No one is saying farmers aren’t tough. But when it comes to mental illness, it turns out they have the same vulnerabilities as everyone else – and more. A mental health literacy training program and mental health emergency response model for Ontario farmers are being created now, following early results of a study that shows… Read More

Recent research findings from the new Canadian Centre for Food Integrity could leave farmers scratching their heads. It showed that the public highly regards farmers, which is great. But it also showed 90 per cent say they know little or nothing about farming. Fortunately, 60 per cent said they want to know more. “I think… Read More

If there’s any question about the University of Guelph’s commitment to the country’s $6-billion dairy sector, just check the inscription on the institution’s new, specialized logo unveiled last week. It leaves little doubt: Guelph has branded itself “Canada’s dairy university.” The university decisively, ceremoniously and logically planted its flag on Canadian dairy at a teaching… Read More

You can measure the pork industry’s development in Ontario in some obvious ways, such as sales and the size of the herd across the province. But Prof. Bob Friendship at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, says another strong indicator of the sector’s vitality is the number of veterinary students who are choosing it… Read More

How much, or how little, should you drink? How much money should your kids get for allowance? How much should you set aside for holidays, for retirement? How much time should you spend on communications, and what should you do? You may have grappled with the some of the questions above. But most farmers have… Read More

Guess how many people are entrusted to answer more than 1,500 queries a year from veterinarians across Canada asking case-specific, time-sensitive questions about withdrawal times for extra-label use veterinary drugs? 2 22, or 222? If you guessed two, you’re correct — and perhaps astounded. Just two veterinarians — one at the Western College of Veterinary… Read More

A good story can be told about potato production in Canada. It rose more than 4.5 per cent in 2015 over the previous year. Half of the new production came from Manitoba, with about another third coming from Quebec. That production increase didn’t hurt McCain Foods Canada’s decision in January to expand its Carberry, Manitoba… Read More

Dairy — milk, in particular — is facing big challenges from the likes of pop companies and juice manufacturers. They’ve marketed their way into the lunch buckets of Canadian children over the years, and taken hold. A study underway now by University of Guelph researchers has found milk is not considered cool by adolescents, one… Read More

We know we need to get to young people early with messages about agriculture, so they grow up with a reality-based appreciation of what it takes to produce food. But what about “old” people, those the politically correct call “aging” people (which, chronologically speaking, includes everyone)? Admittedly, if life is like a hockey game, aging… Read More

I hope you have time to take a look around at the agricultural landscape this holiday weekend, and celebrate Food Day Canada as we’ve known it over the past decade or so. Because in another 12 months, our nation’s agri-food culture could feel much different. Food Day Canada is described by its founder, culinary pioneer… Read More

Five Canadian universities are receiving $1.4 million in grants from the Canadian Space Agency to analyze soil moisture information collected by NASA’s Soil and Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. The funding for Université de Sherbrooke, the University of Guelph, the University of Manitoba, the University of Toronto, and l’Institut national de la recherche scientifique was announced… Read More

Earlier this week, on World Milk Day, Saputo announced the implementation of its animal welfare policy, along with new programs offered to support the policy through the University of Guelph and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. According to the company’s recent press release, the policy was created through collaborative efforts with customers, dairy producers, veterinarians, governmental authorities,… Read More

To underline the value of research at universities in the province, the Council of Ontario Universities has launched a campaign inviting the public to vote on what it considers to be the top 50 “game changing” research breakthroughs in the past century. Universities were asked to forward their suggestions to the council, which then chose… Read More

 

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