With a little luck, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson believesOntario farmers could still plant one million acres of winter wheat this fall. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Wheat School, Johnson says it’s not too late to plant wheat in most of the province. Late-planted wheat can still deliver strong yields, but growers have to pay strict… Read more »
Category: Eastern Canada
Dairy goat industry facing over-supply, uncertainty with processors
It wasn’t that long ago that just about everyone said if you are looking to diversify or get out of cows, you should get into goats. The market for these little milk makers, seemingly, had no where to go but up: major processors were expanding or adding product lines, consumption trends positive, and prices were… Read more »
Check that ration — mycotoxin levels in Ontario corn creeping higher
Early indications from the 2018 corn silage crop indicate that mycotoxins, resulting from disease infection, in corn are and will be a concern heading in to the winter feeding season. As silage is sometimes the yellow flag ahead of grain corn harvest, agronomists and livestock nutritionists alike are encouraging farmers to get harvest wrapped up… Read more »
Ontario Sheep chair stepping down
When the Ontario Sheep Farmers hold their annual general meeting next month they will be in need of a new chairperson. In the latest Ontario Sheep magazine, current chair and delegate for district 4, Rob Scott, announced he is not only stepping down as chair, but is also leaving the board. In his time as chair,… Read more »
Eastern Ontario gains a two-year agriculture diploma course
Algonquin College, based in Eastern Ontario, has announced two new agriculture-related programs set to begin in fall of 2019 at its Perth campus. The new program comes a few years after the University of Guelph’s Kemptville Campus shut down its agricultural programing. Starting in September 2019, Algonquin’s Perth campus will offer a one-year certificate in… Read more »
Clashing systems to dampen Ontario’s harvest weather window
Farmers in Ontario can anticipate active weather to continue well into October, says Drew Lerner, of World Weather Inc. While eastern Ontario is still cleaning up from last week’s F3 and F2 tornadoes, parts of southern Ontario are experiencing nearly nightly weather alerts. Is this what we’re in for for harvest? Lerner says that cool… Read more »
La Coop fédérée rebrands agri-business division as Sollio Agriculture
On the heels of a busy year and a half of announced acquisitions and new builds, La Coop fédérée has decided to rebrand. Starting next year, the agri-business division of La Coop fédérée will be renamed to Sollio Agriculture. “Agriculture is not immune to changes, climate change obviously, but also regulatory, technological and generational changes. Given… Read more »
Grains Innovation Fund open for applications
Got a great grain idea? Grain Farmers of Ontario is now accepting applications for the 2019 Grains Innovation Fund. The fund supports the development of new and expanded products and processes using Ontario grain crops or crop residues. Originally launched in 2010, the fund has supported 40 projects to date with over $1 million in funding, says Grain… Read more »
Early Ontario soybean yield reports land north of 70 bushels per acre
Harvest is underway in southern Ontario and the early soybean yields are spectacular compared to the five year average and earlier 2018 expectations. According to RealAg Agronomist Peter Johnson, farmers are hitting 70 bushels an acre and, in some cases, even 80. Johnson speculates the Ontario soybean average yield will be 51.3 bushels per acre… Read more »
Ontario government to introduce natural gas development legislation this fall
The news Ontario’s new government, led by Premier Doug Ford, has announced its plan to expand natural gas access to families and businesses throughout rural and Northern Ontario. Speaking at the 2018 International Plowing Match & Rural Expo this week, Premier Food says he plans to introduce legislation to develop a new natural gas program. If passed,… Read more »
New government tweaks Ontario wildlife damage compensation program
Having undergone recent changes by the former Liberal government, Ontario’s new government has announced its own changes for the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program, with more consultation planned. “We heard livestock farmers’ concerns with the program so we’re making the first changes effective immediately,” says Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in a… Read more »
South West Ag Partners sells Veritas Farm Management
The news South West Ag Partners, the Chatham-based ag input and grain dealer, has reached an agreement to sell its subsidiary Veritas Farm Management to Deveron UAS, a drone-derived data company. The details The sale includes South West Ag Partners’ 100 percent share of Veritas Farm Management Inc., but this is a separate deal from… Read more »
La Coop federee purchases 50 percent stake in Ontario feed company
Quebec-based agri-food cooperative La Coop fédérée is buying into Ontario’s animal feed industry. La Coop has announced a deal to purchase a 50 percent stake in W-S Feed & Supplies Limited, an animal nutrition company that operates feed mills in Tavistock and Mount Forest, Ontario. “This investment represents a strategic entry into the Ontario market, in… Read more »
Grain Growers of Canada welcomes new members
Grain Growers of Canada welcomed four new members at the group’s annual summer meeting in Guelph, Ont. last week. Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and Producteurs de grains du Québec joined the national crop producer policy organization. “From our perspective, GFO needed a strong voice in Ottawa that represented farmers,” noted GFO CEO… Read more »
Gabrielle Ferguson to lead Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program
The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) has announced that Gabrielle Ferguson will take the helm of its leadership program offerings, including its flagship Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP). As leadership programs director, Ferguson will be directly responsible for managing the long-running agriculture and food industry executive development program. She will also work to maintain and create sponsor relationships… Read more »