When social media really began gaining traction about a decade or so ago, the agricultural industry was slow to get on board. This caused some problems early on, particularly for livestock producers because animal activist groups such as PETA, Mercy for Animals and HSUS were quick to realize that they could easily share unpleasant photos […] Read more
Tag Archives Other — page 22
Editorial: Advancing the farm conversation on social media
Conversations, not comparisons, create opportunities to agvocate
Farmer Tim offered his experience on how to take advantage of social media opportunities
Don’t confuse consumers with negative comparisons. Instead, create confidence with positive conversations. It’s a simple but powerful strategy used by Ontario dairy farmer Tim May, more widely known on social platforms as Farmer Tim, to teach his 150,000 followers about the dairy sector and agriculture. May was a guest speaker at Farm and Food Care […] Read more
More research on variable landscapes required
While land varies widely across most farms, most research is done on uniform, relatively un-degraded plots
Glacier FarmMedia – The variation of farmland and the practices needed to restore it mean more research needs to be done on the landscape, not just in uniform plots, says one soil scientist. “Almost all of the scientific information on which we base our understanding has been generated on near-level, non-eroded landscapes,” said David Lobb. […] Read more
Farmland at risk with new housing initiative
Accelerated approval for housing developments concerns agriculture and environmental groups
The scene is the same in many towns and villages in Ontario, with signs growing on farmland at the edge of town signalling imminent development and loss of more farmland. Farm groups are concerned that the Ontario government has announced plans to accelerate the approval process for new housing developments. Steve Clark, Minister for Municipal […] Read more
Motivating and managing employees for farm markets
Pandemic pressures taught farm market businesses lessons on employee engagement and retention
Labour attraction and retention are challenging in agriculture, especially for seasonal vegetable and fruit operations. Whether front-line or field workers, maintaining and managing seasonal employees through pandemic burnout, consumer aggression and high expectations led growers to try new tactics to keep staff. Why it matters: Effective orientation of new employees and fostering emotional investment in […] Read more
Nominations for 2022 ag hall of fame due May 1
There’s still time to nominate an outstanding Canadian to the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame Association (CAHFA). May 1 is the deadline for submissions to be considered for 2022 inductees. Every year, CAHFA recognizes Canadians who have made notable, life-long contributions to the agriculture and food industry. Inductees are chosen based on their career and […] Read more
Ontario tops farmland value increases at 22.2 per cent
Strong commodities and tight land supply contributors to the gain
Ontario’s farmland values increased exponentially in the last year across all regions, according to the 2021 Farm Credit Canada (FCC) Farmland Values report. Ontario reported the sharpest increase at 22.2 per cent, quadruple what it was in 2020, followed by British Columbia at 18.1 per cent, said the FCC report. Why it matters: Rising farmland […] Read more
How to manage high crop prices and higher interest rates
Good prices and even average crop yields should equate to profits for farmers
Glacier FarmMedia – With any luck, farmers will be blessed with average weather and normal field conditions this year. If prices and demand hold up, farmers don’t need more than an average crop to reap a great return. And if they are so blessed, they’ll have some pleasant but tough decisions about where to put […] Read more
Editorial: Farmers will find a way
When I drove up the laneway to Adieu Farm near St. Jacob’s last month, the realization that it had been two years since I had been to any event or gathering with more than a handful of people, or stepped inside any kind of facility, hit me hard. Two years. The farm held an open […] Read more
Smart, invisible fence brings precision rodent control to the farm
Ultrasonic sound waves prevent rodents from getting into buildings
Precision management on the farm may soon extend beyond growing crops or feeding livestock to also include rodent control. A Newfoundland start-up is working to bring ecoBloc to market, a smart, invisible fence that gives off high frequency ultrasonic sound waves designed to keep mice and rats away from grain and feed storages and equipment […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
