A venture that had been set aside “indefinitely” by a Belmont-area dairy farm several years ago received a full reconsideration during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result Mistyglen Creamery now aims to sell its first on-farm processed milk and yogurt in late 2021. Why it matters: An increase in interest […] Read more
On-farm processing dream perseveres through adversity
Mistyglen revived plans to process milk during the pandemic, and after a tornado wrecked its barn
‘Dr. Tim’ to continue advocating for farm causes
Tim Henshaw is known for veterinary work over 40 years, but also his social media presence
Dr. Tim Henshaw worked his final day on the farm on New Year’s Eve, but the EastGen veterinarian will continue contributing to the dairy sector during semi-retirement. The veterinarian for the cattle genetics company says he has examined more than 1.1 million animals and met “a lot of new friends… and a few enemies” in […] Read more
Ridgetown grad’s gap year takes winding farm road
Abbey Taylor worked at various farm jobs while crossing Canada
Belmont-area Ridgetown College grad Abbey Taylor recently returned from several months working her way from farm to farm across Canada, learning about a wide range of products and production strategies. She was inspired, in part, by a podcast created for the Canadian Gap Year Association. Taylor most recently returned to Ontario after leaving a position […] Read more
Dairy resiliency index to encompass several traits
New traits are expected to be available for farmer use in 2023 or 2024
A program that has worked to create an elusive feed efficiency genetic index for dairy cattle has new funding to add more traits. The Resilient Dairy Genome Project (RDGP), to be co-led by University of Guelph-based Canada Research Chair in Livestock Genomics Dr. Christine Baes, is funded through Genome Canada, and directly involves researchers in Guelph, […] Read more
Lessons learned from U.S. struggle against corn rootworm resistance
Producers growing corn-on-corn encouraged to find new sources of feed
Specialists from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs recently urged the province’s corn-growing livestock producers to take the issue of corn rootworm resistance to Bt traits seriously. They said efforts in the United States to slow the growth of resistance in corn rootworm to Bt-based control traits have not been effective. Why […] Read more
Silage options to rotate away from corn
Ryegrass, triticale, sorghum species all have potential to help avoid corn-on-corn rotations
In Europe, it’s ryegrass. On the Prairies, it’s barley. In areas where either climate or pesticide resistance makes it impractical to grow corn, livestock producers nonetheless achieve good gains or high milk production. And, during a recent session hosted by OMAFRA, crop and livestock specialists encouraged Ontario’s livestock producers to consider rotating away from corn […] Read more
Rothsay increases deadstock pickup fees
Rothsay, one of the largest deadstock pickup services in the province, increased its prices Dec. 14. A letter from Rothsay to regular customers explained that, effective Dec. 14, on-farm pickup on weekdays would increase to $50 per stop, and $65 per stop for calls on Fridays. Previously, prices were closer to $20 per pickup and […] Read more
Relationships crucial for farm-to-farm cover crop grazing
Neighboring farmers find mutual benefit in livestock grazing, farming arrangement
There’s opportunity for the grazing of cover crops, whether it’s livestock farmers using their own cropland and animals, or offering services to cash-cropping neighbours. That was the overarching message delivered over three successive Tuesday evening Zoom meetings, hosted through November by the Cover Crop Grazing Committee — a collaboration between OMAFRA, Beef Farmers of Ontario, […] Read more
Group housing gives insight into tailored calf diets
Partnered calves had greater dry matter consumption than singles
Group housing may be the most cost-effective option for tailoring calf nutrition to stage of growth. Why it matters: The veal and dairy industries continue to weigh the pros and cons of individual versus group calf housing, and studies could tip the scales toward group housing. Attendees at the virtual edition of the Healthy Calf […] Read more
Equipment dealers raise concerns over European imports
There are risks to buying imported equipment including a lack of warranty
Ontario farm equipment dealers are warning farmers to do their homework before buying equipment that has been imported from Europe because any savings on the purchase price could evaporate as soon as it needs repair. Licensed retail dealers, represented through the Canada East Equipment Dealers Association (CEEDA), however, believe there are strong reasons for farmers […] Read more
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