Amherstburg seeks farmers' market   
Posted 14 days ago
Amherstburg's municipal council is seeking senior government funding for three community projects, one of which would be a farmers' market located at the Malden Community and Cultural Centre. [more]

Dairy educators working to put a face on Ontario’s dairy industry   
Posted 14 days ago
The Dairy Farmers of Ontario's Dairy Education program provides an interesting and unique vehicle for students to gain some insight into the various aspects of the province's dairy industry. [more]

Regulations at root of problem, Green boss says   
Posted 14 days ago
Regulations and tax rules need to be reformed so farmers can sell their products in local markets, Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner during a visit last week to Kingston. "We want to support prosperous, vibrant local economies and communities," Schreiner said. [more]

‘Undiscussabulls’ need to be talked about    
Posted 14 days ago
It can be a tough decision to hand over the family farm to the next generation. Author Elaine Froese helped to ease that burden Thursday by offering local farmers advice to overcome barriers they face before an intergenerational transition. [more]

Symposium showcases Ontario's dairy industry   
Posted 14 days ago
Almost anything a dairy farmer could ever want to know was showcased at the South Western Ontario Dairy Symposium on Feb. 18. From animal nutrition to rubber products to farm insurance, there were about 100 exhibitors on hand to inform dairy farmers about their vast array of products. [more]

Some urban thinking on agricultural spending   
Posted 14 days ago
Canadian farmers wonder why so much effort is needed to convince governments that spending on agriculture is a good investment — that investments in agriculture by governments pay dividends. A recent column in the National Post would be a good place to look for an answer. [more]

Azuki bean proves lucrative for farmers   
Posted 14 days ago
In one corner of Ontario, a group of farmers has accomplished what few have been able to do in a globalized economy: snatch a bit of China's economy away from the Chinese. The commodity they are growing is the Azuki bean, a tiny vegetable about half the size of a navy bean. [more]

NFU wants different rules for smaller abattoirs   
Posted 14 days ago
The National Farmers Union has taken its concerns about ensuring the future of small abattoirs to Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman, making a case for scale-appropriate food safety regulations that address the level of risk. [more]

Tobacco buyout slammed   
Posted 14 days ago
Ontario tobacco growers who took federal buyout money are exploiting loopholes to keep growing the crop, an anti-smoking lobby charges. [more]

Changing world expects more from farmers, new soil and crop association leader says   
Updated 14 days ago
Six Nations farmer Barry Hill is taking over the helm of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association as the organization and its member growers are entering a future full of wider opportunities and social responsibilities. [more]

Expansion pushes 100 acres of greenhouse   
Posted 14 days ago
Leamington's Nature Fresh Farms is the largest producer of greenhouse bell peppers in North America, but the company's latest expansion will grow its cluster tomato business. [more]

Fertilizer prices tumble 60% from the record highs of October ‘08   
Posted 14 days ago
Farmers who have faced lower selling prices for corn and soybeans this year should see some relief when they plant crops this spring as fertilizer prices have fallen as much as 60% from the record highs of October 2008. [more]

Strict deadstock regulations in place   
Posted 14 days ago
Livestock operators in the local area consider themselves fortunate that reliable deadstock removal service is only a phone call away. Some farmers in eastern Ontario have no access to the service and are left to their own devices when a large carcass materializes in the barnyard. [more]

Ignatieff said to have rural focus   
Posted 14 days ago
The federal Liberal candidate for Chatham-Kent-Essex riding says he's pleased to see that party leader Michael Ignatieff remains committed to his focus on rural issues. [more]

Lambton Ag Hall of Fame committee makes plans   
Posted 14 days ago
The inaugural meeting of the Lambton County Agricultural Hall of Fame Association was held Feb. 16 at the Plympton-Wyoming Fair building. [more]

DFO growing new markets, producers told   
Posted 14 days ago
The Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) is continuing to reach out to consumers by developing new products for an increasingly diverse domestic market, according to John Palmer, an Oxford County milk producer and DFO board member. [more]

