By Tom Collins INDIAN RIVER — To handle COVID-19 concerns, managers are doing everything from postponing sales, to switching to online only, to considering tag sales or a hybrid of all three. Billy Elmhirst, of Indian River Cattle Company, says... Read more
CRIME: Farm thefts up, vehicle thefts skyrocket but convictions are rare Farmer rented plane, spotted his tractor on native reserve Nelson Zandbergen Farmers Forum WINCHESTER — Earlier this year, a brazen thief drove off with a $350,000 New Holl... Read more
Only 23 farms in farm debt mediation filed for bankruptcy in 2020 OTTAWA – Despite turbulent times, very few Canadian farms run into insolvency issues. Of 191,000 farmers across the country only about 170 a year use the Farm Debt Mediation Servi... Read more
EASTERN ONTARIO: Farmland prices range from $5,700-$18,900 Farmers Forum staff OTTAWA — Ontario farmland prices continued to track upward during the first half of 2023 but at a substantially slower pace than 2022, according to Farm Credit Canada... Read more
Ontario modernizing agri-food research Proposed legislation will help the agri-food sector remain on the cutting-edge of innovation TORONTO – The Ontario government is updating legislation to strengthen the agriculture and food industry through... Read more
Farmers pleased to see proposed Underused Housing Tax changes GUELPH – Changes proposed by the federal government to its Underused Housing Tax (UHT) Act are welcome news for Ontario’s farmers. Announced in the recent Fall Economic Statement, the... Read more
Deere Reports Net Income of $2.369 Billion for Fourth Quarter, $10.166 Billion for Fiscal Year Net income grows for quarter and full year, driven by solid market conditions, differentiated products, and strong execution. Full-year 2024 earnings... Read more
Plumber became beef farmer 3 years ago, and his female wins Royal top honours Farmers Forum staff EASTERN ONTARIO — The Thaxter Cattle Company brought their entire Hereford herd to the Royal Winter Fair – a grand total of three animals. They hav... Read more
Royal’s top beef bull sells for $15,000 Farmers Forum staff TORONTO — Among all the beef bulls judged at the 2023 Royal Winter Fair, the best of them all was entered by Baker Farms of Madoc. ‘Baker Farms Justified’ is the name of the two-year-ol... Read more
STATCAN: Realized net income for Canadian farmers fell 7.6% to $11.8 B in 2022
Realized net income for Canadian farmers fell 7.6% to $11.8 billion in 2022, as growth in expenses outpaced the rise in farm cash receipts. The decrease in 2022 followed a 69.6% gain in 2021 and a 101.6% increase in 2020. Excluding cannabis, rea... Read more
Crop farmer wins big Conservation Authority calls 10 acres of dry land “wetland” and loses in court Patrick Meagher Farmers Forum BELLEVILLE — A Campbellford crop farmer and grain elevator operator has won a victory for landowners in a battle to... Read more
Weak loonie boosted crop prices, inflation… But what do we make of a strengthening loonie? If you ever have a city person ask you what you do on your farm, tell them that you’re a currency trader. First of all, that reply generally creates... Read more
Hamilton dairy, crop farmer is new OFA president Brekveld steps down after three years Tyler Books OFA GUELPH — Drew Spoelstra, a dairy and crop farmer from Binbrook in the southeast corner of the city of Hamilton, was elected as the new... Read more
SOLID CORN YIELDS: But not a bin buster Nelson Zandbergen Farmers Forum OTTAWA — Eastern Ontario farmers are seeing solid corn yields this fall, though not a record bin buster, alongside the biggest corn harvest ever recorded in the Unite... Read more
FINANCIAL STATEMENT: OFA reports $1.83 M profit James Pascual Farmers Forum TORONTO — If you look only at the bottom line, Ontario’s largest farm organization is top shelf. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture enjoyed its 8th stellar year in a... Read more
Canadian craziness 👀 Person in custody after high-speed chase 🚜 tractor rollover occurred on a main highway in Surrey, B.C. RCMP said they suspect the driver of the tractor may have been in a protest, but they wouldn’t say what protest. pi... Read more
GUELPH — Farm & Food Care officially unveiled the sixth edition of The Real Dirt on Farming, its flagship public-outreach publication, at its Harvest Gala on November 16, 2023. The Real Dirt on Farming is a nation-wide initiative designed to... Read more