Dairy Farmers of Canada has found its new chief executive officer, and he comes with an understanding of the processing side of the dairy business in Canada. Jacques Lefebvre's first official day in DFC's Ottawa office is January 8th, as he replaces Caroline Emond, who departed in July 2017. He comes to DFC from his... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
In an era where "offensive" seems to have an ever-widening set of definitions, a group of police officers found themselves under the defensive wing of journalist and television personality Piers Morgan. How it all started Members of the North Wales Rural Crime Team wanted to support local farmers after the country's National Farmers Union hosted... Read More
In 1840, J. Von Liebig, a German chemist described as the father of the fertilizer industry, stated that "the rate of growth of a plant, the size to which it grows, and its overall health depend on the amount of the scarcest of the essential nutrients that are available to it.” Since its inception in... Read More
According to the dictionary, a sin tax is "a tax on items considered undesirable or harmful, such as alcohol or tobacco." There is mounting pressure from activist groups to add animal proteins to that list of so-called "sinful" items. They argue meat creates added healthcare costs and negative impacts on the environment. It might sound... Read More
If you've happened to go outside in much of Canada the last couple of weeks, you'll be well aware of the bone-chilling cold that gripped parts of the country over the holidays. For some, the cold halted plans, while others merely took more time to don more layers, or scheduled an urgent meeting with their... Read More
We all lead busy lives that seems to have us looking ahead instead of behind most of the time. Pausing to stop and reflect can be insightful, rewarding and some real fun. Fellow agriculture podcaster Wendell Schumm recently invited me to be a guest on his Ontario AgCast podcast to discuss a full slate of... Read More
Ask a typical Ontario grower how their soybeans yielded and you’ll likely hear a number around 47 bushels per acre. Most growers are perfectly fine with hitting this provincial average, but it’s nowhere near the yield potential of the crop. According to Syngenta agronomist Eric Richter, that ‘just enough’ mindset needs to change. “It’s time... Read More
If you have a sick animal, there’s no such thing as a “timely” veterinarian shortage. But the current situation, which is seeing fewer veterinary service hours available and much more demand expected, is particularly worrisome. It’s raising caution flags in the veterinary sector, and has a leading veterinary educator searching for solutions. Here’s the situation.... Read More