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June 2018

Better Farming Magazine June 2018

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Tracking data from farm gate to dinner plate

Canada’s beef industry strives to show traceability and sustainability throughout the supply chain

By Kate Ayers
Staff Writer
Better Farming

Blockchain is an emerging technology that provides supply chains with an online documentation system, which the agri-food industry can use to improve traceability and food safety, as well as reduce food waste.

Reaching the end of the road

The municipality of Dutton Dunwich continues to support its local businesses, despite increasing infrastructure expenses

By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Writer
Better Farming

Cameron McWilliam runs a cash crop, beef and turkey operation with his wife, Anne Marie, in Elgin County.

He also serves as mayor of Dutton Dunwich, a rural municipality in southwestern Ontario.

Through both of these roles, McWilliam is familiar with the importance of rural infrastructure.

Walking down the barn aisle

An American ag group promotes on-farm wedding venues

By Jim Algie
Writer
Better Farming

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture wants a bigger slice of the US$72-billion American wedding industry spending to be directed to local farms. So, the agency has kicked off an active campaign to encourage publicity for the state’s 650 agri-tourism destinations.

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Farmers announce new Peterborough market location

May 23, 2018

A new Peterborough farmers market scheduled to open June 9 has an official location. Yesterday, members of the Peterborough Regional Farmers Network (PRFN) announced its market will run at the City Centre Courtyard on Charlotte St. on Saturdays. The farmers are excited about the potential opportunities at the outdoor space, which can hold up to 100 vendors. Between 40 and 50 vendors are expected to be on hand for the market’s opening. “It’s a great place and we are very excited to be there,” Astrid Manske, a honey producer from Indian River, Ont., told Farms.com... read more

Pest watch: scouting for cereal leaf beetles

May 23, 2018

Growers and crop scouts across the province may want to be on the lookout for cereal leaf beetles in their fields. While adult beetles have already appeared in many fields, the larvae will be the real issue, Tracey Baute, a field crop entomologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), said in an article on Thursday. These young pests could hatch from eggs at anytime now. As daily growing degree days have accumulated at a fast pace, “the populations and feeding activity could catch us off guard,” Baute said. Since initial larvae feeding can... read more

Two Ontario ag organizations unite

May 23, 2018

Two Ontario ag organizations will work together to streamline operations. The amalgamation between Food and Beverage Ontario and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Processors Association (OFVPA) will also help give members a more unified voice for industry issues. “A number of the members of the OFVPA were already members of Food and Beverage Ontario,” Norm Beal, CEO of Food and Beverage Ontario, told Farms.com yesterday. “It seemed a little bit like both organizations were duplicating each other’s efforts so, this way, we can bring the interests of the industry under... read more

Ontarians favour land-sharing policies

May 17, 2018

People in Ontario may have changed their preferences on formal agri-environmental land use policies. In a recent study, researchers at the University of York in the United Kingdom interviewed stakeholder organizations in Ontario and England to determine their perspectives on land allocation. Participants in both locations opted to integrate agricultural and environmental land uses – known as land-sharing – rather than separate them, the study, which was published in the June 2018 edition of revealed. These results slightly surprised the researchers, as Ontario participants... read more

Niagara agribusinesses facing hiring challenges

May 16, 2018

Some ag employers in Niagara region are having a difficult time finding employees, new research has found. The Niagara Workforce Planning Board (NWPB) conducted a study of 78 industry employers on their 2017 operations to get a sense of the challenges local agribusinesses have in attracting good employees. Altogether, the agribusinesses hired 574 people last year, and about 30 per cent (23) of the employers described hiring new workers as extremely difficult. NWPBB noticed a few themes were present among the challenging hiring processes, said Adam Durrant, NWPB operations and research... read more

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Tracking data from farm gate to dinner plate

Canada’s beef industry strives to show traceability and sustainability throughout the supply chain

Reaching the end of the road

The municipality of Dutton Dunwich continues to support its local businesses, despite increasing infrastructure expenses

Walking down the barn aisle

An American ag group promotes on-farm wedding venues

Follow Better Farming Magazine