Veal Farmers of Ontario’s contest celebrating great veal sandwiches has helped promote veal, but it has also revealed the level of non-veal meat passed off as veal. The organization has cancelled this year’s Ontario’s Best Veal Sandwich due to the closure of most restaurants in the province due to COVID-19. Before the organization had to […] Read more
Contest celebrating veal postponed due to COVID-19
Not all Best Veal Sandwich hopefuls were made with veal in past years
Veal farmers join national check-off agency
Fees were already being collected, but now Ontario farmers have more say in spending
Veal Farmers of Ontario (VFO) is now part of the Canadian Beef Check-Off Agency (CBCA), following an agreement that included a voting role on a subcommittee charged with promotion. The western Canada-based chair and general manager of the agency were on hand at VFO’s recent annual general meeting to usher in the arrangement. A federally […] Read more
Test period underway for vertical milk storage in Ontario
Approved sampling protocols must be expanded for towers to come into use
A test period has begun on a 600-cow dairy farm near Maryhill for the use of a 40,000-litre vertical milk tank. It isn’t currently legal for use on-farm to cool and store milk in Ontario because milk truck drivers can’t see, smell and sample the milk as prescribed under the Milk Act. Why it matters: […] Read more
Tight supply chains pose food system risks with virus
Lack of redundancies in meat production system could post challenges
A lack of redundancies in agri-food system supply chains means there are risks for farmers from a disruption like that caused by COVID-19. Farm Credit Canada chief agricultural economist J.P. Gervais and Guelph-based economic researcher Al Mussell say, however, that the government knows how important food is to Canadians and will find ways to assure […] Read more
Separating stature from major Holstein traits
A new composite index should help maintain desirable traits, while de-emphasizing stature
Canada’s dairy breeding sector is attempting to slow a gradual increase in the average size of the nation’s Holstein. At Lactanet Canada’s recent Open Industry Session held in Guelph, geneticist Dr. Allison Fleming provided information about the development of a composite index of four well-established dairy genetic traits. Why it matters: As the average height […] Read more
Targeted farmers need to recognize they’re victims
Dairy symposium panel discusses how to manage unauthorized visitors
As difficult or unnatural a feeling as it may be for some, a willingness by farmers to be recognized as victims is essential in the struggle to discourage the unlawful entry onto farms by animal rights activists in Ontario. “It may be a bumpy road to go through this process as a victim,” said Ottawa-based […] Read more
Study looks at once-per-day milking of ketotic cows
Economic analysis remains to be done on the idea that shows promise in treating ketotic cows
Two weeks of once-per-day milking can clear up a high proportion of ketosis cases —although researchers are holding off on recommending the strategy pending further analysis of the financial drawbacks. Dr. Stephen LeBlanc of the University of Guelph’s Dairy at Guelph research cluster provided an update about ongoing research at the recent South Western Ontario […] Read more
Waiting and weeding are keys to organic success
After six years, this organic farmer is seeing reduction in some weeds
It can sometimes be comforting for an organic farmer if the view of their field from the roadway shows an absence of green growth between the rows of corn or soybeans. But according to the presenter of a recent Guelph Organic Conference session entitled “Avoiding Field Crop Disasters,” this illusion can often hide the troubling […] Read more
Open Food Network targets small-scale e-commerce
Not-for-profit platform now available in 12 countries
Food, unincorporated. That’s the tagline atop the website of the Canadian version of a 12-country digital commerce platform for small-scale farmers. Theresa Schumilas of Open Food Network (OFN) Canada, told those attending a Jan. 25 seminar at the Guelph Organic Conference that the platform is free for those selling less than $500 in produce per […] Read more
Tracking down resistant weeds
Multiple herbicide-resistant weeds found in vegetable fields
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Weed Management Specialist Kristen Obeid is part of a team entering the fourth year of an initiative — funded through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada — to genetically test weed samples from vegetable fields exhibiting herbicide resistance. Obeid is part of a team that has developed a process […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
