Precision agriculture counts on not only data collection, but also on data management as well. And while a new survey of 700 farmers across Canada shows most producers are indeed gathering agronomic data electronically, many are not yet using that data for management purposes. The survey, which took place over three weeks in November and... Read More
Category: Features
With 98 per cent of businesses in Canada employing less than 100 people, it really is true that, cliché or not, small business is the backbone of the country. In Ontario, agriculture and food already employs some 800,000 people. Its presence is clear. But once businesses are up and running, they then have to grow.... Read More
Seeding and harvest are the two main pinch points for time on the farm. Many farmers have gone to wider implements, bigger carts, and huge tractors in an effort to cover the maximum amount of acres per day to make the most of an intense spring start. But going wider and adding capacity creates a... Read More
Rejoice, people who say we need more agriculture education in the classroom. Here’s some good news. In Ontario, plans are underway to have up to 50 agriculture in the classroom teacher ambassadors – twice as many as now exist — trained and available for assignment by the 2018/19 school year. This initiative is being driven... Read More
The cattle markets have seen two weeks of strong futures gains, which is bringing smiles to the faces of cattle feeders. With carcass weights lower in Canada and the United States, they're are current and looking to fill empty pens as the cash market rises. The summer of 2016 is still fresh in cattle feeders... Read More
We know that housing prices – regardless of whether you buy or rent — are out of sight, especially in Canada’s major cities, and in particular, Toronto, where housing prices have jumped more than 30 per cent in one year. As part of what’s called the Fair Housing Plan, announced Thursday, April 20, Ontario Premier... Read More
Globally, the big question in food production – the one that reverberates in any discussion about the future – is who will feed the increasingly hungry world, and how. Most of the focus is on Africa, and the growing population there. So the question goes: Who will feed Africa? Well, after spending two weeks with... Read More
[GREAT EXUMA, THE BAHAMAS] – Farmers everywhere – including the Bahamas — used to get in and out of pigs relatively quickly. It’s not really like that anymore, as farming has become more sophisticated. But back then, when prices went up, herds grew quickly. When prices went down, herds shrunk about as fast. And so... Read More
High or low, the height of your sprayer boom doesn't really matter. Right? Actually, that’s a myth. Welcome to a new season of Spray Tips Special Edition. In our first episode we find our dynamic duo of Sprayers101.com, Tom Wolf of AgriMetrix, and Jason Deveau of Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, bickering... Read More
With Brazil locked in a major bribery scandal that has closed most of its export markets for beef and chicken, the cattle market scrambles to understand the full situation. Brazil is the number one exporter of chicken in the world (40%) which means if borders are shut long term, chicken supplies will be extremely tight,... Read More