Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP Class 14 North American Study Tour - July 12, 2012

We were off to a comfortable start this morning, with Dave the bus driver ready to roll at 8:30 headed for the Wye research station. Once there we met Dr. Russell Brinsfield and Ken Staver who briefed us on the watershed issues surrounding the Chesapeake estuary, the body of fresh water with the largest land to water contact in North America. We discussed some of the intricacies and challenges encountered in monitoring phosphoric runoff and educating both those who influenced and those were influenced by this growing concern. As Canadians many of us came away from this discussion comforted by the policies and legislation that we already have in place to better address similar watershed issues on our side of the border. On our way to visiting a pilot project Wye research station was working on,which involved the feasibility of utilizing switch grass as a heating fuel source, we stopped by a few corn fields which were showing severe signs of drought stress from the hot dry weather that seems to be a common theme for most of North America this summer.

In the afternoon we visit St. Brigid's Dairy Farm.  Bob Fry and Judy Gifford provided an interesting power point about their 55 acre postage stamp size farm. This dairy operation is a grazed herd that uses a seasonal calving method. By doing this they are able to keep feed costs to 39% of their total expenses.  Besides the dairy 27% of their income was niche marketing of baby veal and market jersey beef. We were shocked that they were able to sell 4 month old jersey suckling calves for $400.  They were also able to use some of their cull cows as surrogate mothers for these calves.  Their market for these calves are restaurant based.  The farm contracts with Land O Lakes cooperative and a local cheese factory.  Bob and Judy are community minded and take time to educate youth in the community about agriculture by having tours and school visits and they have also hosted Farm to Fork charity dinners on the farm for the last five years. 

Judy arranged for us to go into the nearby town to "Scoop De Ville" for a delicious ice cream break.  Some of the class took a few minutes to peruse the antique shops across the street. 

On the way back to our hotel we made a stop for supper at the "Fish Whistle" a restaurant right on Chesapeake Bay for a taste of local seafood cuisine.

Kim McCaw, Marian Sterk, Wes Wiens - Class 14

Views: 188

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

Canada Launches Carbon Market Working Group and Agriculture Watches for Opportunities

Federal, provincial and territorial governments have launched a new working group to explore greater cooperation among Canada's carbon markets, farmers and agricultural organizations may be watching closely for future opportunities.

Ag Canada Raises Durum Export Forecast; Lowers Ending Stocks

Agriculture Canada has reduced its forecast for Canadian durum ending stocks in 2026-27 amid stronger-than-expected exports, while raising its average price outlook. In its October supply-demand update released Tuesday, Ag Canada lowered projected durum ending stocks by 150,000 tonnes from September to 1.35 million, reflecting an upward revision in expected exports, partially offset by lower anticipated domestic use. Despite the reduction, ending stocks are still projected above the 1.102 million tonnes carried out of 2025-26 and the 512,000 tonnes remaining at the end of 2024-25. Ag Canada increased its 2026-27 durum export forecast by 250,000 tonnes to 5.3 million, down 9% from last year's record but 15% above the five-year average. Meanwhile, expected domestic feed, waste and dockage use was reduced by 100,000 tonnes to 433,000 tonnes, partly offsetting the impact of higher exports on ending stocks. Canadian durum exports have started the crop year strongly, with 787,000 ton

Higher Diesel Prices Put Further Squeeze on Canadian Farm Margins: FCC Report

Record-high diesel prices are putting additional pressure on Canadian farm profitability and transportation costs, with consumers potentially facing higher grocery bills later this year, according to a new report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC). The FCC Economics report examines how elevated diesel prices are affecting Canada's agricultural supply chain, from farm production and livestock operations to transportation, food processing and retail. Using an assumed 80% increase in diesel prices from pre-Iran war levels, FCC estimates Saskatchewan grain producers could see crop margins reduced by $14 to $21/acre, depending on soil zone. That scenario compares diesel at $1.18/litre before the war with $2.13 this autumn. For a 5,000-acre farm, the additional fuel expense would range from $68,000 to $106,000. In Ontario, FCC estimated that an equivalent increase in diesel prices, from $1.28 to $2.30, could reduce corn and soybean margins by $16 to $30/acre, depending on crop and tillage s

Saskatchewan Harvest Virtually Now Complete

Mostly dry weather this past week pushed the 2026 Saskatchewan harvest to near completion. The weekly crop report on Thursday pegged the provincewide harvest at 97% complete as of Monday, up 4 points from the previous week and slightly behind 99% last year. Favourable weather allowed producers to make good progress, leaving only a small number of acres of later-seeded crops still standing, the report said. Harvest is furthest advanced in the southwest and west-central regions, where 99% of crops have been combined. The northern regions are 97% complete, followed by the east-central region at 96% and the southeast at 95%. Most major crops are now almost entirely harvested. Spring wheat, durum, barley, lentils and field peas are all 99% complete, while oats are 98% finished and canola is 96% done. The harvest of fall rye, winter wheat, triticale, mustard and chickpeas is complete. However, some later-maturing crops remain further behind, including flax at 88%, canary seed at 92%,

Understanding and Applying Canola Disease Diagnostic Results

Disease testing through Canola Diagnostic Services can confirm which diseases are present in a field, but knowing how to act on them can be challenging. The real value of diagnostic testing is understanding what those results mean and using that information to make informed management decisions to protect future canola crops. Blackleg and Verticillium In Manitoba Canola Growers’ Diagnostic Testing, blackleg and verticillium stripe results are combined into a single report. For each stem analyzed, the report indicates whether blackleg and verticillium stripe were detected. For verticillium stripe, the report includes an estimated DNA load and an infection category. DNA load reflects the amount of pathogen DNA detected in the sample and can vary depending on plant maturity at sampling. The infection category provides a general indication of disease presence, but it cannot be linked directly to yield loss as the relationship between infection and yield loss is still being researched.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service