Lyndsey Smith is a field editor for RealAgriculture. A self-proclaimed agnerd, Lyndsey is passionate about all things farming but is especially thrilled by agronomy and livestock production.
Last weekend, Jenny Butcher and Wes Kuntz, of Brantford, Ont., were named one of two winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for the year. The honour is no surprise. The two have been farming together for 13 years, and in just the last six years, have managed to buy a property, expand their Jersey herd,… Read More
As part of Ontario’s reopening plan, farms and agriculture businesses with one employee or more are required to have COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Dean Anderson, strategic advisor, agricultural initiatives with Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS), says that many farms, ag businesses, and processors are not aware of the change. But, all it… Read More
The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has expressed its shock over the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) decision to suspend all seed potato exports out of P.E.I., and all potato movement from P.E.I. to the U.S., following a ministerial order announced Monday, November 22. Potato wart is a soil-borne fungus that can lay dormant for decades…. Read More
Editor’s note: Updated story and headline on Nov 21, with comments from a spokesperson for B.C. Dairy. British Columbia’s milk supply chain is facing significant disruptions and challenges, as flood waters continue to flow over the Sumas Prairie and other parts of the Fraser Valley. Accounting for more than 75 per cent of milk production,… Read More
The federal government has announced more than $4.3 million in funding to support Canada’s pulse and special crop industry in an effort to meet growing consumer demand for plant-based protein. The funding, announced by Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on November 17, will support international marketing activities to find foreign buyers, improve performance of transportation networks, and… Read More
Farmers in B.C.’s Fraser Valley are facing devastation unlike anything ever seen before in the area, following torrential downpours Sunday and Monday of this week. All farmers and residents in the Sumas Prairie, a lake bottom that was originally drained back in the 1920s and is kept dry by a pumping station, were told to… Read More
Biology is a wonderful thing. Given enough time and the right ingredients, soil biological processes can do some pretty amazing things, including breakdown of herbicides, cycling and releasing nitrogen, and even disposing of pathogens. The key is time: biology and biological processes can replace plenty of crop inputs given enough time. Especially for our northern… Read More
For all the talk of other government departments having influence on the agriculture industry, it’s important to remember that several challenges within the purview of Agriculture and Agri-Food can have a significant impact on other industries, too. There are also issues that may be thought of as an agriculture problem, but really have a significant… Read More
Whether we plan to or not, we learn something new every growing season. Some learning is required, as on-the-spot breakdowns or problems arise. Other times, a farm conference or show is so full of informative presentations and knowledgable people that just attending can make your brain feel over-full. But have you ever planned out learning… Read More
I am going to tell you a story. It’s a story that probably will leave your mouth agape and thinking, “People wouldn’t actually do that, would they?” But I assure you, this story is true. Last Wednesday, our employee at our second solar grazing site (about 1.25 hour drive from the home farm) texted to… Read More
Four U.S. senators are pushing, once again, for some form of mandatory country-of-origin labelling (mCOOL) of beef. Earlier this week, on September 8, two Republican and two Democrat senators announced a bill entitled the American Beef Labeling Act, which would require the U.S. Trade Representative to develop World Trade Organization-compliant mCOOL within a year of the bill… Read More
The title of livestock sustainability specialist could infer that there’s a finite amount of time that the role is relevant. After all, shouldn’t we, at some point, reach being sustainable, and move on? The trouble is, there isn’t a universally agreed upon measurement of sustainability. As Christoph Wand, livestock sustainability specialist for Ontario Ministry of… Read More
Editor’s Note: Late Sunday Olymel and its unionized employees came to an agreement in principle. Olymel announced it would delay a cut of the evening shift until Wednesday, September 1, pending a vote on the agreement. A four-month long strike at a Quebec Olymel plant is set to continue, as Friday morning the union representing… Read More
Ontario’s approximately 85 sugar beet growers are likely to benefit from announced updates to the Michigan Sugar Bay City plant. Last week, Michigan Sugar announced a planned US$65 million upgrade to one of its four sugar beet processing facilities. The upgrade includes a de-sugaring addition for molasses, which will help the company improve overall sugar… Read More
As the federal election gears up, political parties are rolling out platforms — easily made promises that they hope appeal to enough voters to support their party’s rise to form the next government. Ultimately, governments are decided not by those who grow or process food, but by those who live in the most populous areas,… Read More
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