The Ontario Liberals are spending big, but there’s not a whole lot in the 2017-18 provincial budget for agri-food and rural Ontario. The Liberals are going to balance the budget but they are going to spend more than $140 billion in this fiscal year and push the provincial debt over $300 billion. There’s big money… Read More
Author: Bernard Tobin
Bernard Tobin is RealAgriculture's Ontario Field Editor. A Ryerson University journalism grad, @AgBern was raised on a dairy farm near St. John's, Newfoundland. For more than two decades, he has specialized in agricultural communications, working for numerous farm media outlets, communications agencies and ag consulting companies. He is based in Georgetown, Ontario.
What do consumers think of Canadian farmers? Recent studies tell us that consumers appreciate and respect farmers’ efforts to produce healthy, affordable, safe food for Canadians. But to maintain the strength of the Canadian farm brand and consumers’ trust, farmers must continue to be brand champions for their own farms and their industry, says Len… Read More
Almost half of North American Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) holding a new 4R Nutrient Management designation reside in Ontario. That puts Ontario’s crop advisors at the forefront of efforts to help farmers and agriculture improve water quality, environmental stewardship and sustainability, says Ontario Certified Crop Advisor Association executive director Susan Fitzgerald. Earlier this week, the… 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 over… Read More
Will Canadians see a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement any time soon? Don’t bet on it, says political commentator David Frum. Earlier this week, the editor of The Atlantic and former speech writer for George W. Bush, shared his thoughts on the Donald Trump presidency and possible NAFTA renegotiation at the Grain Farmers of Ontario… Read More
Are you searching for balance in your daily life? Have you found it? In this edition of the RealAg Bookclub podcast we’ll discuss the challenges of finding life balance with Dan Thurmon, author of Off Balance On Purpose. We find out how Thurmon seeks to free readers from the “balance” dilemma and empowers them to adopt a new approach… Read More
Strong, durable and lightweight. Those are the words John Deere is using to describe its new carbon fibre spray booms. John Deere has been working for years on ways to substitute the composite material for the steel and aluminum traditionally used in farm equipment. After years of testing, the new 120- and 132-foot carbon fibre… Read More
What would you do with 100,000 toothpicks? The answer is obvious for Tennessee farmers Chase Long and Colby Counce, builders of the world’s largest model farm. They gathered together some friends and worked for a week to turn the toothpicks into harvested cornfields on their 15,000-acre replica. Real Agriculture first featured the model farm when… Read More
Year-round cover crops growing in a three-crop rotation — sounds like a great idea that could create healthier, more productive soils, but can Ontario growers make it work? That’s a question the Thames Valley Soil and Crop Improvement Association and the Heartland Region are trying to determine with its Roots Not Iron project. In this… Read More
How healthy is your soil? If you want to know all you have to do is bury your underwear, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) soil management specialist Adam Hayes. Last summer, Hayes helped members of the Renfrew County Soil and Crop Improvement Association bury underwear in their fields to determine the… Read More
Are you searching for balance in your daily life? Have you found it? We’ll explore that challenge in our next RealAg Bookclub podcast with Dan Thurmon, author of Off Balance On Purpose. In his book, Thurmon frees readers from the “balance” dilemma and empowers them to adopt a new approach to creating a happy, fulfilling… Read More
How will Canada’s animal agriculture industry be utilizing antimicrobial drugs, including antibiotics, five years from now? Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Tim McAllister doesn’t have all the answers, but he does offer insights on how the industry can more effectively use antibiotics, assure the public it’s working to manage resistance, and help safeguard the drug’s ability… Read More
Agriculture has been working for decades to convince consumers to embrace the benefits modern science can bring to agriculture and food production. When it comes to technology, such as genetic engineering, much of the challenge with winning public approval can be linked to agribusiness and farming’s inability to establish itself as a trusted source for… Read More
What impact do fungicides, plant population, and row spacing have on your soybean yields? The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) has been working with growers in the state for years to help assess the impact of crop inputs and management options. In this episode of Soybean School, ISA researcher Tristan Mueller joins Real Agriculture’s Bernard Tobin… Read More
Who are the most profitable corn growers? The answer to this question is really quite simple, says Ken Ferrie, one of North America’s leading agronomists and crop consultants. The most profitable corn growers are those who most effectively manage the big three crop production variables: sunlight, water, and nutrients. An independent agronomist, the Illinois-based Ferrie… Read More