Ongoing research aimed at identifying genetic determinants for heat stress tolerance in Canadian cows has, as a side effect, turned up interesting comparisons between the long-term impact of rising average temperatures on dairy farms in Quebec versus Ontario. According to analysis conducted by Masters student Ivan Campos at the University of Guelph, decreases in milk […] Read more
Study shows heat stress challenges increasing in Ontario dairy cows
Data suggests Quebec cows have been less affected than those in Ontario
Managing new human biosecurity in an animal biosecure world
Hog farmers are familiar with biosecurity but human to human contact presents different challenges
Biosecurity measures introduced into Ontario’s hog barns over the past decade leave the sector well-placed to respond to livestock disease outbreaks, but haven’t necessarily created an adequate defense for the human-to-human transmission threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, as with many other business owners both agricultural and non-agricultural, the province’s pork producers have […] Read more
Sheep pastures expanded into orchards, woodlots
Norfolk County producers were winners of sheep pasture award
Adding hay and sheep to the output from land that continues as an apple orchard certainly seems like an idea with merit. Add to that the pasturing of sheep and even geese in once-neglected woodlots, and grazing on corn stalks into the early winter, and it’s not surprising the innovations of Norfolk County’s Schuyler Farms […] Read more
Hay market tight, but concerns with COVID-19-related demand
Significant market opportunities available in Canada and the U.S.
Demand for Ontario-grown hay remains strong in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 global pandemic, but longer-term effects are more difficult to judge. “It’s not anything near what other people have had to deal with,” said Ontario Hay and Forage Cooperative chair Fritz Trauttmansdorff of the COVID-19 repercussions for hay growers. He suggested lower-than-average 2019 […] Read more
Hay acreage increasing in Ontario
Extra acreage should help reduce costs for farmers who have to buy hay
Hay fields in southwestern Ontario appear in generally good shape following a challenging fall 2019 and winter 2020. But the same can’t be said in eastern portions of the province. Why it matters: For farms that are reliant on hay for livestock feed, a strong early stand is crucial for good yield through the rest […] Read more
Work continues on dairy feed efficiency evaluation index
Planned Canadian release date pushed back to April 2021
Lack of data has pushed back the planned implementation of a genetic tool targeting dairy cattle feed efficiency, but the project’s researchers remain confident it will be ready for dairy breeders by April 2021. Working in the researchers’ favour, meanwhile, is the fact that the heritability is relatively high for the three genetic traits being […] Read more
Oxford County stands apart for tax ratio review
Committee recommends decreasing ratio for second year running
For the second year in a row, Oxford County is poised to scale back its farm tax ratio – something other rural Ontario municipalities have not done, despite pressure from agricultural lobby organizations. Why it matters: Farmers have seen double digit increases in their tax bills due to the most recent round of MPAC evaluations, […] Read more
Heavier weight limit now in effect for Canadian veal
Top processor says enforcement will be strict and farmers shouldn’t ship heavier animals
Despite recent changes that allow veal carcasses to weigh 10 kilograms more than previously, producers were recently advised not to set the heaviest limit as the goal for all calves. During a morning session at the Veal Farmers of Ontario annual general meeting, the organization’s executive director Jennifer Haley impressed upon producers the importance of […] Read more
Riding the learning curve on pasture cost of production
The first year will be the toughest, but after that figuring costs should be easier
Farmers may have to rethink some common cost-of-production parameters, but it should be possible to accurately track the financial impact of growing pastures. Grazing specialists explored cost-of-production parameters during a panel discussion at the March Profitable Pastures conference, put on by the Ontario Forage Council in Mount Forest. Why it matters: Soil health can benefit […] Read more
Market chaos due to COVID-19 means chicken quota cut
Ontario producers will have to reduce production by 15 per cent
Quota for chicken production in Ontario has been cut by 15 per cent in response to a rapid downturn in marketing spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Producers have been instructed by their Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) marketing board to work either with their processor or their hatchery – depending on whether or not they […] Read more
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