Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP class takes NASA

Houston, we have landed. On day two of the North American study tour AALP class 17 stopped in at NASA Johnson Space Center. We had the chance to see the historic mission control center where they navigated the first man to the moon, in addition to many other missions to space.

The control center, which closed in 1992, still features the speaker where many historic words were said – including “Houston, we have landed” and “We are on our way, Houston” – the first and last words spoken from the moon.

The mission control center is currently under renovation in preparation for the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon.

We took a ride through rocket park en route to the training centre where the astronauts train for missions to the International Space Station. It was an incredibly high tech facility full of Iron Man-like looking space suits.

Good thing we got lost on the way to our next stop – the Port of Houston – because we got to drive by a number of ‘small’ -- by Texan standards -- oil refineries. We finally arrived at the Port of Houston and had an impressive tour of one of the largest ports in the United States. 

Our last stop of the day was at the El Real Tex Mex restaurant where we were privileged to meet and hear from Mr. Joel Cowley, the President and CEO of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. This show is the largest in the world, with over 2 million people attending during the 3 weeks it runs each March.

Next Stop – College Station!

Views: 201

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

SaskOilseeds October Newsletter

Closing out the 2026 growing season With harvest nearing completion across Saskatchewan, canola and flax acres are among those still coming off the field. As of October 19, canola harvest was 96 per cent complete provincially, while flax was 88 per cent complete. Provincial yield estimates currently sit at 40 bu./ac. for canola and 26 bu./ac. for flax. Rain and snow slowed harvest and fall field work in many areas earlier this month, but the added moisture was beneficial for harvested acres heading into winter. Post-Harvest Storage & Agronomy Protect Your Harvest: Oilseed Storage A lot of work goes into getting a crop from the field to the bin, and every season looks a little different. These resources can help maintain quality in storage: Conditioning Tips for Stored Canola Factors that Increase Canola Storage Risk Tips for Drying Damp and Tough Canola Flax Harvest Preparing for Next Season Canola Disease Testing: Submit canola stem samples by October 30. Blackleg and verticilliu

Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health celebrates milestone 40th anniversary

The Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health (CCRAH) began more than four decades ago for a simple reason: to support the health and safety of rural and agricultural people in Saskatchewan. “Saskatchewan is the breadbasket of Canada. Agriculture and rural are what make Saskatchewan,” said Dr. Shelley Kirychuk (PhD), the current director of CCRAH. “We are rural, we represent agriculture, and we support the people that bring food to the world.” Where it started In the 1970s and ’80s, a phenomenon was noticed by Dr. James Dosman (MD), the eventual founding director of CCRAH. People who worked in grain elevators were reporting lung health issues due to grain dust exposure. These findings led to an International Symposium on Grain Dust and Health in the late ’70s, which eventually led to the development of a national grain dust medical surveillance program for Canada. From there, USask and the Saskatchewan Lung Association established the Centre for Agricultural Medicine in Ja

USask soil science class partners with Wanuskewin on restoration project

That was Jessica Gunn’s mantra when she put on waders and climbed chest-deep into the cool water of the opimihaw Creek at Wanuskewin Heritage Park in mid-September. Gunn was there with a group of University of Saskatchewan (USask) students who were engaging in a unique learning experience: constructing a beaver dam analog (BDA) in the creek. “A big part of why I wanted to do this course is because it’s so hands-on,” said Gunn, a third-year renewable resource management student who enrolled in SLSC 450.3: Practical and Applied Restoration, a soil science course taught by Dr. Katherine Stewart (PhD), an associate professor in USask’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources. For Gunn, the day at Wanuskewin was unlike any other school day she had experienced. “We had a great time as a class,” she said. “I feel like we learned so much.” The students were invited to Wanuskewin to help the park build a BDA — essentially a “starter” dam that beavers can take over and use to construct their

U.S. Canola Use Forecast to Jump 16% in 2026-27

U.S. canola use is forecast to climb sharply in the 2026-27 marketing year, supported by record domestic production, expanding crush capacity and rising demand for canola oil in biofuel manufacturing. According to the USDA's latest Oil Crops Outlook, total U.S. canola usage is projected to increase 16% from 2025-26, while domestic crushing is expected to rise 11% to 2.4 million tonnes. The stronger crush outlook reflects growing domestic demand for canola oil and meal, which has supported processing margins. A new crushing facility is also expected to be completed during 2026-27, adding to U.S. processing capacity. Meanwhile, U.S. canola oil use in biofuel production is forecast to surge to 2.54 million tonnes, up from 1.68 million tonnes last year, an increase of more than 50%. The USDA attributed the growth partly to stronger renewable fuel mandates for 2026 and 2027, along with new eligibility for the 45Z clean fuel production tax credit for biomass-based diesel made from No

Protect Grain Quality During Wet Harvests

Wet harvest conditions can increase the risk of OTA development in stored grains. Proper drying, cooling, cleaning, and monitoring help protect crop quality and value.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service