The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF) returns after a two-year in-person hiatus to celebrate its 100th anniversary at Toronto’s Exhibition Place from Nov. 4-13. “Since 1922, The Royal has celebrated the very best of what Canada has to offer through world-class competitions, interactive education and inspiring entertainment,” said Charlie Johnstone, RAWF CEO in a release. […] Read more
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair returns
Do mushrooms really use language?
New research shows some fungi species may communicate via electrical impulses
Nearly all of Earth’s organisms communicate with each other in one way or another, from the nods and dances and squeaks and bellows of animals, through to the invisible chemical signals emitted by plant leaves and roots. But what about fungi? Are mushrooms as inanimate as they seem – or is something more exciting going on […] Read more
Avian influenza, Ukraine war push egg prices higher worldwide
Major exporting countries are running short on supply, driving up food costs
Reuters – Severe outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) in the U.S. and France are tightening global egg supplies and raising prices as the war in Ukraine disrupts shipments to Europe and the Middle East. Higher prices are particularly painful for consumers who rely on eggs as a low-cost source of protein and substitute for more […] Read more
Canadian inflation hits 31-year high
Inflation surges more than expected
Canada’s annual inflation rate accelerated faster than expected in March, hitting a 31-year high amid broad price pressures, official data showed April 19, pointing toward another oversized rate hike from the Bank of Canada in June. The headline rate hit 6.7 per cent in March, well above analyst expectations of 6.1 per cent and a […] Read more
Farm & Food Care Ontario celebrates 10 years with new funding agreement
OMAFRA will contribute up to $547,200 to outreach initiatives over three years
A new funding agreement that will contribute up to $547,200 to Farm & Food Care Ontario’s (FFCO) outreach activities over the next three years was announced by Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Lisa Thompson at FFCO’s annual meeting on April 13 in Elora. “Ensuring Ontarians have the facts on where their […] Read more
Demand remains strong for processing tomatoes
Ontario’s contracted acres anticipated to be at least 450,000 tonnes
Ontario’s processing tomato crop is anticipated to reflect last year, if not slightly higher, barring significant production complications. According to the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG), there also continues to be high demand for processing tomatoes worldwide. Why it matters: Demand for tomato products remains high but global supplies are tight. Tom Keller, a Leamington-area […] Read more
‘Mr. 4-H’ appointed Food & Farming Champion
John Drummond of Waterloo has been a 4-H volunteer for 37 years
“I’m glad I didn’t duck out 15 minutes ago,” joked Food & Farming Champion recipient John Drummond. “I’m absolutely gobsmacked by this.” The Food & Farming Champion Award has been presented annually since 1999 by Food and Farm Care Ontario (FFCO) to recognize an individual or group’s commitment to public outreach and support for Ontario’s […] Read more
Editorial: Advancing the farm conversation on social media
When social media really began gaining traction about a decade or so ago, the agricultural industry was slow to get on board. This caused some problems early on, particularly for livestock producers because animal activist groups such as PETA, Mercy for Animals and HSUS were quick to realize that they could easily share unpleasant photos […] Read more
Conversations, not comparisons, create opportunities to agvocate
Farmer Tim offered his experience on how to take advantage of social media opportunities
Don’t confuse consumers with negative comparisons. Instead, create confidence with positive conversations. It’s a simple but powerful strategy used by Ontario dairy farmer Tim May, more widely known on social platforms as Farmer Tim, to teach his 150,000 followers about the dairy sector and agriculture. May was a guest speaker at Farm and Food Care […] Read more
Uncertainty continues to drive grain prices
High energy prices, inflation and export demand all supportive but weather woes could increase volatility
Ontario elevator bids for corn and soybeans made fresh 52-week highs during mid-April for both old and new crop positions. Ontario farm stocks of corn and soybean will drop to bin-bottom levels at the end of the 2021/22 crop year. The domestic market is functioning to ration demand by trading at a premium to world […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