Research station eyes innovative future   
Posted 14 days ago
Becoming an agricultural innovation centre is the ultimate aim of the Simcoe Research Station. What began as a provincial government research facility has largely come under the wing of the University of Guelph in recent years. [more]

Tobacco quota abuse suspected   
Posted 14 days ago
A tobacco-belt MP said if there are abuses of the tobacco quota buyout program, he wants to hear about them. [more]

Canadian dollar remains the commodity story   
Posted 14 days ago
Grain markets had a minor recovery over the past two weeks, after the devastation in January. The January drop was primarily in response to the shocking USDA report on Jan. 12. Traditional funds sold heavily, exaggerating the decline. [more]

Lambton Farm Safety establishes Harold Gray Memorial Fund    
Posted 14 days ago
The Lambton Farm Safety Association has established the Harold Gray Memorial Fund in honour of the long-time Dawn-Euphemia municipal councilor who died Sept. 12 as the result of a tragic farm accident. [more]

Time to get raw milk out of the grey and black market   
Posted 14 days ago
It's time for a grown-up discussion about raw milk. For far too long the discussion has been centred on whether or not drinking raw milk will kill you, or whether it will cure everything under the sun. [more]

Agristability: Can't we get this done?   
Posted 14 days ago
Is it a winter of discontent? Well, I don't think so. I haven't got any calls to mount any hay wagons to speak in any farm rally. Sure, we are in a bearish market environment but so far it has not translated into severe revenue cutbacks. [more]

Climate discussion needs historical view   
Posted 14 days ago
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. — Winston Churchill Anyone who has visited Vancouver in February knows that coastal British Columbia is a damp place where snow struggles to say on the ground. [more]

Supply management the answer for hogs: Steckle   
Posted 14 days ago
While providing a group of pork producers with an overview of his 15 years on the Ottawa scene, a former MP took the opportunity to weigh in on the issue of supply management. [more]

Colony bee collapse problem global in scope; speaker alleges that chemicals behind deaths   
Posted 14 days ago
Something is killing our honeybees and Kim Gledhill, the education technician with the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, says it's a problem that should not be taken lightly. [more]

Nature Fresh donates pepper surplus to Haitian relief   
Posted 14 days ago
Nature Fresh Farms in Leamington has teamed up with the Ontario Christian Gleaners (OCG) to help feed the hungry in Haiti. The greenhouse company has donated a surplus crop of peppers to OCG totaling 1,560 boxes of peppers, or 7,800 kilograms. [more]

Schmidt says acquittal ruffled some feathers   
Posted 14 days ago
A farmer who's heading a raw milk revolution says he has had two death threats since his acquittal last month for breaching 19 provincial laws. Michael Schmidt, 55, was at Queen's Park Feb. 16 to do battle against an appeal that has been filed by the Ontario government to overturn his acquittal. [more]

Ridgetown economists prepare ag outlook   
Posted 14 days ago
Economists Ken McEwan and Randy Duffy, of the Ridgetown campus of the University of Guelph, reviewed market trends across Canada as they prepared the 2010 Agricultural Outlook for BDO Canada. The publication focuses on five sectors: beef, pork, grains and oilseeds, and horticulture. [more]

Nematode scourge softened by growing pearl millet as cover crop, tomato farmers told   
Posted 14 days ago
Processing tomato growers wanting to reduce nematode pressure in their fields might want to consider pearl millet as a cover crop. [more]

Prices getting soft for processing vegetables   
Posted 22 days ago
Members of Ontario's processing vegetable industry may well have left their annual conference in London with mixed feelings. A new emphasis on promoting "local" in the province beyond the fresh produce aisle is being viewed as a positive development. [more]

Farm Calendar   
Posted 22 days ago
Feb. 12: Food Freedom Day. Feb. 17: Southwestern Ontario Pork Conference, at the Ridgetown campus of the University of Guelph. For more information, call the Ag Business Centre at 519-674-1596. Feb. [more]

