Two webex meetings and two in-person public consultation meetings took place in Ontario this week. At issue is the proposed increased regulation of neonicotinoid seed treatments for corn and soybean crops. Real Agriculture’s Bernard Tobin attended the London meeting on Tuesday (you can hear a recap of the event here), and spoke with Steve Klose,… 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
Do you know what quality impact moving corn through your handling, drying and storage set up has? It can be significant, but if you’re not sampling (and sampling properly) at several points in the process, you can’t know for sure. What’s more, a good chunk of damage, either through too hot/too fast drying or moisture… Read More
If the soybeans are mature, but a wee bit damp yet, do you let them stand or get them in the bin so you can dry them down? Helmut Spieser, agricultural engineer with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, would call leaving the beans out a “gutsy” move, and not one that’s… Read More
Just like there are many strains of the common cold and the flu, plant diseases can be caused by “races” of the same pathogen. Northern corn leaf blight is one disease that has at least 13 strains — four to six of which affect corn crops in Ontario. In this episode of the Agronomy Geeks… Read More
Every Ontario farmer who grows any field crop, tender fruit, vegetable or other specialty crops is asked to fill out a confidential survey of crop protection products used during 2014. This confidential survey is being conducted by Farm & Food Care Ontario on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)…. Read More
Glyphosate resistant fleabane is coming to a field near you, of that you can be sure. Truth is, you may already have it in your fields, and if you’re typically waiting until spring to control it, the problem is only going to get worse. But take heart! There are options for fall control that can… Read More
Got cows but keep running out of pasture? Or maybe you’d like to decrease your feed bill but can’t afford more land (who can these days?). Jack Kyle, grazing specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, has four great options to help you extend the grazing season. As Kyle explains in… Read More
Originally announced last fall as part of the Local Food Act, Ontario’s agriculture minister Jeff Leal was on location today to formally roll out a tax credit for farmers who donate food to food banks. The “Food Donation Tax Credit for Farmers” gives farmers a tax credit valued at 25% of the fair market value… Read More
The disease pressure landscape changes as the season progresses and from year to year, but there are always the endemic threats that farmers have to manage for. Part of the disease scouting process includes knowing what to look for, including some new or rare pests that could be making their way into your growing region…. Read More
Its time for episode two of the Ontario Agronomy Geeks. This weeks guests are St. Thomas farmer Peter Gredig and University of Guelph Professor and OMAFRA Weed Specialist Mike Cowbrough. The panel joins Shaun Haney to discuss corn harvest progress, corn hybrid selection, potential acre increase for IP soybeans in 2014, does lower prices mean… Read More
Lots to discuss this week on the Ontario Agronomy Geeks. The guests this week are Steve Denys, VP Sales and Marketing Pride Seeds, Peter Johnson, Wheat Specialist OMAFRA, and St. Thomas based farmer Peter Gredig. We hope that you enjoy the first edition of the Ontario Agronomy Geeks, where we discussed the corn and soybean… Read More
Premier-elect of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, has officially announced she’ll take on the ag portfolio in addition to her duties as premier when she is sworn in on February 11, 2013. As a very busy, multi-tasking woman myself, my hat goes off to her. From Twitter: @Kathleen_Wynne “Committed to serve as Minister of Agriculture, Food &… Read More
Knowing whether or not the nozzles on your sprayer are doing the job they’re supposed to is something you shouldn’t have to learn the hard way. Being able to evaluate things like spray pattern, flow, wear and performance before you hit the field saves you time and money. In this video featuring OMAFRA’s Helmut Spieser,… Read More
The high clearance sprayer isn’t the sexiest of machines on the farm, but so much is riding on it doing a perfect job every time. Fall is a great time to give your sprayer a little attention and the respect it deserves so it’ll be ready to roll first thing in the spring. We caught… Read More
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