Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP North American Study Tour – Detroit

Today was another great day on #NAST2014.

We started our day at Detroit’s Eastern market, and went on a tour of the local area around the farmer’s market. We heard about and saw some of the local restoration going on in the form of a greenway and bike path. The people in this community are working tirelessly to improve their city by improving everything from access to fresh, healthy food, to green spaces where the community can come together for shopping, eating and exercising.

Following this tour, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to have a meeting with the Deputy Mayor of Detroit, Mr. Isaiah “Ike” McKinnon. We heard first-hand from this retired Police Chief and former University Professor about his love for Detroit, and how Detroiters are “fighters.” The challenges facing this city are seemingly insurmountable (un employment of around 27% at the height of the financial crisis, around 70,000 abandoned and burned houses to be torn down, a violent crime rate of 5 times the national average, a population that declined from 2 million in the 1950’s to its current 700,000, etc.), but this man, along with the team he and mayor Mike Duggan have assembled are up to the task. From their employment initiatives, “blight removal” of uninhabited buildings, and the re-turning on of broken street lights at the rate of 500 + per week, Detroit’s future looks as bright as the streets now look!

Following this insightful meeting, we learned about urban agricultural initiatives being undertaken in Detroit by groups like our host, FoodPLUS Detroit. After hearing of how these wonderful people engage their local communities to work on things like food security, resource efficiency, economic prosperity, and social justice.

Next we were off to visit one of the local farms that partner with FoodPLUS Detroit, D Town farm. D Town farm is a local urban farm that grows vegetables and greens using organic farming methods, and that uses its farm and property to encourage and teach other young, aspiring urban farmers about production and marketing opportunities.

We’re excited for more days of learning and experiences on this #NAST2014. 

Views: 185

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by Roadrunner on July 13, 2014 at 6:15am

Wow, I am glad you visited Detroit to see how different things can be across a river.

I am always amazed at how bad things have become for a lot of people in Detroit.

I wish them well in their renewal.

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

*Webinars* Strategies for Reducing Calf Losses: Veterinary Insights from Across Canada

Are calf losses cutting into your beef operation’s productivity and profitability? You are not alone! The BCRC is hosting two 90-minute webinars featuring veterinarians from across Canada who work directly with cow-calf operations like yours. A March 18 webinar will feature veterinarians who work with Eastern Canadian cow-calf operations, sharing insights on practical prevention strategies to implement before, during and after calving to increase calf survivability. During the March 25 webinar, Western Canadian veterinarians will outline regionally relevant approaches for reducing calf losses, highlighting essential pre-calving strategies and practical management techniques to use during calving to help ensure healthier outcomes for both cows and calves.   Both webinars will include an extended Q&A session, giving you plenty of time to ask questions. Each webinar will also be available for?one continuing education (CE) credit for veterinarians and registered veterinary technologists

China halts tariffs on some Canadian ag

Some Canadian ag products will have tariff-free access to China as of March 1

Farmers Face Harsh Truths While Refusing to Abandon Their Way of Life

A recent post on social media by a friend asked to add a line from a movie that fans of it would instantly recognize. One of my contributions was, “You can’t handle the truth.” While that line came in a courtroom scene from one of my favorite movies with Jack Nicholson yelling it at Tom Cruise, it actually got me thinking about farming. Many of us who grew up on a farm have seen both good and tough times. That is the truth. But what are we currently experiencing and can we handle these truths? American Farm Bureau recently said there was a 46% increase in farm bankruptcies in 2025. That’s pretty sobering. Those of us who grew up during the farm crisis in the 1980s, when more than 250,000 farmers filed for bankruptcy, never want to hear about someone losing a farm. For a few years I’ve personally been concerned about what’s happening in our farming communities. Interest rates have been plenty high; input costs don’t seem to come down when market prices do. Farmers have always been pr

As US agriculture flails, farmers see big corn acres as best bet to break even

U.S. farmers, though punished by slumping prices after last year’s monster corn harvest, are expected to cut back only slightly on their plantings of the grain in 2026 as they brace for a fourth straight year of narrow profit margins or even losses. Farmers expect corn, the most widely grown U.S. crop, to hew close to break-even levels this year, supported by strong usage. Some see soybeans as riskier, given rising competition from Brazil and a volatile U.S. trade relationship with top buyer China. “Right now, you absolutely cannot make money on beans,” said Tim Gregerson, who farms in eastern Nebraska. “You can probably break even on corn, but you are going to have to have an extraordinary yield, or a price increase,” Gregerson said. Most growers in America’s Midwest farm belt grow both crops, alternating what gets planted on each field from year to year to boost soil health. Many add wheat, sorghum, cotton or other crops to their rotations. But among farmers who have some flexible

This is Agriculture: Producer, advocate, industry leader

Jill Verwey lives and breathes agriculture. Her roots growing up on a mixed grain and cattle operation in rural Manitoba lend themselves well to her current roles – the office manager for Verwey Farms Ltd., president of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), and first vice president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA). Jill’s pride in Canadian agriculture is unmistakable. Learn more about her career and advocacy journey below. Describe your job or product in one sentence. My role includes managing the day-to-day administration and financial operations of our family farm, overseeing food and animal safety and human resources, and representing agricultural producers provincially and nationally through leadership roles with KAP, CFA, and various boards and advisory groups. Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment? I grew up in rural Manitoba on a mixed grain and cattle operation. I have been married for 32 years, and my husband and I are involved in

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service