A look at organic regulation across the country by the Canadian Organic Trade Association (COTA) shows a hodge-podge of support, despite national standards in existence for eight years. In a report released Monday, COTA called out Ontario, the largest market by far for organic products, for having no organic regulations. Five other provinces, including some […] Read more
Organic groups call for Ontario regulations
Guelph gets new beef research facility
The federal and provincial governments and the Beef Farmers of Ontario have all announced funding for buildings and programs at the University of Guelph’s renewed beef research station this week. The funds announced are to help create a completely new cow-calf and heifer research facility next to the current beef research station, and a new […] Read more
National dairy group loses executive director
Caroline Emond has resigned as executive director of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) after two and half years in the position. Emond will be stepping down effective July 4, DFC announced Wednesday. Emond has dealt with some significant files and changes to dairy marketing since she replaced long-time retiring executive director Richard Doyle. She has […] Read more
Ontario hog farmers to get new options with Michigan plant
A combination of hog prices remaining high despite good supplies and a new processing plant in nearby Michigan have Ontario hog farmers optimistic about the near future. “It’s unambiguously good news to have more processing capacity close to Ontario,” said Patrick O’Neil, Ontario Pork’s marketing division manager, at the Ontario Pork Congress. The Clemens Food […] Read more
Eastern dairy farmers get big quota increase
The eastern Canadian provinces have approved a five per cent dairy quota increase — their largest one-time quota increase since the daily quota system was implemented in 1998. It will also be implemented quickly, on July 1. The five provinces — Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario — create quota policy […] Read more
Former BFO president turns to provincial politics
A former president of the Beef Farmers of Ontario will be running for the Liberals in the next provincial election. Bob Gordanier was nominated Monday as the Liberal candidate for the southwestern Ontario riding of Dufferin-Caledon, which has been held by Progressive Conservative MPP Sylvia Jones since 2007. During his farm organization service Gordanier served […] Read more
Ontario watershed study shows overapplication of phosphorus
Farmers in one Huron County, Ont. watershed are applying almost exactly the nitrogen needed by their crops, but more than 30 per cent more phosphorus than is needed. University of Guelph researchers reached the conclusions by analyzing multiple years of data collected by the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority during in-person interviews with farmers in the […] Read more
Ontario minimum wage increases concern farmers
Changes to the way labour is regulated and paid for in Ontario will have detrimental effects on farm profitability, say farm organizations. Premier Kathleen Wynne and Labour Minister Kevin Flynn announced the changes this week, outlining the proposed legislation after a review of the acts that govern labour in Ontario was completed. The largest impact […] Read more
Trust in agriculture increases with farm visits: survey
Residents of the Greater Toronto Area who have worked in agriculture or have recently visited a working farm are more likely to be optimistic about job prospects in the agriculture sector. That’s according to a recent survey of 676 residents of the GTA by Grassroots Public Affairs and Delphi Polling and Consulting. The survey highlighted […] Read more
Greig: Farmer trust key to big data’s future
The marketplace for precision agriculture technology is sorting itself out, but it still has a way to go before it will be mature and have predictable uses for farmers, says a U.S. agriculture economist. Dr. Keith Coble, chair of the Mississippi State University’s department of agricultural economics, says we’re in the “overexuberance” phase of technology […] Read more
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