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
News — page 351
Rothsay increases deadstock pickup fees
Ontario government looks to greenhouses in the north
The Ontario government is providing $16,500 to help the town of Rainy River conduct a greenhouse feasibility study. The study is expected to help identify the infrastructure required for a greenhouse facility, as well as assess the advantages of the greenhouse industry, such as increased variety and availability of produce, longer growing seasons, lower produce […] Read more
Comment: Producers biggest losers of slow RMP talks
Politicians from different levels of government and party stripe continue to debate how to improve Canada’s business risk management programs – but already, producers have lost. Finger-pointing among elected officials began almost as soon as the latest round of federal-provincial-territorial agriculture minister meetings ended with no consensus on changes to business risk managements (BRM) programming […] Read more
Road rules you might be breaking
MTO officers highlight what can – and can’t – be done when moving farm vehicles on public roads
[UPDATED: Jan. 8, 2021] Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act gives special exceptions, and some additional conditions, for farm equipment. But in an effort to improve overall roadway safety, Ministry of Transportation (MTO) enforcement officers encourage farmers to go beyond minimum safety requirements. Doing so, they say, starts with understanding what’s considered a farm vehicle, why exemptions […] Read more
The right time for calving depends on your farm — and you
While many producers are calving earlier, some have gone the other way
Calving season looks different on every operation — there is no one right method or time of year to calve a cow herd. While more producers in Western Canada have moved to later calving, some have gone the other way. Here are the experiences of three ranching families. Late summer/Fall calving Taralea Simpson has been […] Read more
Alberta pork producers look at single desk selling
After years of losses, many will abandon the sector if things don’t change, says Alberta Pork
Glacier FarmMedia – When it was wheat, Alberta led the fight to get rid of single-desk selling. But it’s a very different story when it comes to pork. Two-thirds of Alberta Pork producers voted in favour of investigating a single-desk marketing system similar to Quebec at their virtual annual general meeting held November 23. Thirty […] Read more
The circular meal: thinking about food differently
Farmers, restaurateurs and food producers join together to create a meal out of waste
Fish poop, bugs and beer waste aren’t the top of mind ingredients when one contemplates a gourmet meal. But they’re exactly what went into “upcycled” dinners served at three Guelph restaurants this fall as part of a pilot project to reduce food waste and encourage everyone in the food chain to change their thinking about […] 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
On-farm hatching may benefit bird welfare
A poultry company is studying the logistics and benefits of bringing the eggs to the farm and hatching them there
Glacier FarmMedia – Hatching chicks on the farms where they are raised, rather than in a hatchery for later shipment to the farm, might improve bird welfare and performance. Groupe Westco, a New Brunswick poultry company, has undertaken research on the subject, with full results expected in 2021. Why it matters: Concerns about chick mortality […] Read more
Fertilizer price rebound delayed by COVID effects
There’s more upside in phosphate prices than in nitrogen, say fertilizer companies
Glacier FarmMedia – One of the largest manufacturers and retailers of nitrogen fertilizer products says an anticipated price rebound has been delayed. “We believe there was little growth in global demand this year due to the macroeconomic impacts of COVID-19,” Nutrien president Chuck Magro told investment analysts during a recent conference call announcing the company’s […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
