Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne handed out the top five Premier’s Awards for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence at Queen’s Park on Wednesday. The annual awards recognize producers, processors, organizations and rural communities who help support a sustainable environment, create jobs and boost Ontario’s economy. The recipients were recognized at the 2015 Premier’s Summit on Agri-Food. They were also among 50… Read More
It’s not often that I can’t find the answers I need. After all, growing crops and sharing information about growing crops is the part of this job I love the most (hello, total agronomy geek up in here!). I’m always willing to dig deep to get the answers farmers need. So it’s difficult for me… Read More
When Canada’s agriculture and trade ministers — as everybody expected following the World Trade Organization’s latest ruling against U.S. country of origin labeling — promised to retaliate unless the labeling rules are repealed, virtually all Canadian livestock producer groups and provincial governments who benefit from cross-border cattle and hog trade applauded the federal government’s swift action. With one… Read More
Last week, the Ontario government announced its plan of an “aspirational” goal of an 80% reduction in acres planted to corn and soybean seed treated with neonicotinoid seed treatments by 2017. What farmers need to know now is how they are expected to meet said goal, and what the stated increase in rules and regulations may… Read More
Yesterday, the Ontario premier’s office and the ministry of the environment and climate change revealed its plan to restrict the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments. The goal, referred to as “aspirational,” is to reduce the number of Ontario corn and soybean acres planted with the seed treatment by 80% by the year 2017. The details… Read More
In 2011, a new provincial cost-shared Risk Management Program (RMP) was created for the Ontario agriculture industry. Farmer leaders across commodity groups came together as the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition (OASC), and worked with the provincial government to design a made-in-Ontario solution to help bring “predictability, stability and bankability to the farming sector.” In the fall of 2013,… Read More
Kathleen Wynne, premier of Ontario, has rolled out mandate letters to each of the provincial departments. Of particular note on the agriculture file headed up by Jeff Leal, Wynne’s set priorities for the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, under the heading “Ensuring Sustainability of Agriculture,” states: Strengthening pollinator health. You will work… Read More
For a year and a half, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs have had separate leaders, after premier Kathleen Wynne split the ministry to take on the agriculture portfolio herself in February 2013. See the entire new cabinet here. On the heels of the June 12 majority win… Read More
It’s hard to find a political pundit who called the outcome of Thursday’s provincial election. Could anyone have predicted Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals to win a strong majority government with 59 seats? All the pollsters were predicting a horse race, but it quickly turned into a romp as the Liberals broke to the lead and ran… Read More
Ontarians are waking up to a rather red province, as Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals won 59 ridings on their way to a majority mandate. Those taking a closer look at the map, though, will notice that swath of crimson is largely in one area: Toronto. This concentration of Liberal MPPs is not unexpected of course (though… Read More
Let’s all take a moment to confess our less-than-safe bad habits — sending a quick text while driving, donning only the minimum of safety gear while mixing chemical or giving the wee ones a ride on the tractor or quad, even if there isn’t a seat for them. Are all of these excusable because, hey,… Read More
The Ontario government has announced a program to help beekeepers rebuild their colonies, as a means to maintain the essential role honeybees play in the pollination of agricultural crops. Harsh winter conditions and ongoing health threats, such as from varroa mites or other pests, have knocked back bee populations. The province is anticipating higher than… Read More
After I wrote an editorial piece on Kathleen Wynne’s absence at the GFO meeting last week (click here for that), many people agreed with my take. In the true spirit of Realagriculture.com, some readers thought I was incorrect and called me out on it. Long-time RealAgriculture follower Stewart Skinner contacted me and said, “Slow down,… Read More
If you thought the air was cool from the rural community towards the performance of Ontario Premier and agriculture minister Kathleen Wynne, it was showcased at the Grain Farmers of Ontario March Classic in London, Ont., this week. Not only was she scheduled to be on the agenda and did not show but after her… Read More
This morning at the Ontario Federation of Agriculture Annual General Meeting in Toronto, the Premier and Provincial Ag Minister, Kathleen Wynne, talked to the delegates about the state of agriculture in the province. Wynne talked about job growth, the opportunity for young people and more. When the meeting was handed off to the question and… Read More