Latest Newsletter

Tag Archives Ontario — page 15

Farms settled in the 1950s have returned to nature as other opportunities beckoned owners.
News

Finding farmland in Ontario’s north

It’s believed there are up to three million acres of Class 2, 3 and 4 land in the north that could be farmed

By
The economics of modern agriculture have rekindled interest in pushing long-abandoned farms in northeastern Ontario into production. Millions of acres considered part of the fertile Northern Clay Belt remain largely undeveloped in municipalities stretching north and west from New Liskeard since the region was first opened to farming in the 1950s. Alain Robichaud, economic development […] Read more
A Meta Cannabis retail store on Yonge Street in Toronto. (CNW Group/Meta Growth)
Crops

Canadian cannabis retailers poised to merge

High Tide, Meta Growth to create biggest weed retailer

By
Two major Canadian cannabis sellers are poised to create the largest pot retailer in the country by revenue. Calgary retailer High Tide Inc., which operates the Canna Cabana chain of stores in three provinces, announced a merger deal Friday to take up Toronto-based Meta Growth Corp., which runs the Meta Cannabis and NewLeaf Cannabis chains. […] Read more
(TopconPositioning.com)
Crops, Machinery

Brandt closes GeoShack deal, locks up Topcon sales in Canada

Tractor company revives Ontario deal

By
A deal to make Brandt Tractor the exclusive dealer for Topcon geopositioning equipment clear across Canada has been resuscitated. Regina-based Brandt announced Tuesday it has closed its previously-announced deal to buy the assets of GeoShack Canada — two weeks after Dallas-based GeoShack declared that “a mutually beneficial deal… has not been attained.” GeoShack has been […] Read more
(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)
Crops

Ontario to insure for crop loss due to lack of labour

AgriInsurance offering hailed as a first in Canada

By
Ontario’s federal/provincial AgriInsurance program has been temporarily expanded to include coronavirus-related labour shortages as a covered cause for crop loss. Producers already enrolled in an eligible production insurance plan and hit by crop losses due to labour disruptions during the 2020 growing season will be able to get further insurance coverage, the Ontario and federal […] Read more
(OntLA.on.ca)
Crops

Ontario investigating 17 temp agencies after virus outbreaks on farms

"We stand firm against exploitation in our province"

By ,
Toronto/Winnipeg | Reuters — Ontario is investigating 17 temporary recruitment agencies, the province’s labour ministry said, after health officials warned that agencies that move workers from farm to farm could be contributing to COVID-19 outbreaks. Canadian farms rely on some 60,000 people who come to Canada on temporary work permits every year, typically living and […] Read more
(TopconPositioning.com)
Crops, Machinery

Brandt deal for Topcon distributor in Ontario falls through

GeoShack says will remain 'independently owned'

By
A proposal that would have made farm equipment maker Brandt the exclusive dealer for Topcon GPS equipment in Canada has fallen through without a sealed deal. GeoShack Canada, the “master dealer” for TopCon equipment in Ontario through its locations in Toronto, Ottawa and London, announced Tuesday that a completed acquisition by the Regina-based Brandt Group […] Read more
Radish-based cover crops are becoming less common as farmers look to fix more nitrogen with legumes.
Crops

Deciding which cover crops to use

There’s more known now about what cover crops work in what soils and for what end uses

By
Planting cover crops following winter wheat harvest is not a new concept for Ontario producers. The ability of cover crops to add organic matter to soil, sequester weeds and reduce erosion is greatly beneficial but one cover crop won’t work for all producers and their needs. “It’s going to depend on the grower, their situation, […] Read more
Analysts see COVID-19 as unlikely to impact farmland values
Markets/Business

Analysts see COVID-19 as unlikely to impact farmland values

Number of transactions could slow as prices continue increasing

By
As the global economic roller coaster trip continues, will the pandemic radically change Ontario’s farmland values? Probably not, say analysts, though fewer transactions are likely. Why it matters: COVID-19 will likely impact the number of people selling farmland, but not the overall value, according to analysts. In the extreme corner of southwestern Ontario, a virtual […] Read more
An image created by Nexu Science Communication, together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus, the type of virus linked to COVID-19. (Nexu Science Communication via Reuters)
Crops

Ontario pledges farm recruiter crackdown as COVID-19 outbreaks grow

Ford rips 'fly-by-nighters just trying to make a quick buck'

By
Toronto | Reuters –– Ontario will crack down on “fly-by-night” recruitment agencies sending workers on to farms, the premier said on Monday, after a testing blitz identified a major coronavirus outbreak on a farm in southwestern Ontario. “We’re reaching out to all the farmers, we’re getting a list of these recruitment agencies. We found out […] Read more
File photo of Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam at a news conference in Ottawa on April 9, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Blair Gable)
Crops

Tam seeks details on Ontario’s COVID-19 farm worker guidelines

Windsor-Essex area reports six ag-related outbreaks as of Thursday

By ,
Ottawa/Toronto | Reuters — Canada’s top public health official said on Thursday she plans to seek more information from Ontario about the province’s plan to allow some COVID-19 positive people with no symptoms to return to their jobs — a risky policy, according to workers’ advocates and some doctors. Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, issued […] Read more

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

Glacier Farmmedia Podcast