Taste of Lambton-Kent banquet on March 26   
Posted 22 days ago
The Lambton-Kent Agriculture in the Classroom will be holding its 13th annual gala fundraising dinner, A Taste of Lambton-Kent, on March 26. [more]

Farmers recommend change in funding help   
Posted 22 days ago
Don't raise taxes, lower the federal debt, shrink government, create long-term jobs that pay well — and redirect funding earmarked for farmers on an ad hoc basis to lasting programs that address regional needs. [more]

Raw milk advocate Schmidt found not guilty    
Posted 22 days ago
A farmer cheering the "raw milk revolution" chugged a mug of unpasteurized milk after his acquittal Jan. 21 on 19 provincial charges. Surrounded by well-wishers from as far as the U.S. [more]

Salford firm has been growing a reputation   
Posted 22 days ago
It all started with a four-metre-wide cultivator that sold for $650. That cultivator, designed and manufactured by Jake Rozendaal at Salford in Oxford County, was the first off the line at Salford Farm Machinery in 1978. [more]

Biodiesel was tested in Sarnia   
Posted 22 days ago
A recent study undertaken at Imperial Oil in Sarnia has yielded new insight into the use and storage of heating and transportation fuel containing biodiesel. [more]

Ontario's new agriculture minister seen as ‘potential hurdle’ to grower insurance program   
Posted 22 days ago
A new minister, another learning curve. [more]

Help sought to remove old tobacco kilns   
Posted 22 days ago
A campaign is beginning to take shape in tobacco-producing counties to press the Ontario government for a program that would help growers who have left the industry to remove thousands of useless kilns. [more]

Nutraceuticals may be option for Norfolk farmers   
Posted 22 days ago
Crops that grow in Norfolk's sandy soils have the potential to be used in the emerging nutraceutical industry, the county's annual tourism symposium was told last week. [more]

Survivors of pork crisis should be stronger for the experience, Lammers says   
Posted 22 days ago
The president of the Lambton County Pork Producers acknowledges that producers have been through the "perfect storm," but he chooses to be philosophical about his industry's woes. [more]

Walker, Mistele inducted into Elgin hall of fame   
Posted 22 days ago
An East Elgin dairyman who sold Canadian agriculture to the world, and a West Elgin pork producer who gave voice to farmers at home, were honoured in St. Thomas on Feb. 6. [more]

ERCA recognizes Thiberts, Tiessen   
Posted 22 days ago
The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) named the winners of the 2009 Conservation Awards at its annual general meeting on Jan. 21. The Conservation Farm Award was presented to the Thibert Farm of Comber. [more]

Chief veterinarian says Animal Health Act not intended to be heavy handed   
Posted 22 days ago
Ontario's chief veterinarian says that while the province's new Animal Health Act gives her significant additional authorities, her goal is to never use those full legislative powers. Speaking at the Centralia Swine Research Update, Dr. [more]

Canadian Foodgrains Bank headed back to Haiti   
Posted 22 days ago
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is headed back to Haiti. While the organization typically meets with member agencies to best determine its role in a crisis situation, the horrific conditions in earthquake-ravaged Haiti have prompted the foodgrains bank to move quickly. [more]

Higher production may cause metabolic disorders in sows, producers told   
Posted 22 days ago
A swine researcher describes sows as true athletes and extremely hard working animals. But like all athletes, Dr. Paul Luimes thinks sows need to be fed a diet higher in nutrients. [more]

Grain Farmers CEO sees greater clout   
Posted 22 days ago
Size does matter, especially when you're trying to get the attention of government. At least that's the opinion of Barry Senft, the CEO for the new Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO). Senft was in Chatham-Kent on Jan. [more]

Let's hope the gov't appeals that raw milk decision   
Posted 22 days ago
The whole acrimonious debate over raw milk and so-called "food freedom" amazes me. Ontario dairy farmer Michael Schmidt's not guilty verdict on 19 charges of selling raw milk is also being called a victory for consumer freedom, but really it's a defeat for public health. [more]

