Category: Eastern Canada

By Rob Wallbridge, Songberry Farm, Bristol, Quebec Originally posted on his blog: The Fanning Mill This is a story of two talks, both of which are almost identical. It’s also the story of two people, both of whom are also the same person. What separates both are a couple of years, perspective gained, and perspective... Read More

By April 1st of 2014, four diseases that affect cattle will be moved from "reportable" to "immediately notifiable" under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The change is significant in a few ways, most notably that once a disease is no longer reportable, any financial assistance in managing the disease evaporates. The four diseases are: Chronic... Read More

"It's an atrocity to block the humanitarian gesture of improved nutrition," says Kevin Folta, scientist and associate professor at the University of Florida, referring to opposition towards Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). We saw incredible public interest in food in 2013, with polarizing discussions often centred around biotechnology. Many, including Folta, argue the current debates are... Read More

While many of us industry types were getting back into routine this week, the bad weather hangover in Ontario was still raging. Our own Shaun Haney got hung up in Las Vegas while trying to get to the Southwest Agricultural Conference (SWAC), and even Bern Tobin, our Ontario field editor missed the first day do... Read More

Most farmers know which crops are their best money makers. Naming your most productive field is likely pretty easy, too. But do you know how profitable each field or area of a field is? If you could create a profit map by field zone, would it change the way you farm? You likely would, and,... Read More

Consumers want food that’s as cheap as possible. True, they want safe food, too, and all those other features such as wholesome, nutritious and environmentally sound food. But mainly, they want food cheap. The huge increase in grocery items at big box stores and discount outlets bears that out. Exceptions exist, particularly with the growing... Read More

While the fundamentals seem to hint at conditions being right for the Canadian cow herd to begin an expansion phase, it’s not happening. Cull rates of about 10% would signal ranchers building their herds; 2013 numbers will end up somewhere about 15%, a number more synonymous with liquidation than expansion. According to Brian Perillat, senior... Read More

Farmers can look forward to a new LEMKEN compact-disc for the 2014 growing season, as the company rolls out the Rubin 12 compact-disc harrow for primary tillage applications. Designed to work at depths of 5 to 8 inches, the Rubin 12 delivers intensive, uniform mixing and crumbling in one pass – even in very heavy... Read More

With a nod to tradition, Cereals Canada has announced Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the chosen city to house the headquarters of the organization. "A great deal of thought and consideration went into making this decision," says Greg Porozni, Cereals Canada chair, in a press release. "Through this process it became clear to us that Winnipeg will... Read More

Research out of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) suggests that radio frequency identification (RFID) tags inserted into an animal's ear cold not only require more strength to install, they are also much weaker than those installed at room temperature. These findings will no doubt be a warm message on a cold day to producers... Read More