Latest Newsletter

While the overall provincial yield is average, quality is impressive. GFO survey results show 99 per cent of samples are grading at No. 2 or above.
Crops

Ontario winter wheat crop gets top marks for quality

Provincial survey indicates smaller acres, average yields and top quality

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Ontario’s 2022 winter wheat crop has surpassed expectations. Though wet conditions caused a significant drop in the number of acres planted last fall and some areas had challenging growing conditions, this year’s crop yield is average and quality is impressive. “Initial results from our annual wheat harvest survey indicate very good overall quality, with over […] Read more
Livestock production is an easy target for policy makers focused on decarbonization.
News

Opinion: Livestock, climate and a context embargo

Industry needs to lead the development of a balanced vision for the future

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“We are living under a context embargo.” I recently heard that statement and thought it was a good way to summarize the tendency to focus on an issue at the expense of understanding the bigger picture.  Unfortunately, those who try to bring attention to the bigger picture are often vilified. If you need proof of […] Read more
Shown here are solar panels from Europe that allow for a tractor to mow in between rows. This type of panel can also be used as fencing for livestock, according to the manufacturer, Next2Sun GmbH.
News

What are agrivoltaics, and can they make money?

Researchers and energy experts say better policies could help solar; 10 sites being tested in the province next year

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Canada’s pastures and cropland are prime sites for the mass deployment of solar energy infrastructure, according to advocates of agrivoltaics – a term used to describe the simultaneous use of land for solar energy and food production. The use of solar panels on buildings, in pastures and in other areas of working farms is not […] Read more
The RNAi trait in SmartStax Pro prevents production of a protein and without it, corn rootworm larvae can’t survive.
Crops

Advanced corn hybrid with an RNAi trait to launch in Canada in 2023

SmartStax Pro builds on existing SmartStax trait

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Glacier FarmMedia – Resistance to corn rootworm is becoming a bigger concern as populations continue to develop resistance to existing Bt Cry proteins. Three of the four proteins targeting corn rootworm are related to known cross-resistance, so a population that becomes resistant to one protein will exhibit resistance to the others.  The resulting recommendation to […] Read more
Field demonstrations are a popular destination at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, where farmers can compare equipment side by side.
News

See it all first hand at COFS

In-person demonstrations are a hallmark of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and many return for 2022

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Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show is the place where agriculture equipment and technology come alive, providing an unparalleled ability to watch demonstrations and try out items that can be useful on the farm. In 2022, there will be several new demonstrations to see and experience. The skid steer ride-and-drive is returning to the show after several […] Read more
“We know there’s a challenge keeping feed in front of cattle.” – Christoph Wand, livestock sustainability specialist, OMAFRA.
Livestock

Giving feeder cattle an extra push on feed intake

Feed pusher common to dairy farms has potential for beef feedlot

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A robotic technology common on Ontario dairy farms is showing promise for helping beef feedlot operators increase feed intake in their cows.  A one-year trial using a feed pusher in a feedlot setting has just wrapped up in the province and results show that the technology could be valuable to producers, allowing them to reduce […] Read more
If the U.S. is to reach its 40 per cent carbon emissions reduction goal by 2030, funding corn-derived ethanol does not make sense.
News

Opinion: Different approach, same goal

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Like their Canadian counterparts, U.S. farmers will soon have more funding available to adopt climate-friendly production practices.  But unlike Canada, the U.S. is not adding to the federal deficit to fund its climate change initiatives. It is aiming to reduce its environmental footprint and decrease its deficit at the same time in a bid to […] Read more
Price forecasting for soybeans will be difficult due to the U.S. - China tension over trade with Taiwan.
Markets, Markets/Business

Above average yields expected for Ontario corn, soybeans

Markets bearish due to outside influences, particularly U.S.-Chinese relations

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The Ontario growing region received average precipitation in July, and temperatures were two to three degrees below normal. Most farmers in Ontario are expecting above average yields for corn and soybeans. The winter wheat harvest is complete. There are no quality problems and yields are slightly above the five-year average.  We’re expecting significant harvest pressure […] Read more
Farm transition and business management specialist Ray Riel says the traditional view of business legacy involves property but it’s more than that for farm families. Farming has a “legacy made of values, attitudes, property, heirlooms, stories and traditions that form part of family culture.”
News

Managing a family legacy

Property can be protected through improved legal agreements, while accounting for emotional connections

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Explaining estate decisions might be the key difference between maintaining a viable farm business and disintegration of a family legacy.  In part three of this farm business planning series, Ray Riel, a farm transition and business management professional and operator of Advice Only Financial Group, reiterates two critical elements of successful succession planning: providing clear […] Read more
Climate change is changing the biology of wild birds and their migratory patterns, which means avian influenza is arriving sooner, as seen this spring in Ontario. Migratory birds are arriving in North America earlier, and staying longer. Some species including Canada geese have decreased their migration away from Ontario.
News

Lessons learned from the H5N1 outbreak

Changes to disease response must be considered as climate change means the virus will continue to be a threat

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Canada’s poultry sector has seen relatively minor repercussions from an ongoing global outbreak of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (AI) but panelists at the recent Health Day hosted by the Poultry Industry Council (PIC) agreed that changes to disease response must be considered if the industry wants to avoid future harm. That’s largely because this strain […] Read more

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

Glacier Farmmedia Podcast