Glacier FarmMedia opens bureau in Ottawa

These days I am becoming more thankful to those who do thankless work. About a month ago, I settled in Ottawa. I claim “the west” as home to those here who ask. Most of my growing up was in Calgary and the bulk of my journalism career up until now has been in Saskatchewan. Now […] Read more

WMO urges drastic action as global average temperature set to rise again

WMO urges drastic action as global average temperature set to rise again

A 2015 treaty signed by 200 nations that set a goal of limiting warming to below pre-industrial levels is being changed

Geneva | Reuters – The global average temperature is set to rise to at least 1.2 to 1.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels over the next five years, a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) official said Sept. 22, close to a limit adopted in a global treaty. The prediction came as governments met in New York […] Read more

New Queen of the Furrow Heidi Frey plows during competition.

Frey wins 2019 Queen of the Furrow competition

Drayton’s Heidi Frey is the next Ontario Queen of the Furrow. She was selected to wear the crown during the 2019 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in Verner, West Nipissing. “I can’t believe this is real. I’m so honoured to be chosen out of this amazing group of girls that I’ve gotten to spend […] Read more

Kyle Koshalek, a research co-ordinator associate with the National Farm Medicine Center, shows new online tools that can help farmers reduce hazards on their farms.

Online tools help analyze farm hazards

The programs were developed in the U.S. with help from firefighters, who are usually first on the scene of an accident

Glacier FarmMedia – Firefighters and first responders have joined with farmers in the United States to release a slate of new programs that can address hazards. The online tools, which can also be accessed in Canada, include a checklist and a pre-plan map for emergency situations. Why it matters: Agriculture is a dangerous occupation, so […] Read more

The study was recently published in Science and has concluded that imidacloprid is a threat to songbirds, said Margaret Eng, a post-doctoral fellow in the University of Saskatchewan’s Toxicology Centre and lead author of the study.

New neonic study points to songbird decline

The research, conducted in Ontario, says the insecticide suppresses appetite, disrupting migration

Glacier FarmMedia – The findings of a University of Saskatchewan and York University study may affect the fate of insecticide seed treatments in Canada. The study, which was published Sept. 13 in the scientific journal Science, has concluded that imidacloprid is a threat to songbirds. White crowned sparrows that consumed seeds coated with the insecticide […] Read more


An artist’s rendering of what the entry to the Grove could look like.

Western Fair Association launches agri-business hub

The Grove aims to be a place for agriculture and food businesses to interact and grow

The Western Fair Association has announced a new strategy that includes becoming home to a hub for agriculture and agribusiness innovation called The Grove. The Grove, to be housed in some of the buildings which once hosted the London Farm Show and the National Poultry Show, was launched Oct. 10 at an event at the […] Read more

Solartech is providing electric tractors in North America, but they are best suited for small farm uses so far.

Will electric tractors ever dethrone diesel?

There is plenty of space for electric power in smaller, lower-torque jobs

Despite exponential increases in the technology’s effectiveness — and widespread use in other industries — battery power and charging challenges continue to limit the scalability of electrically-driven farm equipment. That doesn’t mean diesel will always reign supreme, though. According to three Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) technology experts, electric motors have […] Read more

Online platform simplifies the local food supply chain

Online platform simplifies the local food supply chain

Local Line connects food buyers and sellers and is now helping with transportation logistics

If you’re a farmer selling products directly to consumers, restaurants or retail locations, an Ontario company believes it can simplify your process with an online platform. Local Line is an online selling platform for local food suppliers designed to help automate and streamline order fulfillment, inventory management and delivery. It started as a match-making service […] Read more


Filmmaker Brina Romanek talks with Jim Giffen, the subject of her documentary.

Documentary explores subject of farm succession

Filmmaker focuses on the story of a retiring Ontario farmer who is passing on his operation to a non-family member

Filmmaker Brina Romanek was working on a project about food waste in Canada when one of her subjects showed her how many farms in the area were not being passed down to the next generation. It sparked an interest in her, and also anxiety about what it would mean for farming’s future. The feeling was […] Read more

Farmland stretches to Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of Ontario and Canada jutting into Lake Erie.

Comment: Provincial land use changes could affect Ontario farms

Ontario’s provincial policy statement is currently under review. It directs land-use planning and guides municipal development for all of Ontario. The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario is focusing on the provincial policy statement review during our annual stewardship and policy committee series. CFFO members across the province are weighing in, online or in person, to […] Read more