Calhoun Super Structure celebrated 30 years in business with the opening of a $1 million energy-efficient building expansion at its Goderich production plant. The new build provides an additional 10,000 square feet of interior workspace featuring LED lighting, sustainable welding machines for a more streamlined operation and increased eco-friendly business practices in line with consumer […] Read more
Calhoun’s expansion translates into more jobs for rural community
Calhoun Super Structure celebrates 30 years with expansion of Goderich facility
Calls for farmland protection intensify amid daily land losses
Recent ag census shows farmland loss has nearly doubled in the past five years
Concern is increasing over Ontario’s rapidly depleting agricultural lands, which make up five per cent of the province’s land mass. According to the latest Census of Agriculture, Ontario’s daily farmland loss has nearly doubled since 2016, to 319 acres compared to 175 acres per day. That is the rough equivalent of losing nine farms each […] Read more
Heat recruited to kill viruses in feed
Researchers determine that a storage period of 30 days at 24 C reduces risk of viral contamination in plant-based feed
Glacier FarmMedia – Multiple disease-causing viruses have been proven to survive for extended periods in imported plant-based animal feed, but what temperature can kill them? Researchers released data on the issue earlier this year. They want to develop science-based procedures to safely import essential ingredients from countries afflicted with animal viruses. “We wanted to determine […] Read more
New traceability program soon to be available for Canadian sheep farmers
Program aims to help improve flock management and information availability
The Canadian Sheep Federation’s (CSF) AgroLedger, a digital traceability program, is launching a pilot program for early adopters before its sector-wide release. The CFS-funded program will be made available at no cost to Canadian sheep producers to bring them in line with future government regulatory amendments, which close the loop on full traceability. Why it […] Read more
New OSF funding program could help shepherds expand flocks
Scotiabank YMF livestock funding program provides funds to buy ewes and feeder lambs
Ontario Sheep Farmers (OSF) wants to support flock expansion and has begun a first-of-its-kind financing program in partnership with Scotiabank. Previously only available for cash croppers, the Scotiabank Yield More Financing (YMF) program is now available for Ontario shepherds. Why it matters: The funding is designed to provide shepherds with the cash flow needed to […] Read more
OMAFRA discontinues annual nitrogen survey
The survey may be replaced with a better program to advise farmers on nitrogen applications to corn
An annual soil nitrogen test survey led by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has been discontinued for 2022, with the ministry’s corn industry program lead Ben Rosser hoping to work with partners to come up with what he describes as a more effective and easily-administered replacement. The Pre Sidedress Nitrogen […] Read more
Fusarium could be a risk for Ontario growers
Heavy rain and moderate temperatures are contributing factors
Humid and wet weather this spring has created ideal conditions for fusarium head blight development in wheat. The risk of fusarium is heavily dependent on the weather and stage of crop. High moisture nd temperatures around 20 to 25 degrees Celsius just before and during heading, is ideal for fusarium growth. Why it matters: Fusarium-infected […] Read more
U.S. further funds food system
Reuters – The Biden administration will spend more than US$2.1 billion in funding to shore up weaknesses in the country’s food supply system exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement earlier this month. Worker illness and other disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays and […] Read more
Making public outreach more effective
Instagram is one thing; multi-layered experiences are another
Although the digital age we live in has a plethora of ways to reach an audience, ensuring a message has genuine impact amid the noise of so many media channels is a tall order. For agriculture and science communication, at least, busting through the noise can be achieved by delivering more developed, multi-layered experiences. That’s […] Read more
Editorial: Despite good intentions, FOP labels could do more harm than good
When Health Canada updated Canada’s Food Guide in January 2019, it was markedly different than previous guides. Unlike previous editions that focused on food ‘groups’ such as dairy, meat, grains, fat, vegetables and fruit, it categorizes food into nutritional categories such as ‘protein’ and ‘fibre’. Rather than dictating how many servings a citizen should consume […] Read more
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