NRCan launches renewable energy site for farmers

Natural Resources Canada has gone live with a new resource web site for farmers considering renewable energy to power their operations. The Integration of Renewable Energy on the Farm (IREF) web site is billed as a “complete repository of technical information and online tools for analyzing the potential for integrating renewable energy sources onto individual […] Read more

Ont. greenhouse growers approve checkoff

Ontario’s growers of cut flowers, potted plants and bedding annuals have voted to be represented by Flowers Canada (Ontario) and to pay a mandatory checkoff to fund it. Eligible greenhouse floriculture growers voted 78.4 per cent in favour of Flowers Canada (Ontario) becoming their representative organization — and in favour of paying an annual license […] Read more


Ontario broadens animal welfare powers

The Ontario government will expand the powers available to animal welfare inspectors and boost its penalties for animal cruelty offenses in legislation expected to be introduced Wednesday. The province said in a release Wednesday that the overhaul of its Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act will allow “appropriate exemptions” in cases involving animal agriculture, veterinary […] Read more

Bayer to join WeatherBug’s Prairie network

Bayer CropScience plans to bring its farmer customers, retail outlets and business partners into WeatherBug’s network of local weather monitoring stations across the Canadian Prairies. WeatherBug, a U.S. weather monitoring firm, announced in August last year that it would work with the Canadian Wheat Board and JRI’s Prairie grain handling subsidiary, Pioneer Grain, to establish […] Read more


Ont. growers’ groups back on merger track

Ontario’s corn, wheat and soybean growers’ groups have signed a new memo of understanding toward forming one organization. The MOU, announced Thursday, commits the boards of the Ontario Corn Producers’ Association, Ontario Soybean Growers and Ontario Wheat Producers’ Marketing Board to hold votes among their farmer members on their merger under a new name, “Grain […] Read more

Smoky diesel trucks in B.C. face fines

British Columbia drivers who don’t keep a lid on emissions from heavy diesel trucks will now be liable for fines and warnings, the province announced Tuesday. The B.C. transportation ministry has moved its AirCare On-Road (ACOR) program from “educational” to “enforcement” mode, now allowing for fines of $95 and warnings for drivers to get trucks […] Read more


N.B., Yukon approve APF extensions

The New Brunswick and Yukon governments officially agreed Wednesday to extend funding for some federal/provincial Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) programming in their provinces. Both the province and the territory announced they will extend their share of funding up until April 1, 2009 at the latest. The extension applies to four ag programming pillars of the […] Read more

Alta. pledges $85M for southern irrigation

The water delivery agency for about 400 southern Alberta farmers’ irrigated land will get $85 million from the province to fix up its canals and add off-stream storage. “It’s a huge step forward in helping improve water efficiency, which is a key priority under Alberta’s Water for Life strategy,” Environment Minister Rob Renner said in […] Read more


Beef packer Gencor Foods shuts doors

Citing new federal regulations that made it uncompetitive, cull cow packer Gencor Foods (GFI) has shut down its Kitchener, Ont. plant effective Tuesday, laid off its 124 workers and announced plans to file for bankruptcy. GFI, a subsidiary of Ontario’s producer-owned livestock genetics company Gencor, formed three years ago to process cull cows after the […] Read more

Lorox L cleared for use in herb crops

Growers of coriander, caraway and dill can now use DuPont Canada’s Group 7 herbicide Lorox L on several broadleaf weeds as well as some grasses such as green foxtail. The company has picked up the added registration on its linuron herbicide brand, which DuPont described as a “mainstay” of the fruit and vegetable sectors, for […] Read more