loves the most. Describe your job or product in one sentence. I coordinate training programs for people working in the ag industry and those that support the ag industry. Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment? I grew up in the Roseland district, southwest of Brandon on an acreage. We crop shared with our land neighbours and my parents still crop share with the next generations of that family – it’s been over 50 years. What was your dream job when you were a kid? The

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service