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Organic growers push for recognition in federal agriculture strategy
News

Organic growers push for recognition in federal agriculture strategy

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The Canadian Organic Growers are pushing the federal government to recognize their sector in the federal Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, set to be published later this year. "The [Sustainable Agriculture Strategy] is and can be a big opportunity, and organic and regenerative have a lot to offer," said Katie Fettes, COG's director of policy and research, in an online presentation yesterday.
Photo: Getty Images
Crops, Markets

Organic operators down, acreage up: new industry stats

Total organic sales in 2022 was $10.26, billion up from $9.35 billion in 2021

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The number of Canadian organic producers and processors fell by nearly 300 in 2022 according to the latest industry stats. “There’s people coming in and there’s people going out,” said Tia Loftsgard, executive director of the Canadian Organic Trade Association (COTA). 
Laura Van Eerd shows the difference between corn grown on cover-cropped soil versus non-cover-cropped soil in this composite photo.
Crops

Long-term Ontario studies show value of cover crops

Boosting organic matter in soils proved to boost profit margins and reduce yield variation year to year

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A series of long-term studies in southern Ontario are showing the value of cover crops and boosting soil organic matter. When combining data across experiments and research stations, University of Guelph soil scientist Laura Van Eerd said researchers consistently saw higher corn and soybean yields correlate to higher soil organic matter. Van Eerd spoke during […] Read more
Moving more land into hay and pasture can make organic transition easier.
Crops, News

Hay and forage can help ease organic transition

A program in eastern Ontario aims to help farmers going through the three-year period before certification

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Having a plan for making money from either hay or pasture can significantly ease the financial strain of transitioning from conventional to organic production. That was one message delivered by Semican seed company agronomist Valerie Yoder, during a presentation Jan. 25 at the annual Guelph Organic Conference. Why it matters: Certified organic crops offer a […] Read more
At the Israel family’s Drayton-area organic farm, delayed maturity of the rye meant that roller-crimping had to occur in early July, well after the emergence of the soybeans. A side-by-side comparison on July 22 showed the soybeans were delayed, but had come through the mat of rye in good health.
Crops

OSCIA-supported trial examines no-till organic soybeans

Despite difficult spring, growers persist with planting into roller-crimped rye

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Delayed soybean emergence and the seed costs for a lush cover crop of rye are the main reasons why one innovative approach to no-till farming might not make financial sense under conventional management. But a new research trial being conducted at six sites across southern Ontario is showing promise that the method might be something […] Read more
News

Farm couple each head organic organizations

Gillian Flies takes over as president of Canadian Organic Growers

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Dinner-table discussions at The New Farm near Creemore are taking on a heightened significance for Ontario’s organic farming community in 2019, as both members of the farm’s husband-and-wife management team have taken on key leadership roles in separate organic sector organizations. Brent Preston is now president of the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) following […] Read more
Organic soybeans are mostly moving around the world for animal feed.
Crops, News

Replacing U.S. imports of organic soybeans unlikely

The rapid growth of U.S. organic livestock production has resulted in massive imports of soymeal

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American organic soybean imports, especially as meal, continue to dwarf import of other organic crops. In fact, if American farmers tried to grow that many soybeans to make into meal, it could disrupt the whole organic system, says Ryan Koory, senior analyst with Mercaris, an American organic market intelligence company. Why it matters: Organic production […] Read more
Justin Bell (left) and John Brunsveld were speakers at the recent South Western Ontario Dairy Symposium.
Livestock, News

Dairy farmers find opportunity in organic

At the 2019 South Western Ontario Dairy Symposium two farmers shared why they decided to transition to organic dairy

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John Brunsveld and Justin Bell found opportunities in the Ontario organic milk market, and they talked about it at the recent South Western Ontario Dairy Symposium. Brunsveld produces organic milk on his farm, milking 125 cows. Bell farms in Chatham-Kent and was accepted into the Organic New Entrant Quota Assistance Program and hopes to be […] Read more

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