Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Wars, small town revitalization and checkers!

On day seven of our North American Study Tour, we visited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to see the site of one of North America's greatest battles.It was overwhelming to see the exhibit at the Gettysburg National Military Park. The Cyclorama, which was painted in the late 1800's by Paul Philippoteaux brought the experience to life. Then, a walk through the onsite museum was thought provoking, inspirational and saddening: these people were willing to give their lives to protect their families and beliefs. More men fell in the battle of Gettysburg than in any other battle on American soil before or since the civil war.

After a quick lunch at Cracker Barrel and a 'gloves off' checker match between Brady and Rob, we were off to Lockhaven, PA. Mayor Rick Villetto lead us up a hill to a pavilion that overlooked a public swimming area in town, one of the main watercourses that dissects the mountains and surrounds the 2.3 square mile community. Mr Villetto was a member of the Pennsylvania Rural Leadership Program and became Mayor in 1999. Under his leadership and working with other concerned citizens, they have taken their community of 10,000 people from an unemployment rate of 23% to 6% by sourcing new industry and embracing change. Rick stated, "You CAN say yes." The community of Lockhaven is using the natural beauty of the area to its fullest to attract tourists and renew the love locals have for their home town.  The shale oil industry is also credited for the change. Like anywhere, there will always be challenges with infrastructure and community, but with such activities as the concerts on the river and river races,  the future seems bright.

A few energizing "take home" messages:

  1. Have a list of projects and a vision to work toward
  2. Say yes
  3. To facilitate change, start with something small. Others will follow.

 

Views: 98

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

Pulse Market Insight #289

Big Risks Dampen Price Signals for 2026 Crop This is the time of year when new-crop bids for pulses usually start showing up, but not always. It’s not just the actual price that signals how urgently buyers are looking to lock in acres; the timing of new-crop bids is also an indicator. For example, I recall years when new-crop bids for peas or lentils already started to show up in October, almost a year before the next crop is harvested. That happened when pea and lentil supplies were very short and importers wanted to ensure they would have access to next year’s crops. In general though, the first new-crop bids are often seen in late December or early January. One rule of thumb some people use is the Saskatoon Crop Production Show in mid-January as the “real start” of the contracting season. But this year, it seems that new-crop bids are even scarcer than usual, with a few possible reasons. The first is that overseas buyers aren’t very concerned about locking in next year’s supplie

CN Marks Record December, Annual Grain Movement

Canadian National Railway set a new benchmark for grain movement in December, capping off a record-breaking year. The railway said Friday it moved more than 2.82 million tonnes of grain from Western Canada in December, marking its fourth consecutive monthly record and surpassing the previous December high set in 2020 by more than 80,000 tonnes. The strong December performance also helped CN establish a new annual record for grain shipments in 2025. In Western Canada alone, CN moved over 31.3 million tonnes of grain during the year, exceeding the previous record of 30.9 million set in 2020. Across all of Canada, total grain volumes across CN’s network reached more than 32.7 million tonnes, breaking the prior record of 32.25 million established in 2024. CN attributed the record volumes to a combination of large Canadian grain crops and steady execution throughout the supply chain. Janet Drysdale, CN’s executive vice-president and chief commercial officer, said consistent operat

ROI announces the Community Well-being Dashboard in Ontario’s two official languages

The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) is pleased to announce the Rural Community Well-Being Dashboard and supporting factsheets will be made available in Ontario’s two official languages in the spring of 2026.

Chicago Close: Little Changed in Pre-Report Positioning

Corn, wheat, and soybean futures were little changed on Thursday as traders continued to position ahead of key USDA reports to be released on Monday. 

GFO Rejoins Grain Growers of Canada

Almost six years after parting ways, Grain Farmers of Ontario has rejoined Grain Growers of Canada, marking a renewed push for a more unified national voice as Canada’s grain sector navigates mounting economic and policy pressures. 

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service