Jenny Butcher and Wes Kuntz, Little Brown Cow Dairy, of Brantford, Ont. were named the national winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer (OYF) program along with Raymond and Tracey Bredenhof, R&T Poultry and Bredenhof Hops, of Abbotsford, B.C. at the OYF national event held virtually and in Saskatoon Dec. 1-3, 2021. Butcher and Kuntz started the […] Read more
Ontario OYFs win national competition
Agriculture programs see global spike in applicants
Women are increasing diversity of the sector
The higher rate of interest and applications to agriculture programs globally reflects a shift in world priorities, Karen Taylor, director of Corporate Finance, Agriculture and Agribusiness at BMO, told attendees at the recent Advancing Women in Agriculture virtual conference. “Agriculture is a very dynamic industry that needs to be readily adaptable to change,” she said. […] Read more
Comment: Double vision – The future of livestock
There is a bright future available for Ontario’s livestock sector, but it won’t happen on its own
I recently gave a presentation on the future of livestock focused on big things that will impact the future. Quantum computing will affect analysis of big data, drug development and many other aspects of livestock production. Genomics is already changing livestock production and that impact is sure to get much larger. Consumer demand and retail […] Read more
PM asks federal ag minister to focus on labour
Mandate letter outlines prime minister’s goals for the sector, but critics wanted to see more
Glacier FarmMedia – Federal Agriculture and Agri-food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says an agricultural labour strategy will be released in phases as Ottawa tackles issues around temporary foreign and domestic workers. Her new mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said developing a strategy should be her immediate priority. Bibeau said in an interview that work […] Read more
Multiple carbon markets bring opportunities
Farmers need to consider what the developing carbon market could do for their business
Putting a price on carbon doesn’t have to mean taxes and credit trading, but even if it does, a little pragmatism could help farmers save money. According to Graham Gilchrist, chief executive officer of Alberta-based non-profit Biological Carbon Canada, producers should consider what the continued development of a carbon market could do for their business. […] Read more
Opinion: Relief on drying costs needed to meet federal sustainability goals
In the past few years we’ve heard numerous times that the federal government wants agriculture to be an economic driver for Canada. It also wants agricultural production to be greener. Both can certainly be achieved. But changes to the federal carbon tax scheme, the Greenhouse Gas Polluting Act, need to be considered for this to […] Read more
Most recent StatsCan crop survey shows 2021 was record year
Corn, soy and wheat all came in above 2020 levels, but slightly lower than September estimate
Statistics Canada released its November crop survey Dec. 3, showing Ontario corn production at 9.5 million tonnes. This was down from the September estimate of 9.6 million tonnes but up from the 2020 crop of 8.9 million tonnes. Ontario farmers harvested 4.1 million tonnes of soybeans. Although this was down from the September estimate of […] Read more
Ontario cover crop survey garners most respondents ever
Survey pinpoints potential solutions to encourage cover crop adoption
The recently released 2020 Ontario Cover Crop Feedback report has delivered insight into the benefits of cover cropping and the barriers that limit adoption. The main benefits identified include better soil health, increased soil organic matter and reduced erosion, while the challenges include lack of equipment, costs and a short growing season. The report stems […] Read more
Ireland looks to seaweed in quest to curb methane from cows
While there’s lots of interest in the method, it’s years away from mass production
Reuters – Scientists are combing Ireland’s west coast for seaweed to feed to cattle and sheep after research showed it could stop them breathing out so much climate-warming methane. The project, co-ordinated by a state agriculture body, is tapping into the country’s growing seaweed harvesting industry, which is seeking new markets as it revives centuries-old […] Read more
COVID-19 not kind to Canada’s wool industry
Clothing retailers were forced to close during pandemic, only to open in fits and starts as public health restrictions allowed
Glacier FarmMedia – Wool might be a secondary market for the Canadian sheep industry, but the COVID-19 pandemic still cut deep into the business as the textile supply chain ground to a halt, according to the country’s wool co-operative. Eric Bjergso, general manager of Canadian Co-operative Wool Growers, said 2020 was the most difficult year […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
