The 2020 Global Agricultural Productivity Report (GAP Report) — Productivity in a Time of Pandemics — released by the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, raises concerns about the resilience of agricultural systems in the face of pandemic-scale outbreaks that afflict people, crops, and livestock. New data from the United States Department of […] Read more
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Uneven farm productivity report shows COVID impacts
Science Notes: Some countries more vulnerable to pandemic-scale outbreaks than others.
Diana Martin joins Farmtario
Farmtario is excited to welcome Diana Martin to its staff. Martin has spent more than two decades in the media sector, first as a photojournalist and then evolving into a multi-media journalist. Five years ago she left mainstream media and brought her skills to the agriculture sector. “Agriculture has been a wonderful challenge and an […] Read more
Opinion: U.S. election winner unlikely to be friendly to Canadian farmers
Glacier FarmMedia – No matter who wins the upcoming election in the United States, Canadian farmers will likely continue to face tough competition from their heavily subsidized counterparts south of the border. In the 2016 U.S. election, it became clear early on that producers saw the eventual winner, President Donald Trump, as the favoured candidate. […] Read more
Listowel event results in new online mental health resource
The initiative started with the local agricultural society
From a local food fundraiser to a professionally produced website and videos, a group of Listowel-area farmers have turned a small grant from RBC Royal Bank into a go-to resource for anyone in mid-western Ontario’s agricultural community struggling with mental illness. Why it matters: Much has occurred over the past five years to lessen the […] Read more
Trump subsidies make up a third of U.S. farm income
Administration has used trade wars, COVID-19 as reasons to boost subsidies
Reuters – U.S. President Donald Trump is assuring a bumper year for farmers as the Nov. 3 election approaches, with record government subsidies projected to make up more than a third of farm income in 2020. The aid programs could be key to Trump’s chances of success in swing states such as Wisconsin, Ohio, Iowa […] Read more
Technology monitors high-risk barn wiring to help stop barn fires
A project by Trillium Mutual Insurance aims to get 100 monitoring devices installed on farms in a year
An Ontario insurance company is trying to stop barn fires before they start by subsidizing the installation of technology that monitors wiring systems for faults. The sensor-based early warning system is part of a unique collaboration between Trillium Mutual Insurance and PrevTech Innovation. Why it matters: Barn fires create more than a financial loss. They […] Read more
Former federal ag minister Don Mazankowski, 85
Long-time Alberta Tory MP deemed a 'minister of everything'
A private memorial is planned for long-time Alberta MP Don Mazankowski, whose work in the cabinets of prime ministers Brian Mulroney and Joe Clark included a stint as Canada’s minister of agriculture. Mazankowski, the MP for the east-central Alberta riding of Vegreville from 1968 to 1993, died late Tuesday at age 85, his family said […] Read more
Environmental Farm Plan update process eased
The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) has made it easier for producers to update their Environmental Farm Plan (EFP). Farms with a third or fourth edition EFP are now eligible to renew through a new, one-day workshop. “Farmers requested an efficient way to update their EFP and take their best management practice learning […] Read more
Ontario start-up launches grain-trading app
‘Industry-first’ potential to eliminate time-consuming paperwork
An Ontario company has launched a new app that provides instant information and creation of grain-trading contracts in what it is calling an industry first. The Grain Discovery app for iPhone, along with its companion online portal for all internet connections was launched on a trial basis at the Prince Edward County-based Lockie Farms Grain […] Read more
Conestoga College program to train farm equipment operators
The new program received funding from provincial and federal governments
A new training program for agricultural equipment operators is receiving support from the federal and provincial governments. The Conestoga College program will start as a pilot project to expand training opportunities for current farm sector employees and better prepare those interesting in careers in agriculture to work on farms. Why it matters: Farm labour is […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
