Planting soybeans into a just-terminated cover crop of winter rye is gaining popularity among Ontario’s organic community, as farmers strive to introduce minimum-till strategies into their rotations. No-till planting has so far not become common in any other crops under organic production — in which farmers typically rely upon tillage instead of chemical inputs to […] Read more
Riding the learning curve on organic no-till
Farmers are pushing the boundaries of roller-crimping winter rye and direct seeding soybeans behind
Getting the grass-fed dairy details right
Harriston-area dairy farmer focuses on pasture and grass forages and feeds no grain
Martin Pronk showed a slide of a cow that had been milking for over 700 days, and suggested to an audience at the recent Guelph Organic Conference that his lack of concern about either getting that cow pregnant or sent away for slaughter is what sets him apart from most fellow dairy farmers. But in […] Read more
Easing concern about CUSMA dairy concessions
Al Mussell sees potential for some Canadian ingredients to continue crossing border
Once the dust has settled on the ratifications of the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA), access to U.S. markets for certain Canadian dairy ingredients could meet or even exceed what previously existed. At least that was the assertion made by Al Mussell, research lead at Guelph-based Agri-Food Economic Systems, during a recent dairy producer information […] Read more
Demand strong for organic soybeans
New trials aim to find soybeans that will succeed better under organic farming conditions
A four-year, multi-location study aims to find organic soybean varieties suited for Ontario and Manitoba. The study, funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), will help find varieties better to grow under organic conditions. “There is still strong demand,” said Rob Wallbridge, organic specialist with Thompsons Limited. Wallbridge was joined by a number of fellow […] Read more
More work needed to put dairy data gathering to good use, say researchers
Dairy Focus: University of Guelph researchers say cow health events can be predicted with data
The proliferation of artificial intelligence in today’s dairy barns should eventually lead to the ability to predict a daily disease probability for lactating animals, says University of Guelph researcher Meagan King. However, one of her University of Guelph compatriots Stephen Leblanc noted that “we’re not there yet.” King, a post-doctorate animal biosciences researcher and Leblanc, […] Read more
Choosing calf housing options
Dairy Focus: There are strengths to both individual and group housing facilities for calves
Individual housing in hutches remains “the gold seal for health,” said a dairy farmer who recently switched to group housing for calves. But he insists the health drawbacks are manageable, and made the switch anyway for other reasons. “Labour savings? Big plus. Animal welfare? Big plus,” declared Oxford County’s Thomas Jackson, who moved his calves […] Read more
Researcher seeks input on animal inspection alternatives
A recent court ruling mandated changes to animal inspection in Ontario in a year
A recognized expert in animal cruelty policy would welcome consideration of laws in other jurisdictions if and when Ontario updates its own legislation. But Dr. Kendra Coulter also wants to ensure the public has its say and she has launched an online survey she hopes will facilitate that input. Coulter is chair of Labour Studies […] Read more
Eye on Mother Nature pulls farm from brink
Diverse rotations, water management and attention to erosion restore environment, farm profitability
Mimicking nature has been key to a financial turnaround for Greg Judy and his family. The Missouri-based livestock farmer told a crowd gathered at an Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) meeting about his farm’s transformation. “We’re going to see another dustbowl,” Judy warned during a workshop for EFAO’s recent four-day annual convention in London, […] Read more
On-farm research solves problems close to home
An EFAO project put farmers in charge of 18 projects that helped look at issues they faced on their farms
Farmers are gaining practical knowledge derived from on-farm research projects conducted by operations similar to their own. In one case, the research carried out through an Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) project, helped a farmer understand how plastic can be used to control weeds. Another group is working to develop a made-in-Ontario sweet pepper. […] Read more
Farmer with shot cow finding few areas of compensation
The farmer found little interest in pursuing the animal’s shooters by authorities
A beef farmer from northwestern Ontario is searching for answers after he was forced to euthanize a pregnant 29 month-old cow after it was shot October 10 in an apparent hunting accident. “We’ve got 15 cows and 15 calves on pasture,” said Barwick-area producer Allen Jolicoeur in a recent interview. “My son went down in […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
