Sir Charles Godfray, director of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food, being interviewed by the University of Guelph's Jess Haines, professor in Family Relations and Applied Nutrition.

Finding agriculture innovation triggers for Africa

The continent doesn’t have access to many of the inputs of developed countries, but that is changing

On much of the African continent, 15 years ago there was an almost total absence of landline telephone technology. Now, with smallholder farmers as much at the forefront as any of their urban small business counterparts, the landline situation remains the same, but the bandwidth of Africa is abuzz with smartphone communications that have transformed […] Read more

Danielle Fawcett explains her Master’s degree study into the effect on keel bone development in pullets raised in varying housing densities. She presented her findings during the Poster Presentation section of the 11th annual Research Symposium of the University of Guelph’s Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare.

Animal welfare studies lead to ag careers

Students find there are good jobs to be had because of their studies of animal welfare

The growing interest in animal welfare is providing opportunities for students studying animal behaviour and management. The most recent edition of the annual Research Symposium of the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare (CCSAW) provided strong evidence there are now post-university career opportunities for those interested in the topic. Why it matters: With […] Read more

Cull cows with gait, hock or body condition issues are often discounted by cattle buyers at auctions.

Why cull dairy cows are discounted

The price paid for cows with poor body condition score is dropped 20 cents per kg, meaning there may be opportunities to dry off and feed those cows

Instead of calling in the livestock trucker as soon as milk production drops off from a cow with an infected hock or low body condition, it may pay Ontario dairy producers to dry those cows off, feed them long enough to regain condition, then send them to auction. That was a major finding from a […] Read more

The University of Guelph CAMA student team.

Lessons from a winning student team

A University of Guelph marketing team recently placed second in an North American student competition

A group of University of Guelph students placed second at the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) student competition in Kansas City. The 15 students finished second out of 29 teams with their innovative product marketing for Hewitt’s Dairy Goat Milk Latte. The intensive competition brings together agriculture university students from across Canada and the United States […] Read more

(NorthGrenville.ca)

Community to ‘transform’ Guelph’s Kemptville ag campus

The home municipality for Ontario Agricultural College’s (OAC) former Kemptville campus is set to remake the site as an “education and community hub.” The municipality of North Grenville, which includes Kemptville, about 40 km south of Ottawa, closed a deal in December to purchase the Kemptville ag campus, with the official transfer due to take […] Read more


Rob Black will be stepping down from his role as CEO of the Rural Ontario Institute to take his place in the Senate. Photo: Courtesy ROI

Rural Ontario leader appointed to the Senate

A leader in Ontario’s agriculture and rural community is one of Canada’s newest Senators. Rob Black, executive director of the Rural Ontario Institute was named one of two new Senators from Ontario by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Feb. 15. Why it matters: It has been a long time since someone so connected in Ontario agriculture has […] Read more

University of Guelph President Dr. Franco Vaccarino (right) and Jeff Leal, Ontario’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, sign the new research partnership agreement, with Liz Sandals, Guelph-area MPP behind.  Photo: John Greig

OMAFRA, University of Guelph renew research partnership

Up to $713 million in agriculture research will be funded at the University of Guelph over the next 10 years through a renewal of the university’s agreement with OMAFRA. The new agreement has been updated to manage digital data and is aimed to provide a base from which to leverage more research funding from other […] Read more

University of Guelph president Dr. Franco Vaccarino (right) and Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal sign a new research partnership agreement, with Guelph-area MPP Liz Sandals. (John Greig photo)

Ontario, U of Guelph renew ag research partnership

Up to $713 million in agriculture research will be funded at the University of Guelph over the next 10 years through a renewal of the university’s agreement with the provincial ag ministry. The new agreement has been updated to manage digital data and is aimed to provide a base from which to leverage more research […] Read more


Mike Wilson is working on profitability mapping solutions for farmers with Veritas.  Photo: John Greig

Mapping profit can drive precision-farming decisions

Precision farming can find the high yield and low yield, high fertility and low fertility areas of a farm, but the missing link has been how that ties to profitability. Why it matters: The capacity to apply nutrients variably across a crop field isn’t new, but it’s been difficult for farmers to see the justification of […] Read more

Dana McCauley has been working to launch Accelerator Guelph since she joined the Research Innovation office at the University of Guelph late last year. (John Greig photo)

Guelph to host new agri-food accelerator

The University of Guelph has created a new organization to help launch agri-food ideas and innovations. Accelerator Guelph aims to provide business training, help create networks and provide a process to innovators in agriculture and food at the university. Why does it matter? Getting research and great ideas from university researchers to the market has […] Read more