Billionaires and celebrities want to be farmers too. Russell Crowe owns a 400-acre farm in Australia. Also in Australia, actress Nicole Kidman raises Black Angus cattle. Mark Ruffalo grows s... Read more
Farmers are losing control of a long-contained pest in Ontario’s soybean crop. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is starting to develop resistance to the main control method used by farmers, said... Read more
How can producers get more out of their soybeans? Sure, they’re stubborn and tough, but unresponsive too.Not so, argued Dr. Dave Hooker of the University of Guelph. Data show that from 2001... Read more
If you’re trying to keep a bag of seed from germinating before you plant it, the bag warns you to store it in a cool, dark place. Understandably, producers can be pretty leery of planting in... Read more
GANANOQUE — Bison farmers are in the business of extremes, handling livestock that are docile and happy when given space, easy on fences when relaxed. But they’ll tear through them like pape... Read more
Turnout is always troublesome for the Grain Farmers of Ontario’s annual district meetings but this year’s turnout at the January meetings dropped dramatically. While it is easier to Zoom dig... Read more
Turnout was surprisingly good for many of the Grain Farmers of Ontario’s annual district meetings last month. But the mood was muted, with meetings held over Zoom. District 6 (Haldimand, Bra... Read more
It must seem as if every time veterinarians talk about the health of new-born calves, they end up talking about how important colostrum is. That is likely true because they do believe that g... Read more
MOUNT BRYDGES — A London-area abattoir owner welcomes provincial help to finance a much-needed expansion of his business, but the program was shut down before he could even apply. On Dec. 11... Read more
As we persevere through yet another lockdown, the public health crisis of COVID-19 has turned into a marathon with an invisible finish line that continues to test our strength, patience and... Read more
PICTON — Prince Edward County’s Ontario Provincial Police detachment last month issued a phone scam warning after receiving a number of calls from area residents. Scammers called residents c... Read more
My mother’s family were food faddists, a long line of Free Thinkers, nudists and spiritualists who changed diets like socks. They had already tired of vegetarianism in the 1920s and moved on... Read more
One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, farm organizations are cautiously optimistic that they can find a way to bring migrant workers into Canada safely and efficiently despite stricter regula... Read more
Since June, the value of the U.S. greenback has dropped 10 % relative to other major world currencies and nearly half of that decline has occurred over the past three months. Why that matter... Read more
AYLMER — Clovermead Adventure Farm expects to be buzzing again later this year, much like the apiary that started it all. But for now, one of Southwestern Ontario’s biggest agri-tourism attr... Read more
When I started writing weekly newspaper columns, Ronald Reagan was the U.S. president, Mikhail Gorbachev was the Soviet Premier, Margaret Thatcher was the Iron Lady in the U.K and Brian Mulr... Read more
MILTON — The Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame is up to a nice even 240 inductees with the seven to be inducted this year.The hall of fame is also bringing its annual induction ceremony back... Read more
GODERICH — A freight train jumped the tracks at a Goderich-area grain elevator on Feb. 1 and smashed into a transport truck, a pick-up truck and destroyed one building. No one was injured. T... Read more
It is about 3 a.m., the time that the shadowy other residents come out if they are so inclined. I’m awake. Not just an ‘awake,’ that is easily solved by a sigh and a shuffle down the hall to... Read more
PRESCOTT-RUSSELL — For the last decade the Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network has been a regional network in name only. Long funded only by Prescott-Russell, the not-for-profit recently start... Read more
WALLENSTEIN — No cow on her own, no matter how well-balanced or productive, is enough for a farm to win a Master Breeder shield. Nor is one farmer enough. That’s how Melvin Martin feels. His... Read more
KEMPTVILLE — Agriculture, as an industry, is well-suited to Type A personalities. For those driven to always do more and better, there’s always something new to try, work to be done, somethi... Read more
Firewood producers had a pretty normal season last fall and prices, as with many things, were all about location. Many firewood sellers had sold out by the beginning of December, which is no... Read more
Dairy farmers should see revenue gains in 2021, according to the latest forecasting from Farm Credit Canada. The ag lender and industry analyst released its forecast for the sector last mont... Read more
The global commodity trade is facing headwinds this year, but that’s an opportunity for an export-driven ag producer like Canada. That’s according to Farm Credit Canada, which put out its gr... Read more
