Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Making Hay the Swiss

I was lucky enough to spend a week in Switzerland mid September and visit a number of farms. Here we had the chance to make "hay" the Swiss way. Farmer get different rebates from the government depending on how they manage their land.

 

Views: 554

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Schwartzentruber on October 6, 2011 at 10:14am
That is fascinating! Thanks for posting the video. Can't see some of our operators rushing to try that technology though!
Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on November 6, 2011 at 5:57am

Nice video Mackenna,

The Swiss must subsidize the milk producers alot if they can use lawn mowers to cut hay.

There practices are not likely cost competitive with the mass production dairy farms in California etc.

How large was the dairy you visited?

 

Permalink Reply by Mackenna Roth on November 8, 2011 at 5:36am

Hi Roadrunner,
This farmer here had about 50 head milking. It was a learning great learning experience and I really enjoyed seeing the differences in the North American vs European way of farming.

I also visited a few farms that were very modern as well as two apple farms. The Swiss had an amazing year for Apples, the trees were so full. Never had seem something like that before. As well as a mini - kiwi farm.
Mac

Roadrunner said:

Nice video Mackenna,

The Swiss must subsidize the milk producers alot if they can use lawn mowers to cut hay.

There practices are not likely cost competitive with the mass production dairy farms in California etc.

How large was the dairy you visited?

 

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

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

Ag in the House: April 13 – 17

Canada is attracting billions of dollars in foreign investment, the minister said

Poll shows Canadians support supply management

More than 70 per cent of Canadians voiced some level of support

Sharing Your Story, Growing Our Reach

Alberta Canola has been hard at work championing growers, strengthening agriculture literacy, and building connections across the province. Here’s what we’ve been up to and what’s ahead. STAMPEDE SEASON: SADDLED UP FOR ANOTHER YEAR With the Calgary Stampede fast approaching, July 3 to 12, 2026, our team is gearing up to welcome thousands of visitors to our now two-year-old interactive booth in the AltaLink Hall. This walkthrough exhibit continues to be a favourite among families, food lovers, and international guests, offering a hands-on, friendly space to explore canola’s journey from seed to table. Calgary Stampede remains one of our strongest platforms for meaningful conversation. Visitors are eager to understand how their food is grown, and they’re often surprised and impressed to hear directly from Alberta growers. In an age of swirling misinformation, your stories matter more than ever. By meeting people with empathy and clear, simple facts, we can counter myths while building

New Research Funding for 2025-2026

As the 2026-27 call for research Letters of Intent are well underway, Alberta Canola wraps up signing agreements from the 2025-26 cycle. A total of 16 Full Proposals were accepted for funding by Alberta Canola, totaling over $1.42 million. This level of funding was possible due to the collaborative efforts of SaskOilseeds, Manitoba Canola Growers Association, Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF), Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), Alberta Innovates, Alberta Grains, and Prairie Oat Growers Association, as the projects’ total costs were $5.83 million. “Targeted research investments today are building a more resilient canola crop for tomorrow.” Canola diseases remain a top priority for canola growers and consequently received the most funding, just under $1 million. The 10 disease projects include clubroot, verticillium, and sclerotinia with an emphasis on genetic and agronomic advancements. Additional high level research priorities including abiotic stresses, weeds, nutri

Hello Canola: Growing Momentum, Growing Connections

As another growing season begins, Alberta Canola is excited to share how the National Canola Marketing Program (NCMP) is continuing to build nationwide consumer trust, one upbeat touchpoint at a time. Now in Year 3, the Hello Canola campaign is stronger than ever, connecting with urban millennial Canadians and shining a bright spotlight on one of Canada’s most important crops. WHY THIS CAMPAIGN MATTERS FOR GROWERS Hello Canola isn’t just a fun, friendly marketing effort, it’s a strategic investment in long-term consumer confidence. By meeting Canadians where they spend their time and speaking in the language and formats they prefer, this campaign helps shift public perception from “I’ve heard of canola” to “I’m proud to choose Canadian canola.” Every positive impression contributes to stronger trust in the crop you grow, strengthens our domestic market, and boosts long term demand. CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE THAT TURNS HEADS So far, this year’s paid media performance is turning out to be

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service