Group campaigns against using land for bio-fuel crops   
Posted 22 days ago
Sarnia's chapter of the Canadian Catholic Foundation for Development and Peace has delivered a new message to MP Pat Davidson and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. [more]

Garlic growers still recovering from 2001   
Posted 22 days ago
There's an easy trick to determine the age of a garlic bulb in a grocery store, says Ontario farmer Mark Wales. Toss it in the air. The longer it takes to land, the lighter and older the garlic. [more]

Ethanol not such a green fuel, says market analyst   
Posted 22 days ago
A grain market analyst says the U.S. will need an additional three million acres of corn in 2010 just to meet the current demand structure — which, she adds, is largely driven by an insatiable demand for ethanol south of the border. [more]

Greasy pig disease becoming more prevalent researchers find   
Posted 22 days ago
University of Guelph researcher Dr. Bob Friendship says anyone involved in pig farming is familiar with greasy pig disease because it has become so common. [more]

Ontario Pork investigates market for more highly marbled pork   
Posted 22 days ago
After spending the past 30 years trying to produce a leaner animal, pork producers often look at Anita Ivanauskas in disbelief when she talks about producing a more highly marbled product. [more]

Essex 4-H achievers honoured    
Posted 22 days ago
Six Essex County 4-H members received nine of the top awards in club activities for 2009 at the annual awards night held in Essex Centre. Andrew Willemsma was named Member of the Year, achieved 72 projects and became a 4-H graduate. [more]

Perth County bidding for 2013 IPM   
Posted 22 days ago
Perth County agricultural leaders are bidding to play host to the 100th anniversary International Plowing Match in West Perth in 2013. [more]

Canadian swine traceability system evolving, says Schlegel   
Posted 22 days ago
Swine traceability is evolving and when fully implemented Canada will have one of the best systems in the world. That from Claire Schlegel, chair of the national working group for Pig Trace Canada. [more]

Egg Farmers of Ontario want to get re-acquainted   
Posted 22 days ago
The Egg Farmers of Ontario wants to re-acquaint consumers with the people who produce their food. [more]

We're painting the lifeboats, not avoiding the iceberg   
Posted 22 days ago
A little while ago I was reminded of a public comment I made in the wake of the announcement of a single case of BSE in May 2003. I used an analogy to express my concern that government and most of the farm leadership was just not seeing the big picture when it came to Canada's beef sector. [more]

Fallout continues from reports   
Posted 22 days ago
More fallout from the USDA Jan. 12 crop report. Traditional funds have now sold 130,000 contracts of corn since Jan 12. This persistent selling has caused a 65-cent drop in corn futures and a $1 drop in soybean futures. [more]

Never say never about the basis price   
Posted 22 days ago
I recently read an article by DTN analyst John Sanow where he wrote about his love of the Minnesota Vikings and how disappointed he was when they lost another NFC championship. [more]

Farmers at forefront of Haitian food relief   
Updated 22 days ago
Long after the television cameras and the news reporters have left Haiti, the enormous task of feeding a nation whose infrastructure has been devastated by earthquake will continue, perhaps indefinitely. [more]

GFO has deep roots in Essex   
Posted 22 days ago
Cash crop farmers in Essex County have a huge stake in the newly organized Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO). [more]

Identity preservation key to pushing soybean crop’s potential, Petrie says   
Posted 22 days ago
Soybeans have always been a commodity crop in the province, but growers and the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) are increasingly looking to other production and marketing opportunities. [more]

From soybeans to gold, China’s influence continues to grow, Backx tells growers   
Posted 22 days ago
China continues to be the big story in North America's commodity markets, and its muscular influence isn't about to go away any time soon. [more]

Farmers can be part of the solution to climate change, OFA's McCabe says    
Posted 22 days ago
The vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture says he personally doesn't care if global warming exists. But because 192 governments do believe global warming is a problem and plan to set policy that affects his bottom line, Don McCabe says he has to care. [more]