Farmers in Ontario’s vegetable- and fruit-rich Simcoe area took to the streets on Tuesday, in a show of solidarity and protest of the health region’s Section 22 order. Organized by local asparagus farmer Frank Schonberger, the protest was to bring awareness to the plight of farmers in the area who are struggling to meet the… Read More
For anyone who knows Shaun Haney, they know he’s someone who is constantly thinking and evaluating what is going on around him. What has he been thinking about this week? On this RealAg LIVE! we’ve got a special “Freestyle Friday” where Shaun has an interactive chat with the audience, mixed with clips on his topic… Read More
It’s unsurprising that animal rights extremist groups are challenging Ontario’s Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, passed in 2020. The challenge, levelled by Animal Justice, alleges that the regulation violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ guarantee of freedom of expression. The province says its bill was crafted “in a manner to protect the… Read More
The federal minister of agriculture says it’s been over 100 days since proposed funding and changes to AgriStability were announced, but she has not received a clear indication from any of the three Prairie Provinces on whether or not they will sign on. In a press conference Wednesday morning, Agriculture and Agri-Food minister Marie-Claude Bibeau… Read More
The federal government has clarified how temporary foreign workers (TWFs) will reach farms this spring, in the face of requirements to stay in Government Authorized Accommodation (GAA). So long as temporary foreign workers travel privately to their farms and can safely complete their mandatory 14 day quarantine on-farm, they will not need to complete the three-day… Read More
Given the price of land and equipment these days, many farmers see growth or expansion capped by capital limitations. One solution could be to work collaboratively, sharing equipment or human resources, but many Canadian farmers’ first reaction to that is “that will never work here.” To explore why some farmers — like those in New… Read More
Farmland in British Columbia and Quebec increased the most in value in 2020, with Alberta rounding out the top three according to Farm Credit Canada’s annual farmland value report. Despite COVID-19, on average, Canadian farmland values increased by 5.4 per cent, following a just-slightly lower 2019 value of 5.2 per cent growth. Land in British Columbia… Read More
Lakeland College’s “Leading, Learning, The Lakeland Campaign,“ is seeing a significant amount of support for programming and research initiatives focused on agriculture technology. MNP — a national accounting, tax, and business consulting firm for Canadian agriculture — has donated $90,000 to the program, which will help fund equipment for the Agriculture Technology Centre at the Vermillion… Read More
Imagine trying to gain consensus on policy issues across all Canadian commodity groups and geographies. That’s Mary Robinson’s job as president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, and she’s heading into her second, two-year term after being acclaimed to the role last month. As if the role isn’t challenging enough, Robinson has been leading the… Read More
March 8th is International Women’s Day and here at RealAgriculture we decided to feature some Canadian women in agriculture, for their drive and passion for the industry, and to highlight the trails they have blazed throughout their careers. Of course, there are not enough hours in the day to highlight every single terrific woman out… Read More
In honour of International Women’s Day, we decided at RealAgriculture that we’d highlight some of the fantastic women across this industry and spread a little joy in these tough times. There are so many brilliant women out there that we could spend the rest of the year talking about it. In the process of lining… Read More
Heather Watson joined Farm Management Canada to work in communications. Fast forward a few years, and instead Watson is leading a thriving, adaptive organization as its executive director, and has been for over a decade. As Watson explains, she stepped in to the role not fully knowing what to expect, but that she’s leveraged her… Read More
What do hot air balloons, rodeos, and role models have in common? The answer is agricultural communications specialist Karen Lewis. As part of our series featuring women in agriculture in honour of International Women’s Day, we spoke with Lewis about how strong women in her life have helped shape her career in agriculture. Lewis makes… Read More
If you’re on social media, chances are you’ve seen posts from Dickson Delorme, aka Quick Dick McDick (QDM). His YouTube videos cover his daily life on a grain and cattle farm, while bringing some humour and normality to some of the tougher topics out there. For this Friday edition of RealAg LIVE!, guest host Lyndsey… Read More
A mental health and wellness program designed specifically for farmers is launching this week in Ontario. The program, In the Know, was designed by Drs. Andria Jones-Bitton and Briana Hagen, with the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph. It will be rolled out in 18 regions of Ontario. It was also launched in Manitoba earlier… Read More