Reading Time: 3 minutes Estate planning means knowing where financial and material assets will go after you die, but according to veteran financial strategist Chris Delaney, forgetting to prepare people to receive those assets can actually destroy long-accumulated wealth. Not accounting for one’s fears, and failing to reconcile emotion with rational action, can make things even worse. Why it […] Read more
Author Archives
Introspective estate planning for your farm
Focus on the people involved in farm succession, not just assets
What to look for in a new sprayer
Consider good cleaning, easy filling, the right boom — and ignore colour
Reading Time: 4 minutes Sprayers are expensive, absurdly so, according to Tom Wolf, Saskatoon-based spray application specialist. In an Ontario Agricultural Conference seminar with Jason Deveau, application specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Wolf gave his recommendations on what characteristics buyers might want to prioritize before signing on the dotted line. A few wishlist […] Read more
Beef Farmers of Ontario adopts anti-discrimination value statement
The commodity organization announces efforts to ally with those promoting diversity
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) has incorporated a values statement calling for “diversity, equity, and inclusion” into its education and advocacy strategy. Why it matters: Diversity policies to better accommodate and understand social groups are becoming increasingly common in both the public and private sphere, although are less common in primary agriculture. According to BFO, […] Read more
Standardizing the future of food traceability
Developing repeatable standards – and hopefully gaining a competitive advantage
Reading Time: 3 minutes As demands for more detailed traceability systems build, many are looking to blockchain technology — systems that securely record data about food at every stage in the value chain — as an ideal technological solution. Why it matters: Standardized blockchain frameworks could help speed the adoption of rigorous traceability systems, and potentially give Canadian producers […] Read more
Local governments hit greenhouse light pollution
Growing clusters of greenhouses light up the night sky, creating problems with neighbours
Reading Time: 5 minutes Updated Jan. 18, 2021 Municipalities in the major greenhouse-growing area of the province are clamping down on increasingly bright greenhouse lighting making night into day in the rural areas where they operate. The municipality of Leamington recently enacted a bylaw to stem and roll back light pollution emitted from the region’s sizeable and diverse greenhouse […] Read more
Road rules you might be breaking
MTO officers highlight what can – and can’t – be done when moving farm vehicles on public roads
Reading Time: 4 minutes [UPDATED: Jan. 8, 2021] Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act gives special exceptions, and some additional conditions, for farm equipment. But in an effort to improve overall roadway safety, Ministry of Transportation (MTO) enforcement officers encourage farmers to go beyond minimum safety requirements. Doing so, they say, starts with understanding what’s considered a farm vehicle, why exemptions […] Read more
Big canola bushels come out on top
Top yields in the 2020 Canola Challenge ranged from 3,108 to 5,743 pounds per acre
Reading Time: 3 minutes Results from the 2020 Canola Challenge are in, with winners achieving yields between 3,108 and 5,743 pounds per acre. Why it matters: Winter canola has made inroads as a financially viable alternative crop throughout Ontario. Carrie James, general manager for the Ontario Canola Growers’ Association, says between 20 and 30 producers participate in the challenge […] Read more
Farmers analyze tech returns on investment
For some it saves time, for others it reduces variability
Reading Time: 5 minutes Can precision technology pay? Farmers participating in a panel discussion at this year’s Virtual Precision Agriculture Conference say yes. However, strategies differ. Why it matters: Not all agriculture technology works for all farmers, and the decision-making process can be unique to each farm. Clinton Monchuk of Monchuk Farms near Lanigan, Sask., and executive director of […] Read more
Soybeans the key to Ontario’s plant protein future
Access to funding is a barrier to new processing investment
Reading Time: 5 minutes The burgeoning global market for plant proteins presents a huge opportunity for Ontario soybeans, but new investments in research and local processing will be key to capturing that potential, industry officials say. “We really want to drive towards more branded food products in Canada from the ingredients we produce here… As we get into this, […] Read more
Raven autonomous grain cart system ready for market
AutoCart system adapts to existing machinery for more efficient harvest operations
Reading Time: 2 minutes Updated Dec. 17 Raven Autonomy, the company with now owns the much-discussed DOT Power Platform, has expanded into the harvest season with aftermarket autonomy. The company recently said its AutoCart was available for order for harvest 2021. AutoCart is an aftermarket system designed to turn non-autonomous tractors into self-driving machines. Why it matters: Autonomous technologies […] Read more
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