The Greenbelt Foundation recently released a report delving into what it calls “the pressing issue of housing shortages for farm families, on-farm workers and agri-business employees in Ontario’s rural areas
Tag Archives rural development
Rural housing report sees complex problem, varied solutions for Ontario
Greenbelt Foundation study shows support for solutions dependent on level of pressure on farmland
China moves to develop rural economy with plan to boost farmers’ income
China's agriculture ministry outlined measures on Thursday for provincial governments to boost farmers' income by developing the rural economy, including efforts to spur employment of migrant workers.
U.S. to spend $7.3 billion on rural clean energy projects
Reuters – President Joe Biden’s administration on Thursday said the U.S. will spend $7.3 billion from 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act to fund clean energy projects helmed by rural electric cooperatives. The 16 funded projects will reduce energy costs and increase reliability for rural Americans, who tend to pay more for energy, the White House said. […] Read more
GFO members bring land planning and protection concerns to annual meeting
Fertilizer and carbon tax relief remain ongoing issues
Grain farmer concerns on land use and planning gained traction against ongoing fertilizer pricing and carbon tax issues. Brendan Byrne, Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) chair, and CEO Crosby Devitt fielded questions on what measures the organization was taking toward agricultural land protection and intensification planning to address increasing housing pressure during the organization’s annual […] Read more
North Korea’s Kim demands more farmland to boost food production
Seoul | Reuters — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered improvements to infrastructure and expansion of farmland to ramp up food production, state media said on Thursday, amid warnings of an impending food crisis. Kim gave instructions to revamp irrigation systems, build modern farming machines and create more arable land as he wrapped up […] Read more
Development partners commit US$30 billion to food production in Africa
Continent facing record-level hunger
Dakar | Reuters — Development partners have committed US$30 billion to boost food production in Africa over the next five years, the president of the African Development Bank said on Friday at the close of a summit on food security on the continent. The continent is facing its worst food crisis ever, with more than […] Read more
Ontario trims minimum memberships for ag, hort societies
Eligibility thresholds for provincial operating grants lowered
Rules taking effect with the new year are expected to make it easier for Ontario agricultural and horticultural societies to qualify for provincial grants in the face of a membership crunch. The province on Friday confirmed amendments to regulation 16, attached to its Agricultural and Horticultural Organizations Act, kick in effective Sunday (Jan. 1, 2023). […] Read more
CRTC asks big telcos to share network with smaller rural players
Big firms also told to negotiate wholesale access rates
Reuters — Canada’s top wireless firms will now be required to accept requests for access to their networks from smaller companies, particularly those serving rural areas, and also to negotiate on wholesale prices, the country’s telecom regulator said Wednesday. The ruling comes as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) looks to lower the cost […] Read more
One-third of China’s land protected under ecological ‘red line’ scheme
Authorities crack down on farm encroachment
Shanghai | Reuters — Nearly a third of China’s land is now off-limits to development under a scheme known as the “ecological protection red line,” a senior official said at a news briefing on Monday, bringing the country in accord with global biodiversity targets. China first proposed its “red line” scheme in 2011 to put […] Read more
Catapulting rural entrepreneurs to the next level in Grey-Bruce
Investment in regional rural business hub already paying dividends locally
Owen Sound is ready to help rural entrepreneurs take a leap to the next level while keeping innovation at the local level. The Sydenham Campus Regional Skills Training, Trades and Innovation Centre received an $845,000 non-repayable Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) fund early in 2021 to host a small and medium-sized […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
