Delayed soybean emergence and the seed costs for a lush cover crop of rye are the main reasons why one innovative approach to no-till farming might not make financial sense under conventional management. But a new research trial being conducted at six sites across southern Ontario is showing promise that the method might be something […] Read more
OSCIA-supported trial examines no-till organic soybeans
Despite difficult spring, growers persist with planting into roller-crimped rye
Farm couple each head organic organizations
Gillian Flies takes over as president of Canadian Organic Growers
Dinner-table discussions at The New Farm near Creemore are taking on a heightened significance for Ontario’s organic farming community in 2019, as both members of the farm’s husband-and-wife management team have taken on key leadership roles in separate organic sector organizations. Brent Preston is now president of the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) following […] Read more
Cover crops: Short-term pain but long-term gain
A U.S. study underlines the benefits, but costs of adoption can be higher north of the border
A new, coast-to-coast study in the U.S. tracks five years of the financial benefits of including cover crops in corn and soybean rotations, but the numbers may not apply in Ontario. Why it matters: One factor that can prevent adoption of cover crops is the effect on bottom line due to additional costs such as […] Read more
Pollinator plots open eyes and create conversations
Sixty plots will be established at the edges of farms after two years of the program
Across Ontario’s farm country over the past two years, small patches of fields have been transformed into a mix of flowering plants ideal for attracting bees and other insects and birds, as part of Operation Pollinator. There’s no confirmation on whether the global agricultural input company that created and supported the project, Syngenta, will continue […] Read more
Farm groups have less standing in new interim animal welfare system
Province sticking to January timeline for new animal welfare legislation
Livestock commodity organizations do not have formal standing to provide insight and expertise under a new interim regime for investigating and enforcing concerns regarding animal welfare in Ontario. But a representative for the province’s Solicitor General insists work is ongoing to allow that to become reality. Why it matters: Many livestock farmers are concerned that […] Read more
Biosecurity key in preventing spread of poultry disease
Lessons learned from U.S. and Canadian outbreaks
Strict adherence to biosecurity protocols was a common denominator as guest speakers offered insight into recent poultry disease outbreaks in Canada and the United States, during meetings hosted by the Poultry Industry Council (PIC). During the organization’s annual research day in early May, and at the annual health day in late June, attendees were provided […] Read more
Minimizing bird stress all about barn management
Humidity levels must be measured and temperatures properly managed for optimum bird health
The small details of barn management have proved to be key to maintaining healthy birds, especially when not raised with antibiotics. Dr. Brian Fairchild of the University of Georgia says his work over the past several years has focused on the management of the environment inside southern U.S. poultry barns. “What you’re trying to do […] Read more
Barn cleaning more complex than thought
Study shows necrotic enteritis precursor not being managed by sanitation protocols
Recent research findings show that bacteria that can cause the potentially damaging necrotic enteritis is more likely to be present on a barn floor that has been cleaned and sanitized, as opposed to one from which the litter from the previous flock was simply swept clear. “I don’t exactly know how or why this is […] Read more
Monitoring wild bird threats to domestic poultry
Clusters of dead birds are an alarm bell and should be sent for testing
An outbreak of Newcastle disease among cormorants, as was seen in the summer of 2018, can generate significant public interest when it occurs in an area also high in population of sympathetic humans. But from the standpoint of human health and domestic poultry production, a much bigger risk would be present if the same infection […] Read more
The natural heritage debate
Provincial land use direction continues to raise concerns with farmers who haven't been consulted
Farmers are worried that a change in the designation of their land to “natural heritage” will affect their ability to farm in the future. Farmers in Huron County are the latest to struggle with the designation of some of their land as “natural heritage”. Why it matters: The ability of farmers to cultivate land they […] Read more
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