The leadership of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) was re-elected by the Board of Directors for a second consecutive term at its annual general meeting Nov. 22. This is the second year the President and Executive Committee has been elected by the board of directors following a bylaw ratification which was voted in by […] Read more
OFA to focus on connecting with Ontarians in 2022
New pilot project will complement existing public outreach initiatives
Farmtario has a new editor
Glacier FarmMedia is pleased to announce that Kristy Nudds is the new editor of Farmtario. For the past eight months she has been associate editor of Farmtario, taking on increasing responsibility for Farmtario content and production. Farmtario’s founding editor John Greig is taking on a new role, Director of Strategy and Projects, Regional Director for […] Read more
CAP funding launches two new ag mental health programs
Programs developed to ensure farmers and their families have faster, tailored supports
A $7-million Canadian Agriculture Partnership (CAP) investment will fund development of two new multi-year mental health initiatives specialized in agriculture. The Guardians Network and a program modelled after the Farmer Wellness program will be designed to provide farm families across Ontario with free counselling services and connect at-risk farmers with tailored support and resources. “We […] Read more
U.S. leadership needed to push freer agriculture trade
Trade negotiation insiders say bilateralism won’t go away, but rules enforcement needed
Glacier FarmMedia – Huge gains in freeing up global agricultural trade in the 1990s and early 2000s came about through American leadership — and it’s needed again. So says Mike Gifford, Canada’s former chief agricultural trade negotiator who retired from that role in 2000. Why it matters: Canadian farmers rely on exports for much of […] Read more
Editorial: Protein prognostication
Where will livestock, plant and cultured proteins fit in the marketplace?
Feeding the world with enough protein is one of humanity’s challenges in the next few decades, and there’s room for lots of it to be produced, including from animals, plants and cultured meat proteins. The big question is what proportion of the market will be filled by which and what the economics will look like […] Read more
New report says Canada can be global leader in cellular agriculture
Cellular ag food innovation could be a $12.5 billion national industry, says a recent science paper
Canada could lead the cellular agriculture industry and create a $12.5 billion sector if it invests in building the infrastructure now, says a genomics expert. Dr. Bettina Hamelin released a first-of-its-kind Canadian report, ‘Cellular Agriculture — Canada’s $12.5 Billion Opportunity in Food Innovation,’ at the virtual 2021 Canadian Science Policy Conference held in late November. […] Read more
Export demand at seasonal high for Ontario crops
Pandemic continues to push wheat market; demand is peaking for corn
Ontario corn, soybean and wheat prices trended higher throughout November and export demand for Ontario crops is at a seasonal high. World markets have set the domestic price structure. When the lakes freeze over, basis levels in the elevator system tend to soften. In addition to export demand, corn prices have been supported by historically […] Read more
Inaugural Great Lakes YEN pilot project a cross-border success
Highest yielding wheat growers all from Ontario
Data gathered from the inaugural Great Lakes YEN pilot project has provided some key insights into how growers in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the U.S. achieved higher wheat yields. Results show that total biomass, number of heads per square metre, total nitrogen applied and nutrient uptake were associated with higher yields, which […] Read more
Producers might farm-out robotic agricultural tools services
Whether it’s a drone in the air, a soil sampler in the field or picking tools, it’s a service
Glacier FarmMedia – Agricultural robots have opened the door for more farm operations to be contracted out to service companies. The pace of new robotic-based agricultural platforms developed and tested on North American fields is accelerating, and many of these companies are targeting a service model for their business plan. Traditional ag retailers plan to […] Read more
Scientist still sees CRISPR acceptance issues
Co-discoverer of gene editing says researchers have responsibility to be as transparent with the public as possible
Glacier FarmMedia – Agriculture has a powerful set of tools in CRISPR gene-editing technology to overcome the twin challenges of preserving and increasing food production while minimizing greenhouse gases, said one of CRISPR’s discoverers. “I think the opportunities are so exciting,” said Jennifer Doudna, a biochemist at the University of California at Berkeley. “CRISPR is […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
