The CFFO Commentary: Prognostications for Farming in 2011

Avian flu outbreak leads to quarantine of seven poultry farms in southwestern Ontario

Seven poultry farms in southwestern Ontario are currently under quarantine due to an avian flu outbreak. The premises under quarantine include four in Oxford County, two in Strathroy and one in North Middlesex, which are all located near London. Brian Stevens a pathologist at the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, which monitors disease in wildlife, believes the virus behind this outbreak could have been brought into the area from water fowl like mallards or ducks. Outbreaks of avian flu have been popping up in North America since it was detected in Canada in 2021, Stevens told the Star, and according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, it has since been detected in every province and territory. “It’s just been circulating in the wild bird population and it’s just been moving where the birds move,” said Stevens. As of Dec. 27, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) estimated more than 1 million birds had been impacted by avian flu in Ontario, and more than 15 million

COMMENTARY: Farmland preservation not just an Ontario priority

We’ve just come through the busy holiday season – and as much as this time is about family, friends and the start of a new year, it is also heavily centered around food. And so much of those special holidays meals are grown or produced right here at home, from meat, dairy and eggs to fruits, vegetables, grains and more. As a farmer in Binbrook, I take great pride in growing crops, raising beautiful horses and producing high quality milk and beef. I’m also president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and we know how important local food is to farmers and consumers alike. There are many activities, processes and resources that go into producing food, all of which are important. However, none of it would matter if we didn’t have the rich soils and fertile farmland that are the basis of our food production system. That’s where we are lucky in Ontario and in Canada: we are blessed with some of the world’s best farmland that lets us grow and raise almost anything – both for ourselve

Ford pitches Trump on grand energy plan in effort to avoid tariffs

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is pitching U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on a vision to supply the two nations with energy, as he positions himself as the country's protector amid a "lack of leadership" in Ottawa in the face of American tariff threats. Ford wants to see the province's grid expanded to allow more energy to be sent to the U.S. The premier is trumpeting Ontario's nuclear energy expertise to build more large and small modular nuclear reactors in partnership with the U.S. "It won't be easy and it won't happen overnight, but we owe it to workers in Ontario, across Canada and the U.S. to act now," Ford said. "Many of these initiatives will require the federal government to step up to ensure that energy, trade, and security policies serve the best interests of Canadians and Americans alike." Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods on his first day in office on Jan. 20 unless Canada tightens border security, with an emphasis on fentanyl traffic

Gallatin County issues initial $550,000 to help Amaltheia Dairy buy and preserve its farm

Amaltheia Organic Dairy received preliminary approval to use more than $550,000 in taxpayer dollars to help purchase its leased acreage in exchange for placing the farm into a conservation easement to preserve it in perpetuity. On Tuesday, the Gallatin County Commissioners approved their support for the easement, committing $552,000 in open-space funds and marking the first official step for Amaltheia before they can seal the deal in 2025. “We are very excited, we have farmed that land for 24 years and it’s pretty special, it’s a fabulous wildlife corridor,” Susan Brown, Amaltheia’s owner, told the Chronicle. “If we lost that and didn’t have grazing space ... it would be difficult to keep the goats on the 20 acres (that we own).” Along with four other conservation easements, the commissioners committed some $3.2 million to preserve over 1,670 acres. Still, the Amaltheia agreement is perhaps the most unique, as the dairy farm intends to use the process to purchase the farm. Started

Recall issued for John Deere mowers with Kawasaki engines

The engine could overheat in some ZTrack Zero Turn mowers