It’s an area larger than the total acreage now farmed in Ontario, yet the prospect of clearing, tiling and bringing the 16 million acres of the Great Clay Belt to productivity is questionable, if not daunting. It has taken producers in Ontario’s ‘Near North’ region of Temiskaming Shores, Earlton and Englehart more than 50 years […] Read more
Tag Archives Environment — page 4
The prospect of farming in the Great Clay Belt
It may be too daunting for some, but the potential is there
Understanding El Niño and La Niña
It has everything to do with the temperature of the Pacific Ocean
Glacier FarmMedia – We are into an El Niño period and there is high probability it will continue through the winter. What is El Niño, and why can it have such a profound impact on our weather? Simply put, El Niño is a change in ocean surface temperatures across the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean. […] Read more
Methane breeding tool’s developers look to long-term adoption
Uptake has been slow among producers, but the discussion on methane efficiency has begun
Uptake by Canadian dairy producers of a new breeding tool aimed at decreasing their herd’s methane emissions hasn’t been overwhelming, representatives of Semex Alliance admitted recently. However, given the potential long-term interest, neither Semex nor the organization with which it partnered on developing the tool is concerned. Why it matters: The Canadian dairy sector’s commitments […] Read more
Repurposing food waste can offer benefits to agri-food sector
Companies are finding ways to create value and increase food availability
The concepts of reducing food loss and finding ways to repurpose waste streams into viable, useful products are gaining traction as countries around the world look to tackle food security and climate change. The United Nations just marked its fourth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29, and October has […] Read more
Opinion: Recognizing our mixed environmental record
Cancelation of Chatham-Kent’s woodlot-removal moratorium should spur reflection, not victory cheers
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent recently removed a bylaw prohibiting farmers from clear cutting areas of tree cover above a quarter acre in size. Many in the area’s agriculture community have expressed support for the bylaw’s removal. Some pursued its cancellation with the argument that farmers have historically been good stewards of the land. That argument […] Read more
The difference between climate and weather
A warm fall is weather; decades of warmer autumns are climate
When media talk about climate change, a lot of confusion can arise, and that can negatively impact what needs to be done about climate warming. When I write and talk about this topic, I call it climate warming, not climate change. The term “global warming” is fine, but I feel it has been so overused […] Read more
Monitoring enteric methane emissions on pasture
University of Guelph investigating link between feed efficiency and enteric methane
Feeding canola oil to beef cows could be one way to reduce their enteric methane emissions and increase feed efficiency. University of Guelph researchers adopted unique technology to investigate the link between feed efficiency and enteric methane emissions. Feed-efficient cattle reduce farmer costs, and lower enteric methane can help with greenhouse gas emission issues, creating […] Read more
Are yield and sustainability natural enemies?
For the farmer, maximizing production might not be the best strategy
Productivity has long been the main focus of agricultural research in Canada – more bushels of grain, more pounds of beef, more litres of milk, all in aid of competitiveness and profitability. Now there’s a new research priority on the block: sustainability, which often clashes with the deeply held belief that yield should dominate. In […] Read more
Hybrid catalyst makes fertilizer, cleans wastewater
Science Notes: New process may help reduce emissions
The manufacturing of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is an energy- and carbon-intensive process and creates nitrate-containing runoff. Researchers have long sought solutions to reduce emissions from the industry that accounts for three per cent of energy consumption each year. A collaboration between two labs at Northwestern University, partnering with the University of Toronto, has found that […] Read more
Climate change and early dying dominate potato research
Retailers attend open house to inform future purchases
Climate change resiliency and early potato dying studies were highlights of the Aug. 23 Elora Potato Research Open House. Vanessa Currie, University of Guelph potato breeding technician, said the five-year research study on which varieties hold up best under increasing climate pressures was launched this year. Why it matters: The annual potato research open house […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
