A few weeks ago, the Grain Farmers of Ontario encouraged farmers to boycott the Ontario government’s public consultation process concerning new regulations governing access and use of neonicotinoid seed treatments on corn and soybean seed. At the time, GFO stated that there was little to be gained at the public meeting, and that GFO and… Read More
Tag: Ontario Ministry Of Agriculture
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