Political stripes aside, the defeat of Rachel Notley’s NDP government in Alberta struck a nerve with people concerned about gender-balanced, inclusive representation among provincial leaders. Not since the early 1980s have provincial governments in our country all been led by men. It was glaring enough to see the photo of provincial leaders together last July… Read More
Economic health. Physical health. Environmental health. These are all factors we consider when looking at our overall health on the farm, but how often do we take a look at our mental health? We all know that farming is stressful, especially since it involves unpredictable variables such as weather, markets, and family. Farmers across the… Read More
Milking with single-box automated milking systems (AMS) has revolutionized the way dairy producers manage their herds. Current estimates indicate that 10 percent of the Canadian dairy herd are now milked by automated systems, and it’s growing. Globally, nearly 30,000 farms employ robots, according to a 2014 survey. Much of the conversation around dairy robots focus… Read More
For people who play the stock market, an opportunity to cash in on an 826 per cent return on investment doesn’t come along too often. But Ontario farmers can realize this type of return every time they apply herbicide in corn fields that experience intense weed pressure, says University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Peter… Read More
A new and timely research network being established this spring will provide the nation’s cow-calf industry with benchmark data to help with planning and management. The Canadian Cow-Calf Surveillance Network is described as “a network of herds across the country that reflects the industry.” The network will involve 175 producers across Canada and a dozen… Read More
New research suggests significant savings to pork producers from screening boars for a genetic abnormality that causes prenatal piglet death and smaller litters. When the test for chromosome translocation in Canada was developed five years ago at the University of Guelph by professor Allan King and his team, the savings were estimated at about 3:1… Read More
Plants communicate. So much so, that they actually sense weed competition and reduce yield potential even before they emerge from the ground. It may sound like science fiction, but it’s just one of the many scientific facts that University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Clarence Swanton has helped prove during his 35-year career. Over the… Read More
When it comes to connecting with other farmers and researchers, there’s no substitute for being there. Just consider attendance at events such as Crop Connect in Manitoba or Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Ontario, and that’s clear. But when producers can’t physically be at an event because they’re tied up with their herd, they can… Read More
Genetically modified tobacco has proven successful in helping reduce potentially fatal post-weaning diarrhea in piglets. The tobacco contains a protein called FaeG, derived from a bacteria called F4 enterotoxigenic E.coli . This protein prevents pathogenic E. coli, the causal agent of post-weaning diarrhea, from taking hold in piglets’ small intestines. The genetically modified tobacco is… Read More
A massive turnover in the agricultural workforce caused by retiring baby boomers means the employment pipeline needs to be flowing more freely than ever. That’s the word from Scott MacDonald, insecticide marketing manager and horticulture lead for BASF. He says universities will be the key source for providing agriculture with new talent. “They’ll make a… Read More
The Ontario government has made a 10-year, $713 million commitment to fund agriculture research at the University of Guelph. Jeff Leal, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, was joined by University of Guelph President Dr. Franco Vaccarino, in Guelph today to sign the agreement and mark Canada’s Agriculture Day. “We look forward to… Read More
Nominations are closing this week for two unique global food innovation awards — and there’s every reason to believe Canadian agriculture could produce a winner. The awards are the first Arrell Global Food Innovation Awards, from the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph. The institute was created from a $20-million donation from the… Read More
All livestock producers have been urged to cut unnecessary antibiotic use, to try to prevent resistant bacteria from developing in their herds and flocks. But on the farm, the question is where, and how? Consider dairy calves, for example. More than half of the deaths of dairy calves are from diarrhea. Producers often treat that… Read More
Canada’s leading advocate for mental health awareness in agriculture, University of Guelph veterinary medicine professor Andria Jones-Bitton, is in high demand at farm meetings to speak about her ground-breaking research results. Through her studies over the past three years, she’s discovered an abnormally high rate of depression and other mental illnesses among farmers (and veterinarians)…. Read More
A lab has been established in Guelph to screen boars with a genetic abnormality that results in smaller litters. The abnormality happens naturally, when cells divide. “Sometimes, the genes just don’t line up the way they should when cells are developing,” says University of Guelph Prof. Allan King, who established the lab. That results in… Read More