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

Canadian Grain Commission Updates Grain Grading Rules for 2026-27 Crop Year

Beginning August 1, the Canadian Grain Commission will implement updated grading procedures for wheat, amber durum and red lentils.

Cattle industry stakeholders asked to take Canfax survey

Canfax plans to use the input to modernize its offerings

A California farmer is giving away tons of nectarines that he’s not allowed to sell

Thousands of visitors have flocked to Cesar Mora’s farm in central California this week to gather free nectarines. He’s giving his harvest away rather than watching it rot as he’s locked in a legal battle with a company that claims exclusive rights over the variety of white nectarine he grows. He’s shared more than 100,000 pounds (45,359 kilograms) since Monday. “It was really just a thought of not wasting a perfectly good product,” Mora said. “It does make a grower feel good, being able to share my fruit with people and see their immediate reaction that they love it. It’s a little bit of good in this tough situation that I’ve been dealing with.” The legal dispute highlights the tension that can emerge between farmers and the plant breeders and large industrial food marketers that create new varieties of plants and obtain the exclusive rights to sell them. Since 2023, the third-generation farmer in the agricultural community of Reedley in California’s Central Valley has been fighti

Big decisions put many farmers in same boat

There’s a lot of sweating, swatting, squinting — and quite possibly a little swearing — in Manitoba farmyards and fields this summer, as farmers navigate what’s turned into a hellish growing season. Anyone required to work outdoors in the heat and humidity must also suffer through the relentless swarms of voracious mosquitoes and flies brought on by the recent wet weather. The biting insect populations are unlike anything we’ve seen in recent years and they’re making outside life miserable for humans and livestock alike. It adds another layer to the frustration in a season when it seems nothing is going well. With each twist and turn, the “so now what?” questions keep piling up. Just getting around the farm or to town for supplies is a chore with roads and bridges washed out in some areas. And the weather alerts just keep coming — warnings of tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and more heavy rain. Even if fields haven’t been drowned out by the heavy downpours, it’s been difficult, if

Wheat Growers Call for New Thinking on Canada’s Wheat Breeding System

The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is encouraging a national conversation about the future of Canada’s wheat breeding system with the publication of a new opinion article by Executive Director Darcy Pawlik in RealAgriculture. Titled “The Problem Isn’t the Cuts. It’s the System.”, the article argues that the discussion surrounding Canada’s public wheat breeding capacity should move beyond annual budget decisions and instead focus on creating a long-term delivery model that strengthens innovation, competitiveness and farmer outcomes. “The conversation has become centred on budget reductions, but that’s treating the symptom rather than the underlying issue,” said Pawlik. “The real opportunity is to ask whether Canada’s breeding system is structured to deliver the greatest possible value for farmers over the next fifty years.” The article highlights successful international approaches, including the United States, Australia and Europe, noting that while each has developed di

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service