The Canadian Sheep Federation’s (CSF) AgroLedger, a digital traceability program, is launching a pilot program for early adopters before its sector-wide release. The CFS-funded program will be made available at no cost to Canadian sheep producers to bring them in line with future government regulatory amendments, which close the loop on full traceability. Why it […] Read more
New traceability program soon to be available for Canadian sheep farmers
Program aims to help improve flock management and information availability
Fusarium could be a risk for Ontario growers
Heavy rain and moderate temperatures are contributing factors
Humid and wet weather this spring has created ideal conditions for fusarium head blight development in wheat. The risk of fusarium is heavily dependent on the weather and stage of crop. High moisture nd temperatures around 20 to 25 degrees Celsius just before and during heading, is ideal for fusarium growth. Why it matters: Fusarium-infected […] Read more
Waste not: Adding value on horticultural waste
A recent study maps out how the horticulture sector can gain value from waste
Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of Canadian fruit and vegetable waste occurs before it reaches consumers, according to a recent study by the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Vineland). One-third of that is landfilled and is considered unavoidable due to current processing and grading standards. To help the horticulture sector improve its environmental sustainability, Vineland […] Read more
Transition milk continues to show benefits
Improved gut health and reduced mortality are some benefits
A recent study shows that dairy farms are encouraged to feed transition milk to calves following the colostrum feeding. Transition milk is defined as the second to sixth milking after calving. “It’s low in IGG (immunoglobulin G) concentrations, but higher in other bioactive molecules like hormones and oligosaccharides and antimicrobials that have other benefits for […] Read more
Higher than normal weed pressure in evidence
Tough weather conditions last fall and moisture this spring have prompted weed proliferation
Weather conditions last fall, coupled with a wet spring, have created higher than normal weed pressure across Ontario, according to agronomists. “There’s a lot of people that planned to spray fields that couldn’t get to it in the fall or planned to work fields that couldn’t get to it and the weeds grew, and they […] Read more
Growers should prepare for a wet spring
Storm systems with more cloud cover are tracking for the spring season
Spring 2022 is looking to be wet, says Brett Anderson, senior meteorologist, Canada weather specialist with Accuweather. Grain Farmers of Ontario hosted Brett Anderson Feb. 25 for a webinar on climate trends for the 2022 growing season. Why it matters: Understanding the forecast helps growers to understand what they are up against and to prepare […] Read more
Winter wheat crop decision day coming soon
The crop is less than ideal, but buying out of contracts can be expensive
Throughout Ontario the 2022 winter wheat is looking … okay. As of March 3, most of the winter wheat crop was still under snow cover and had not accumulated many growing degree days, but that doesn’t mean growers shouldn’t be paying attention to their crop and scouting as the wheat begins to enter “green-up” phase […] Read more
Pilot project assesses digital tool for monitoring traffic on poultry farms
Industry hopes to improve biosecurity and better communication among farmers
A new poultry pilot project is putting biosecurity and disease mitigation measures in Ontario to the test. Farm Health Guardian and the Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC) have partnered to conduct the project in the Niagara region. “We are trying to assess whether digital biosecurity software is a useful tool in disease management,” says Dr. […] Read more
Managing herbicide-resistant weeds in corn
Planning and variety in rotations is a large factor, but cover crops and herbicide programs help too
Herbicide resistant weeds in all crops are a continuous concern, and for corn, these can be reduced with effective management practices. “The whole strategy [of weed control] is going to revolve around prevention, through rotation, tillage – or lack thereof – and soil applied, or pre-plant herbicides, followed with scouting for escapes,” says Craig Reid, […] Read more
Growth in livestock industry means growth in feed mills
Ontario feed mills have improved efficiency to better service customers
They are easy to spot rising above the treeline in rural Ontario and a testament to the strength of the Ontario livestock sector. A large investment has been made in the past five years in new feed processing equipment across the province and several companies. Why it matters: Feed efficiency at the farm level and […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
