After saying good-bye to three senior field crop specialists in the last year, Ontario's agriculture ministry has hired three individuals to fill the corn, cereal crop and canola/edible bean vacancies. Joanna Follings is joining the Agriculture Development Branch as the Cereals Specialist, replacing Peter Johnson (who joined RealAg as resident agronomist). Follings, who holds a... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
Have you tried baling corn stalks? Agronomist Pat Lynch thinks you can't bale enough. At Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show last month, Lynch helped co-ordinate the Corn Stalk Baling Demonstration. Afterwards he joined the Corn School to share his thoughts on whether Ontario farmers should be jumping on the stalk baling bandwagon. Today’s corn hybrids are... Read More
"It's a true lesson for all of agriculture," says Peter Johnson in this week's special edition of Wheat Pete's Word. "When we start throwing stones at each other, all we do is a disservice to the whole industry..." In this episode of Wheat Pete's Word, host Peter Johnson catches us all up to speed on... Read More
It's an organization developed to "cultivate an appreciation for food and farming" across the country, a feat that requires conversation, and a "giant Team Canada effort," says executive director and soon-to-be-CEO of Farm and Food Care Canada (FFC) Crystal Mackay. Mackay to Lead National Farm & Food Care Group Mackay says the effort should see... Read More
Too wet isn't good, but neither is too dry for growers looking to get the most value for soybeans. According to researchers at North Dakota State University, on a 40 bushel-per-acre crop, harvesting soybeans at 9 percent moisture rather than 13 percent will cost the farmer around 1.8 bushels per acre. At $10 per bushel,... Read More
It was our hope to have a parody out by the middle of August, as a fun kick-off to harvest. But, thanks to slow internet speeds and self-conscious/perfectionist/completely amateur singers/musicians, our version of Leaving on a Jet Plane will be a late show to the game. Here’s hoping this melancholic hybrid helps you get through... Read More
Uncertainty goes hand in hand with change, and so after almost a decade of Conservative government, the shift to a Liberal majority in Ottawa brings with it plenty of questions, including questions about the future of Canadian agriculture (in no particular order): Who's going to be the next ag minister? The Liberals have several ag... Read More
Those who oppose agricultural subsidies have long held New Zealand out as the ultimate success story. According to their line of reasoning, if the Kiwis can farm without subsidies, so can we. In fact, before and during the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks, New Zealand’s iconic status with its admirers was so elevated that to... Read More
The federal political landscape in Canada looks very different following the election on Monday, with Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada winning a clear majority. After nine and a half years of Conservative government, Canadian farm groups and farmers will have to adjust to Liberal policies and approaches to agriculture (the Canadian Federation... Read More
Farming is not just about producing crops or raising livestock. Much of what separates high performance farms from average to below-average farms is their ability to excel at everything from human resources management and looking after their team to understanding financial ratios and how to deal with the banker, says Rob Hannam, lead facilitator for... Read More