Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Being inspired - a great day on AALP's North American Study Tour

The FFA Creed - as applicable now as when it was written in 1930

After staying with some terrific families in their homes, AALP Class 15 traveled to the National FFA Center in Indianapolis. For some of us, this was the first introduction to the FFA while others had a more in depth understanding of who they are. We learned that FFA goes through the school system, starting in middle school, and to have a chapter the school must have some sort of agricultural educational component. The membership dues are only $5 and in some states, this cost is covered by the school system. They have 579,678 members and 4,570 chapters in the US. The national FFA convention has almost 63,000 attendees!! Wow. 

We then visited Elanco. Its mission is inspiring: "Food and companionship enriching life". They use technology and innovation in the world of animal health protection, nutrition and quality of life to make a difference in agriculture. Quality assurance is important to the company as a deferential factor in the business. Elanco is bridging the gap between what goes in the animal to the family table, and in order to do this food safety has to be at the top of the list.  

Elanco is leading the ENOUGH campaign to bring more awareness to world hunger and food security issues. You can learn more about the initiative at sensibletable.com.  

We participated in a discussion with a graduate of an ag leadership program in the area who gave some insight on the experience: "It's the small things that make a difference and journal everything so weeks later revisiting it will give a different perspective."

We then embarked on our long plane ride to Washington  DC, Stay tuned for a great blog tomorrow!!

Be sure to follow along with the class on Twitter #NAST2014.

 

 

 

 

 

Views: 155

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by OntAG Admin on July 10, 2014 at 4:56am

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

OFCAF Producer Perspective on Virtual Fencing – Cody Claypool

On a cold Alberta night, few jobs are less appealing than heading out to move polywire so cattle can keep making the most of a swath-grazing field. For producer Cody Claypool, virtual fencing offered a way to reduce that winter labour while still controlling how his herd accessed feed and helping capture the full value of swath grazing. Instead of bundling up in the dark to shift electric fence, Cody could check his cattle’s movements from the comfort of home — even in the middle of the night — and make management decisions from his phone. That practical fit is what made the technology worth trying on the Claypool operation, where Cody manages a herd of approximately 400 cattle and is always looking for ways to make grazing more efficient without adding more hours to already full winter days. Cody’s parents first learned about virtual fencing at an Alberta Stockgrowers meeting, where RDAR CEO Mark Redmond and Olds Researcher Briana Elliot gave presentations. Their interest was piqued

British Columbia organizations coming together to boost skills and talent training in Canadian food and ingredient ecosystem

As Canada works to reach its full opportunity to do more with what it grows, there’s an increasing need to train and produce skilled workers across the food production and value-added agriculture value-chain. Today, to help address this need, Protein Industries Canada is announcing a new project with BC Food & Beverage (BCFB), the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Cultivated Food Labs (CFL), to develop and deliver a new coordinated skills training program. Canada’s ability to Make More Here presents an opportunity to unlock $25 billion in GDP and upwards of 17,000 new innovation-based jobs. BCFB, UBC and CFL are combining their expertise to ensure enough skilled talent is ready to fill these jobs, providing companies across Canada with the workforce needed to help reach new growth potential and new markets. “A strong and resilient agri-food sector depends on a highly skilled workforce,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada

Barn Boards and Baling Wire

One morning when we still lived on the farm, I looked out the front window and saw the barn door was open. A horse was standing by the corn crib not 10 feet from the road. It wasn’t my horse, but still I had that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. We had rented out a stall to an Amish neighbor to board his horses for a month while he was doing some logging nearby. He paid the rent with several loads of firewood. As a bonus he spread some of that high-octane Percheron exhaust on the garden, so it was a good deal all around. The neighbor arrived within a few minutes to tend to the wayward horse, so it all ended well. But that sinking feeling brought back memories of all those times in my youth when somebody left a door or a gate unlocked and the cows got out – usually onto the road and almost always at the most inconvenient time. Chasing cows at three o’clock in the morning is not fun, especially when your school bus is due to arrive at 7 a.m. We came home recently after being

Grain Safety is Literally a Matter of Life and Death

BeGrainSafe Week encourages safe grain handling practices through education, rescue training, and awareness programs aimed at reducing preventable farm accidents across Canada.

Pre Harvest Glyphosate Timing Protects Crop Markets

Growers are encouraged to follow proper glyphosate application timing to reduce residue risks, protect grain quality, and maintain market access for canola, cereal, and pulse crops.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service