The Ontario SPCA’s (OSPCA) contract is set to expire at the end of the month, and the organization has informed the government it will no longer enforce the animal welfare legislation in the province of Ontario at that time. The OSPCA has offered a three-month transition phase of the current working arrangement that could see the charity… Read More
The Thank A Retailer contest has come and gone and four small towns are now $15,000 richer. ADAMA’s contest, which was open to all Canadian ag-retailers, required that communities build support online through voting. Winners for this year include: B.C./Alberta region: Olds Fertilizers and Sundre Soil Services will support the Sundre Hospital Futures Committee, which is… Read More
Ontario beef producers looking to use the Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program will notice some changes the next time they apply. Changes announced include: Reduced need for credit checks within the program Steps to streamline the transfer of ownership of livestock once a loan is paid off The Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program supports feeder… Read More
Following statistical analysis of five performance trials in south-western Ontario in the fall of 2018, the Ontario Corn Committee (OCC) determined that some corn hybrids differ significantly in their susceptibility to DON. Spurred by the findings, the committee has voted to conduct voluntary inoculated trials for rating hybrids for susceptibility to DON accumulation at Ridgetown and Ottawa… Read More
Jim Denys, a Middlesex County farmer, and Anne Verhallen, a long-time provincial government soil specialist, have been named recipients of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA)’s Soil Champion Award. The award recognizes leaders in sustainable soil management. This is the first time the association has presented its award to multiple recipients. “We are… Read More
The Ontario government has announced changes to the Commodity Loan Guarantee Program (CLGP) to help farmers affected by abnormally high levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) in the 2018 corn crop. The CLGP provides access to short-term operating loans for the purchase of crop input supplies, such as seed, fertilizer, and pesticides. It is administered on behalf… Read More
Ontario’s provincial government, in partnership with the federal government, has announced updates to the Ontario Wildlife Damage Compensation Program. The compensation program was significantly changed under the previous Liberal provincial government, leading to a dramatic increase in rejected claims, higher fees, and much longer wait times to receive approved compensation. After consulting with farmers and… Read More
As of yesterday, January 31, 2019, general manager and CEO, Graham Lloyd, is no longer with Dairy Farmers of Ontario, the producer organization has confirmed. According to a spokesperson, the board will be appointing an acting general manager shortly. In the meantime, the board and directors will continue to lead the organization and work to support… Read More
Ontario’s government has announced a proposal to streamline and modernize the Farm Business Registration Program by moving the program to electronic delivery and a simplified registration process. The proposal to reduce red tape for farmers is part of the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, the second in a series of bills targeted at getting government “out of the way… Read More
Oat and corn research projects through the Canadian Field Crop Research Alliance (CFCRA) recently received $4.1 million over five years to support national projects. The federal funding will support CFCRA’s work in developing new oat varieties, enhance breeding efforts, and inform new agronomic practices to help improve productivity, stability of yields, consistency, and quality. Funding will also… Read More
The construction of a new Ontario Sustainable Crop Research and Innovation Centre just got a boost in funding thanks to AGRIS Co-operative. The new building will be located at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus. The proposed centre will have a focus on sustainable cropping priorities for Ontario producers and will feature state-of-the-art research suites, laboratories, seed… Read More
The Thames River Phosphorus Reduction Collaborative (PRC) collaboration, led by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, is set to evaluate technologies that remove phosphorus which could end up in Lake Erie from agricultural water run-off and drainage water. The project is being made possible through funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). The project will establish a… Read More
Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) has named Erin Gowriluk as its new executive director. Gowriluk will be based out of Ottawa, Ont. Gowriluk will run the day-to-day operations as well as managing advocacy and policy work. According to the GGC, Gowriluk has extensive knowledge in agriculture with a diverse background in agriculture policy. Her most recent position… Read More
New funding has come through for the Ontario Soil Network (OSN). The funding, from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, is designated to support 40 farmers’ participation in the 2019 peer-to-peer leadership and learning program. Following a successful pilot in 2017-18, the OSN 2019 program will be overseen by the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) and is supported… Read More
As 2018 ends, many want to forget about the tough harvest this past year. Everything from drought and high DON levels, to frost in August and snow in September — it all played a major factor of the stress of farming and hampered this year’s crop quality and tonnage. The wonky harvest caused a lot… Read More