Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Dairy Farm Sustainability Award winner, Clovermead Farms

The Whale family farms in Alma, Ontario and has been doing so for seven generations. Dedicated community members, their philosophy is not just to take care o...

Rating:
  • Currently 5/5 stars.

Views: 108

Get Embed Code

Latest Videos

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by OntAG Admin on July 18, 2014 at 4:33am

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is pleased to announce that Clovermead Farms, Inc. in Alma, Ontario, owned and operated by the Whale family, won the Dairy Farmers Sustainability Award, sponsored by DeLaval Canada.

Clovermead Farms’ philosophy is not just to take care of the land, but to improve it. The farm is a living example of what happens when the triple bottom line is considered – environmental responsibility, social equity and financial viability.

“Since its inception in 2011, this award recognizes dairy farmers with innovative sustainable practices that improve the social, environmental and economic impact of dairy farming in Canada,” said DFC president, Wally Smith. “We are pleased to take this opportunity to award an Ontario family farm who are striving to protect and improve our environment.”

“Sustainability is an integral part of our dairy industry and DeLaval is committed to help dairy farmers’ efforts in becoming more efficient and profitable with less impact on the environment,” stated Andrew Ritchie, managing director, DeLaval Inc. - Canada. “DeLaval is proud to offer Canadian farmers with solutions to optimize efficiencies and sustainability on their farms.’’

Accepting the award today on behalf of Clovermead Farms, Inc. was Korb and Kelly Whale. Seventh generation farmers, Korb and Kelly, own this farm with Korb’s parents, Bruce and Deborah Whale.

“I am honoured to accept this award on behalf of our entire family,” said Korb Whale. “We are absolutely committed to continue using technology and techniques to produce food on our farm while improving the world we live in. We have the ambition of working towards a carbon-neutral farm.”

The selection committee, consisting of nine sustainability experts, was particularly impressed with the Whale’s efforts in producing electricity, bedding and high quality fertilizer by using an anaerobic digester that turns cow manure into biogas. Additionally, the Whale family is committed to maintaining a minimum of 10% of their land base as wildlife habitat and forest, with wildlife corridors made of tree rows to connect woodlots and streams.

The finalists' profiles and a video of the winners’ farm are available on the DFC website.

The other three finalists, Dykstra Farms, (Knowlesville, New Brunswick), Ferme Clobert Inc. (Saint-Bonaventure, Quebec) and Bakerview EcoDairy (Abbotsford, British Columbia), will receive a trophy and a $1,000 prize during the upcoming annual general meeting of their respective provinces.

Source: Dairy Farmers of Canada

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

I’m switching my wheat variety; do I need to change my seeding rate?

The short answer is yes; you will most likely need to change your seeding rate, but this is not just because you are planting a different wheat variety. Rather, seeding rates should be adjusted annually to reflect seed source characteristics (germination, thousand kernel weight [TKW]) and the environment the seed is being planted into, to ensure you can achieve your target plant population.   Let’s dig into why this is. For spring wheat, provincial target plant population recommendations are between 23-28 pl/ft2, with many producers targeting the upper end of this recommendation. Achieving your target plant stands sets your crops up for success, as crop uniformity is improved, weed pressure is combatted and resources are optimized.  Seeding rates should be calculated to achieve your target plant stand, which means accounting for germination percentage, expected mortality and, importantly, your TKW. TKW changes year-to-year and from variety to variety. Let’s consider an example to ill

How much 10-34-0 can be applied with my corn seed?

Oddly, I have had this conversation more this winter/spring than ever before. On paper, there is a finite answer. Anecdotally, there are a few different options and it is all dependent on soil type and soil conditions, moisture, etc. First of all, side-banding any type of fertilizer is much safer than placing it with the seed. Some fertilizers are safe in certain quantities with the seed, but very few. Side-banding is much safer and provides quick access to the roots. Midrow banding is the safest method, but roots take that much longer to access the fertilizer row, which negates the “starter” effect. The other factor that indicates the level of safety is soil moisture; the drier the soil, the more risky it is to place any fertilizer with or near the seed. I’m guilty of thinking that fertilizer toxicity to the seed is mainly due to the nitrogen content and a result of ammonia burn. Salt injury is actually more common and affects germination and early season growth, so applying fertili

AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. Announces Date for Q1 2026 Results and Conference Call

AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. (TSX: AGTF) ("AGT" or the "Company") announces the release of its Q1 2026 results on May 12, 2026 after market close and has scheduled a conference call at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on May 13, 2026. To join the conference, please dial 1-833-821-0163 (toll free from Canada & the U.S.) or +1-647-846-7232 (from outside Canada & the U.S.). An audio replay of the conference call will be available on AGT's website after the call by visiting www.agtfoods.com. The financial statements and notes thereto for the three months ended March 31, 2026, as well as the related management's discussion and analysis will be filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com and will also be available on the AGT website at www.agtfoods.com prior to the conference call. About AGT AGT is a globally diversified food company that produces high-quality, nutritious products for everyday consumption. Our products reach consumers in 127 countries, and our global footprint consists of 39 state-of-the

Rising Waters on the Canadian Prairies and Beyond

With flooding affecting several Canadian provinces, farmers are being urged to act quickly to protect crops, animals, infrastructure, and long-term soil health.

Is Your Bull Ready? A Year-Round Approach to Bull Management

Every cow-calf producer has either lived it or knows someone who has. Breeding season wraps up and everything looks fine, until fall preg-checks tell a different story: open cows, late calvers and a breeding window that slipped wider than planned. While cow nutrition, body condition and management are frequently evaluated, one critical factor is often underestimated—the bull. Most frustrating is that there are often no obvious warning signs during breeding. The bull was turned out, was covering cows and looked the part. On the surface, everything appeared normal. That’s exactly why a bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE) matters more than many producers realize. It is one of the few opportunities to take some guesswork out of bull performance. On a cow-calf operation, bulls get a lot of attention for a couple of months out of the year and very little once breeding season wraps up. The reality is that a bull’s value doesn’t start on turnout day, and it definitely doesn’t end when

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service