Where can Canadians find everything they need to know about farming all wrapped into a neat 60-page package? It’s all in The Real Dirt on Farming. Farm & Food Care Ontario officially unveiled the newest version of its flagship public outreach publication last month. This new Real Dirt is the fourth edition since the project’s inception in… Read More
Category: Animal Welfare
No one has to tell University of Guelph agricultural economics master’s student Travis Jansen that farmers like him are well-advised to listen to consumers. But he’s doing more than just listening to them – he’s set to learn from them, too. Jansen, who comes from a family hog farm near Seaforth, knows successful farmers have… Read More
My daughter and grandson share the same birthday, August 7. They’re part of a pork-and-grain farming operation near Thamesville. At their birthday celebration on the weekend, our family barbequed pork sausage from their farm on the campfire. There was no reason to doubt the quality of the sausage. We trust the meat packers in nearby… Read More
The recent court case of Anita Krajnc, informally called the “Pig Trial,” has come to a close, and the farming community leaves the courtroom with disappointment. Sort of. Rather than a one-sided legal rout for animal rights activism, the verdict delivered in this criminal mischief case actually supports Ontario farmers in a number of ways. Let’s… Read More
Every time a cow takes a lame step or stands for a long period of time she’s sending a signal. Farmers who read those signals and respond with efforts to improve cow comfort are rewarded with increased cow longevity and more profit in their pocket. That’s the return on investing in Cow Signals, according to Agribrands… Read More
Despite the defence creating over-the-top, headline-grabbing statements in court and using arguments not based on science, Justice David Harris has acquitted activist Anita Krajnc on the charge of criminal mischief related to interfering with hogs while in transit. Justice Harris says activists can protest laws, but they have to do that “within the confines of the laws that… Read More
The Canadian Sheep Federation (CanSheep) has announced the launch of the Canadian Verified Sheep Program (CVSP). A rebranding of the Food Safe Farm Practices program, this new program adds two additional modules on animal care and biosecurity. Sheep farmers who have already completed the Food Safe Farm Practices program will only need to complete these… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has proposed changes to the rules for the transportation of animals. Discussions about changes to the transport regulations, most of which have been in place since 1977, have been ongoing for a number of years. The draft amendments were finally published in Canada Gazette on December 3 (read the entire proposal here.) The… Read More
Dairy milking robots have found their niche in Canada, but where do they fit on U.S. dairy farms? The popularity of robots in Canada can be linked to the fact that the technology fits well into this country’s smaller farms and because our supply management system provides a financial footing for farmers to invest. But… Read More
With a count of 198 nays to 84 yeas, Nathaniel Erskine-Smith’s controversial private member’s bill C-246 was voted down in the House of Commons this week. This means the bill is dead and will not move forward to committee. Titled “The Modernizing Animal Protections Act,” Liberal MP Erskine-Smith’s bill focused on banning shark finning and… Read More
The Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference kicked off today in Toronto, Ont., with an opening address by Ontario’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, Jeff Leal. RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney is at the conference, and managed a quick interview with minister Leal following his address. Below Haney asks about farmer competitiveness in the face of… Read More
A private member’s bill entitled the “Modernizing Animal Protections Act” will receive second reading on September 28, 2016. The bill is set for a vote in Canada’s House of Commons late next week. While the off-the-hop goals of avoiding shark harvesting in Canadian waters and shutting down puppy mills seem in line with the title,… Read More
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has announced a hunting and trapping ban on wolves and coyotes across 40 townships, effective immediately. Said to be a step towards protecting Ontario wolves, specifically the recently re-named Algonquin wolf, hunters and trappers will be banned from hunting or trapping wolves and coyotes in three additional districts: The… Read More
A lot of angst is simmering in farm circles about the potential for disease to spread between wildlife and domestic livestock, such as poultry. The concerns are warranted, given how quickly disease can race through a herd and create huge losses. But new research from the University of Guelph into the health status of Ontario… Read More
For some ranchers procedures like dehorning/disbudding, castration and branding are necessary evils of the job. But necessity doesn’t make the work any easier. In an effort to improve animal welfare, and to respond to consumer concerns, the beef industry is addressing procedures like these with pain mitigation, and improved genetics. The Code of Practice for the Care… Read More