Cool and wet April weather along with thunderstorms are ideal for armyworm, a hay and wheat pest, to migrate north to Ontario. There are minimal options for dealing with armyworm, so proper scouting is a must as this crop pest has been quickly appearing in Ontario fields. In this edition of Field Talk, Farmtario reporter […] Read more
VIDEO: Armyworm a growing concern in wheat
Field Talk with Johanna Lindeboom: How to scout for this crop pest
When the farm becomes the school
Farm families with school-age children find ways to make schooling work
Since COVID-19 cancelled school, farmers have been learning how to juggle schoolwork for their children and farm work at the same time. While there’s no one route through the new normal for families with school-aged children, most are happy to have their farm as a backdrop for developing learning and fun activities for their stay-at-home […] Read more
Farm educators change learning strategies to suit new home school life
Companies like AgScape, the voice of agriculture in the classroom Ontario, have had to change how they do business because COVID-19 has closed schools. Unfortunately, the organization hasn’t been able to visit classrooms or use their teacher ambassador program or career competition. “There have been a lot of initiatives that we’ve had to cancel. That’s […] Read more
Hog manure treatment could limit need for manure pits
Canadian technology separates manure into water, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus
Solugen, a Quebec-based company, is testing a manure separation technology on a hog farm. Widespread implementation of the technology could limit the need for manure pits. The technology was invented to assist in the treatment of liquid residual materials to help simplify wastewater management while enhancing the value of contaminants. It didn’t take long for […] Read more
VIDEO: First cut hay in full swing, be sure to replenish field nutrients
Field Talk with Deb Campbell
In this edition of Field Talk, Farmtario reporter Jennifer Glenney speaks with Deb Campbell, owner of Agronomy Advantage Inc., about first cut hay. “Yes it’s about yield, yes it’s about quality, but in the big picture it’s also about reaching productivity out of these hay fields and getting hopefully a solid three years of productivity […] Read more
Hop producers continue to sit on previous years’ crop
Change in beer novelties and international supply lowers demand for Canadian product
Hop production has exploded in recent years in North America as producers assumed local breweries would value their product – but continuous difficult market situations have Ontario growers sitting on product they can’t sell. The explosion led to the highest acreage numbers of hops seen since “1996(ish),” says Evan Elford, new crop development specialist with […] Read more
Wheat fungicide timing critical
Spraying for fusarium has a short window, so scouting is critical
Wheat heads are beginning to emerge making growers think about T3 timing to spray to protect against fusarium head blight (FHB). “Fusarium head blight is still one of the most important diseases in winter wheat,” says OMAFRA cereals specialist Joanna Follings. Why it matters: For the best protection against FHB, fungicide timing is very important. […] Read more
Panelists say COVID-19 outlines shortfalls in agriculture industry
More help from government and more local production could assist with recovery from the pandemic
In just a couple of months, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the food system drastically for producers and consumers. Panelists on a recent video seminar hosted by the Canadian Club of Toronto say the food service industry shut down was the biggest impact on the agri-food sector and has made clear shortfalls and opportunities within […] Read more
Eastern Canada gets poor grades on soil
A report card compares soil management and health between Eastern and Western Canada
The Soil Conservation Council of Canada has released its first national soil health report card. The soil grades are based on farmer changes made over the past five to 10 years, soil conditions, and whether organic matter levels have improved. “It wasn’t in terms of hard data, but just from my experience and research, extensions […] Read more
Ravens a serious threat to Ontario sheep farmers
Study shows no significant control options, but there are ways to reduce risk
A 2019 study has found that there are limited ways to control ravens which prey on lambs. Jillian Craig, small ruminant specialist with OMAFRA, undertook the study last summer, to better understand raven predation within Ontario. The three-part project included a province-wide survey to collect information on the magnitude of raven predation within Ontario sheep […] Read more
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