Dairy farmers who want to expand must first get land and people in place. That was a common theme from a cross-country panel of leading dairy farmers at the recent Progressive Dairy Operators triennial conference in Toronto. Gert Schrijver farms in Stettler, Alta., milking about 300 cows on 1,700 acres. He plans to build a […] Read more
Tag Archives Dairy farming
Three dairies, three approaches: Land and people are the priorities, say dairy farmers
Large dairy farms find numerous ways to fill labour needs and manage costs
A Canadian option for managing dairy data
A new herd health record-keeping app will join CATTLEytics ‘Moo To Do’
CATTLEytics is creating a dairy data software program designed to streamline barn management regardless of operation size. Data is generated to various degrees on many farms, ostensibly to help farmers make decisions. However, the journey to those answers often needs clarification. Why it matters: Data from sensors is becoming more available to many Ontario dairy […] Read more
Thurston family honoured at Kawartha Lakes event
Family recognized by Lindsay Agricultural Society as farm family of the year
In the year that Keith Thurston and his son Jeff mark 50 years of serving the Lindsay-area farming community through their Pioneer Seeds dealership, someone in that community had an even greater recognition in mind. On March 31, the Lindsay Agricultural Society hosted its annual Kawartha Lakes Spotlight on Agriculture award night and Thursthill Farms […] Read more
Retiring CEO sees bright future for Gay Lea co-op
Michael Barrett oversaw company’s expansion into goats and other provinces
Michael Barrett, CEO of Gay Lea Foods, will retire early next year and he predicts bright futures both for the producer co-operative and the Canadian dairy sector. Barrett’s successor beginning to ease into her role as the CEO of the 1,400 member dairy producer co-operative on Oct. 31. “I’m not only confident there’s a future […] Read more
Organic groups watch for trends as food prices rise
DFO cuts organic production in anticipation of slowed market growth
Leaders of Ontario’s organic food production and processing sectors aren’t ready to declare a trend but there are indications that recent food price inflation has affected consumers’ willingness to pay premium prices for organic options. “There have been a few emails coming through from people concerned about how this is going to affect organics,” Organic […] Read more
Opinion: Federal government knew impact of CUSMA timing on dairy
The federal government is willing to let Canadian dairy producers lose out on millions of dollars as a result of the new trade deal with the United States and Mexico. When MPs in Ottawa listened to testimony from agricultural leaders on the passage of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in February, the bulk of concerns were […] Read more
Comparing farms highlights vulnerabilities
Benchmarking report identifies significant profitability differences among dairy and grain farms
Variations in debt load and per-acre profitability highlight vulnerabilities in Ontario’s dairy and crop sectors, according to the latest benchmarking report from BDO Canada. However, representatives from the financial firm say the data also gives farmers an opportunity to improve risk management, as well as their cost-to-profit ratio. Why it matters: Understanding your farm’s profitability […] Read more
OPINION: Thoughts on dumping milk during COVID-19
Unprecedented shocks to the market are to blame, not supply management
I received a sad text from a friend of mine who is a dairy farmer. They are being asked to dump milk as the processors to whom it is assigned can’t use it right now This is difficult to understand in a time where we are seeing empty grocery stores shelves. Supply chains are complex […] Read more
Some Ontario milk not being picked up as market shifts
Closure of restaurants and food service due to COVID-19 has challenged processors
Hundreds of Ontario dairy farmers won’t have their milk picked up and potentially into the future because of gluts of milk at processors due to market changes from COVID-19. Dairy Farmers of Ontario let its farmers know on March 31 that some will have to dump their milk due to huge changes in the milk […] Read more
Separating stature from major Holstein traits
A new composite index should help maintain desirable traits, while de-emphasizing stature
Canada’s dairy breeding sector is attempting to slow a gradual increase in the average size of the nation’s Holstein. At Lactanet Canada’s recent Open Industry Session held in Guelph, geneticist Dr. Allison Fleming provided information about the development of a composite index of four well-established dairy genetic traits. Why it matters: As the average height […] Read more
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