The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act (STPFSA), formerly Bill 156, will come into force at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 5 (read the Act on the Ontario government website). “The protection in the act will help to improve working conditions for farmers, farm families and Agri-food sector employees,” said Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, […] Read more
News — page 356
Ontario’s Trespass Act Bill 156 comes into force
Hardeman hits goal of bringing Bill 156 into force earlier than expected
Western Fair cancels winter shows
The Western Fair District in London, home to numerous events, including the London Farm Show and the National Poultry Show, has cancelled its events until the end of June, 2021. “The present-day realities of growing pandemic case counts, provincial health guidelines restricting trade shows, continued closure of the US/Canada border, and the fact that the […] Read more
Ottawa research farm focuses on technology
Invest Ottawa aims to link agriculture with national capital tech sector
A new innovation cluster on a former research farm in Nepean, Ont., is expected to boost artificial intelligence (AI) and remote-sensing technology to Canada’s farmers. “I’m not even a farmer, and I’m really excited about it,” said Michael Tremblay, chief executive officer of Invest Ottawa. Why it matters: Having access to made-in-Canada offerings of data […] Read more
Small farmers called key to fight against climate change
Bayer president says the world’s ‘smallholder’ producers can make a difference by sequestering carbon in their soil
Glacier FarmMedia – The smallest farmers might be the key to successfully using agriculture to fight climate change, Bayer Crop Science President Liam Condon said in a recent presentation. So many millions of “smallholder” farmers have so much improvement possible on their farming that the gains could be huge. Why it matters: Population growth is […] Read more
Instant samples offer quick decisions on the farm
Whether it is leaves or soils, the lab-in-a-box solution puts portable testing in hands of farmers and agronomists
Glacier FarmMedia – The METOS MobiLab provides soil and sap nutrient measurement in less than two hours. “We can measure nitrate and ammonia from the soil analysis part of the mobile lab, as well as the sodium and chlorine,” said Guy Ash of METOS during a webinar. Why it matters: Quick, reliable soil tests can […] Read more
Comment: McDonald’s makes plans for a new plant-based burger
However, the company won’t be using beef-bashing Beyond Meat
One of the most bizarre food stories of the year, other than the panic buying we witnessed in the spring, is the quasi-divorce between McDonald’s and Beyond Meat. While McDonald’s recently announced its new McPlant products to be rolled out in 2021, Beyond Meat, which has been working with the fast-food chain for a while, […] Read more
Canadian Space Agency seeks farmer input
CSA wants to improve satellite tools for agriculture sector needs
Employing satellites in crop production is not new, but the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) thinks they could be put to better use. In a presentation given during the 2020 Farms.com Virtual Precision Agriculture Conference, Eric Laliberté, director general of space utilization for the CSA, says the agency is increasing efforts to connect with those in […] Read more
BASF opens upgraded facility for crop protection products
BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions (BASF) recently unveiled its upgraded facility for producing crop protection products. The $14 million upgrade was the largest investment the company has made in the Canadian market in a decade. The Regina, Sask. facility will benefit from an upgraded laboratory, a new control room and increased capacity which will allow it […] Read more
Providing a place to change the world
Agriculture is a rare sector where people can make a difference with their work
The agriculture sector needs to recruit workers but marketing to a new generation will require innovative thinking. The industry not only needs to diversify the sectors it pulls talent from, it also has to update the backstory of agriculture to be more inviting to those who’ve not grown up on the farm. “This industry has […] Read more
Opinion: Keep expectations low for Biden
America-first policy unlikely to change with new U.S. president
President-elect Joe Biden is a welcomed addition to the White House, but don’t expect America to change over night. United States President Donald Trump inflicted havoc on American trading partners and was the base of a deeply corrupted leadership that valued economic and personal gain over human life or common decency. He bullied Canadians into […] Read more
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