Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP Class 13 North American Study Tour Day 6

Where innovation meets history

July 10, 2010 - After an early rise and possibly leaving behind a member (who decided he would ride in a special seat on the bus) we headed for Mason Dixon Farms outside of Gettysburg, PA. The farm is located on each side of the Mason Dixon Line, the historical marker that separated the north and the south during the Civil War. While traveling, we debated the pros and cons of the Marcellus Shale. Rick Upfold, AALP Curriculum Adviser elected the con’s group as winner, after using the oldest trick in the book, a sensationalist picture!

The fourth generation dairy farmer showed us that even at 80 years of age you still need to have fun with life. Through an enthusiastic tour, he showed us all the developments and innovations that happened over the years on his farm. The group was impressed by the self sufficiency of the operation and definitely of the farm size. Dick Waybright challenged us in many ways, including that one shouldn’t be happy with status quo. He also shared that, “Canadians are doing a lot of things right.”

Visiting Gettysburg brought a great deal of emotion to the group. Morgan Freeman’s narration awed us by bringing history to life. We stood quiet in front of the largest mural in America. Then a guide took us on a bus tour through the battlefield and explained about all of the casualties and tactics in such a way that allowed us to visualize this turning point in America’s history. Over three days in July 1863, 50,000 soldiers and volunteers died, making this battle the bloodiest on American soil.

This visit sets the stage for the next part of our trip in the nation’s capital, where we will visit the Holocaust Museum, which will be sure to bring out even more powerful emotions within us. But for tonight we celebrate a friend’s happiness by enjoying some local sites in old town Washington. Cheers!

Andrew Chisholm, Doug Eng and Andre Roy – AALP Class 13

Views: 41

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

‘It’s another blow’: Farmers deal with surging fertilizer prices ahead of seeding

Fertilizer is an essential part of Kevin Peters’ farm in southwestern Manitoba. But since Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran, the average price of urea fertilizer, which is widely used around the world, has skyrocketed, surging around 30 per cent over the last week. Peters says the interruption in supply didn’t come as a huge surprise to him. “We deal with geopolitical issues all the time with markets, be it pork, be it grain, and now fertilizer,” he said. “There’s always some disruption seeming to happen somewhere in the world that is changing our daily prices.” Peters says he pre-purchased his fertilizer for this farming season back in the fall but is concerned about prices later this year when he has to buy fertilizer again. “We’ll see what the market looks like in eight months,” he said. Like Peters, Andrew James also pre-bought his fertilizer in the fall for his farm in Anola, Man., and he says he is happy he did. “My fertilizer bill for that (at the time) was around $350,00

From a Piece of Wire to Contaminated Feed: Preventing Foreign Material Hazards in Beef Cattle Operations

Foreign material and toxin consumption by beef cattle can lead to significant health problems, reduced performance and economic losses. Canadian cattle producers take great pride and care in how they manage their farms and ranches, from providing proper nutrition to stewarding their land and ensuring excellent animal care. Yet even with the best intentions, foreign materials and toxins can quietly find their way into feed, water or pastures. Understanding where they come from and how to prevent exposure is a key part of protecting your herd. Foreign materials and toxins often slip in through everyday farm activities such as repairing fences, running equipment, feeding hay or dealing with weather-stressed crops. A small piece of wire, leftover net wrap or contaminated feed source might not seem like much, but if consumed by cattle, it can trigger health issues, lost performance or even death. Understanding Hardware Disease When cattle consume sharp metal objects like nails or pieces

Farmers Balance Costs and Technology Investments - Tractor Sales Down

Tractor sales fell across most categories in February, but strong combine demand highlights farmers’ continued investment in productivity boosting technology.

Crude Oil and Natural Gas Outlook - What Farmers Need to Know in 2026–2027

Brent crude prices surge as Middle East conflict disrupts supply. See the 2026–2027 outlook for oil, natural gas, and electricity—and what it means for U.S. agriculture

Principal field crop areas, 2026

Canadian farmers expect to plant more canola, barley, soybeans and corn for grain in 2026, while they anticipate area seeded to wheat, oats, lentils and dry peas to decrease compared with the previous year. Wheat At the national level, farmers anticipate planting 26.7 million acres of wheat in 2026, down 1.1% from the previous year. If this anticipation is realized, national wheat area would remain well above the five-year average, despite a decrease from 2025, which would likely be attributable to continued strong global demand. Producers expect spring wheat area to edge down 0.1% to 18.8 million acres in 2026. They anticipate durum wheat area to decrease 2.4% to 6.4 million acres, while they expect winter wheat area to fall 6.7% to 1.6 million acres. Farmers in Saskatchewan anticipate planting 13.9 million acres of wheat in 2026, down 1.0% from the previous year. Producers expect spring wheat area to fall 0.6% to 8.7 million acres, while they anticipate durum wheat area to remain

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service