Craig Klemmer laughed when told that economists today are like weather forecasters: too many factors and moving targets to be sure you’ve got it right. The Farm Credit Canada economist didn’... Read more
QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario is inspecting farms and greenhouses with foreign workers to ensure all the health and safety rules are being followed. The province announced last month that as of Jan... Read more
OTTAWA — It’s not often that Conservative and Liberal governments join forces. But the Ontario and federal governments did just that to urge the other provinces last month to accept a propos... Read more
TORONTO — Ontario recently opened up its budget consultations and the province wants to hear from you. Ontario ag minister Ernie Hardeman said recently that budget consultations are a chance... Read more
YARKER — After some uncertainty around the future of Quinn’s Meats at Yarker, a slaughterhouse northwest of Kingston, a buyer has been found.Enright Cattle Company, a Tweed beef farm, has ag... Read more
BLACKSTOCK — Winning a Master Breeder shield is an achievement for any dairy farm. But winning four puts you in a very small and select class.And not just one, but two farms took home their... Read more
A long-awaited class-action lawsuit against the Canadian government by beef farmers has been delayed yet again, though not for long. The $8-billion lawsuit alleges that the federal governmen... Read more
BLOOMFIELD — Dairy farmer Jasen Kuipers figured he’d be winning a Master Breeders shield. He just wasn’t expecting to quite so soon. The 37-year old took home his first Master Breeders shiel... Read more
SAINT-HUBERT — As technology accelerates, space can play a huge role in the future of farming. The Canadian Space Agency is looking to hear from industries of all kinds, including agricultur... Read more
CARP — Sometimes following a dream isn’t as important as jumping at an opportunity. That’s how entrepreneur Jennifer Stewart and her Canadian soldier husband Kevin found themselves running f... Read more
Lameness is a very common problem in dairy cows. There are numerous causes for the lameness but foot problems are most common. Sole ulcers, sole hemorrhages and white line disease (WLD) are... Read more
My neighbour, Willy Little, gave us a three-furrow Massey trip plow as a wedding gift in 1987. I remember the day he trailered the plow over to our place and dropped it off in the laneway. “... Read more
THUNDER BAY— The new president of the OFA is a first-generation farmer who grew up on a farm and who told her mother at 13 that she’d never marry a farmer, Dutchman or someone from her churc... Read more
I’m not one for spending a winter vacation in a Caribbean resort, or sitting around in any of the popular southern sunny havens for snowbirds. I’d be bored. I have to be on the move and see... Read more
Back in April when the weather was lousy and the COVID-19 lockdown and news reports even worse, a routine online check of our bank resulted in a security question, “What was the name of your... Read more
BERWICK — It’s a good time to be a Jersey farmer. As of Feb. 1, Ontario is implementing a new payment schedule for dairy producers based on milk components that will boost the bottom-line fo... Read more
LISTOWEL — It’s often a taboo subject when farmers gather at the local coffee shop. But an agricultural group in Perth County is reaching out to farmers and rural residents wrestling with st... Read more
Although the grain industry has spent a lot of time over the final months of 2020 discussing export demand for soybeans as a result of weather issues in South America and strong Asian demand... Read more
BLYTH — A Huron County man narrowly avoided getting scammed for $18,000 thanks to his bank. The scam was a long and convoluted one, designed to win the trust of the less-than tech savvy. The... Read more
SIMCOE — As many as 400 migrant workers from Trinidad and Tobago were stranded on Western Ontario farms after harvest ended last year. Nearly 100 workers from the Caribbean country were stuc... Read more
SOUTH MOUNTAIN — After a lifetime farming, from milking cows to plowing fields, Dale and Lois Keyes recently finalized the sale of their South Mountain-area farm and donated $1 million from... Read more
Tractor sales are an indicator of the health of the agricultural economy and in Canada tractor sales were strong in 2020. According to the latest numbers (up to November 2020) from the Assoc... Read more
The world’s economy took one of its biggest hits last year as the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns swept the globe. There’s broad consensus among banks and think-tanks that 2021 wi... Read more
Canada set a new record for maple syrup production last year.According to Statistics Canada, the country produced 14.3 million gallons of the sticky stuff, up from 2019’s record of 13.2 mill... Read more
GUELPH — Cattle sales are often as much get-togethers as anything else, with coffee and conversation on the table. Moving them online in the age of COVID-19 lockdowns was a gamble that paid... Read more
