Intuition and personal experience have a role to play when considering major equipment purchases, but farms should strive to have a machinery investment strategy based on quantifiable metrics. That was the advice of Travis Jansen on March 22, as he hosted a session for Agri-food Management Excellence (AME). Why it matters: Machinery purchases can represent […] Read more
When to buy new farm equipment
Costs compared to revenue should guide equipment decisions
Two forest stewardship organizations to merge
OWA and EOMF already share Kemptville headquarters
With two top staff members set to depart from the Eastern Ontario Model Forest (EOMF) to focus more on their own businesses, the organization will come under the wing of the Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) – with which it already shares an administrative office and resource person in Kemptville. OWA executive director John Pineau is […] Read more
Just let them be cows
Cow comfort has evolved to include natural behaviours
Less time standing on concrete, less time in headlock gates, less stress and more time expressing natural instincts are the modern-day keys to what is an evolving understanding of cow comfort for dairy cattle. “Let them eat without stress, let them rest without stress, and let them calve without stress,” said world-recognized cow behaviour specialist […] Read more
Award-winner values relationships in land preservation
La Ferme Agribec recognized by ALUS Canada for work creating natural areas on farms
Improving the environment or building farming’s reputation among consumers might be possible incentives for getting involved with farmland conservation efforts, but for St-Isidore’s Marc Bercier it’s relationships. Bercier was the winner of this year’s $10,000 Dave Reid Award from Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) Canada. He’s been involved in ALUS projects for eight years. Why […] Read more
Preventing human failings in COVID and African swine fever
Viruses have different superpowers they use to spread among animals and people
With the spread of both COVID-19 and African swine fever (ASF), humans can be their own worst enemies. That message was delivered by South West Ontario Veterinary Services practitioner Dr. George Charbonneau during the recent virtual edition of the 2021 London Farm Show. Why it matters: The North American swine sector is on high alert […] Read more
Bill 156 sees court challenge from animal activist groups
Special farmland provisions not new in law
Last year’s passage of the Security of Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act granted special protection to many Ontario livestock producers, but as attendees at the recent 2021 London Farm Show were reminded, it’s nothing new for farmland to be singled out under the law. Nonetheless, several provisions of the new law, Bill 156, are […] Read more
Warm weather could shorten 2021 syrup season
Demand for syrup has increased during the pandemic, as it has for many local foods
Overall maple syrup use is up in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic, but restrictions on gatherings and a string of early-season warm days and nights have producers across the province worrying whether they’ll be able to take advantage of that demand. “Most syrup producers are finding ways for people to purchase their syrup safely,” said […] Read more
Farms pivot to guard finances during COVID
Farms have been forced to make changes, with varying levels of success
Agri-food Management Excellence (AME) is looking to the experiences of graduates of its CTEAM (Canadian Total Excellence in Agricultural Management) program to better understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector’s finances. Norfolk County cash crop and horticulture producer Brett Schuyler, Staffa-area sheep farmer Sandi Brock, and Oxford County goat dairy producer Cheryl […] Read more
Fitting insect production into current regulations a challenge
Canadian and EU companies call for fewer limits on feedstuffs
Insect-rearing innovators in Canada are ahead of the United States and the European Union when it comes to approvals for use in animal feed products. However, that hasn’t translated into a broad opening up of new markets. In all three jurisdictions, more work is needed to convince regulators and others in the livestock sector about […] Read more
Public pressure halts city’s bid for Welland farm
Expropriation attempt loses support at recent vote
Nationwide public outcry is being credited for helping save City of Welland farmer Marsha Rempel from being forced to sell her 67-acre farm for industrial development. On March 2, city councillors voted 8-3 to put the brakes on an expropriation process which had been initiated in July 2020, and taken another step forward on Dec. […] Read more
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