OnetookplacenearClifford | Better Farming

Ontario firefighters battle two barn fires over the weekend

December 19, 2016

AMI offers new and existing programs to benefit farmers

April 18, 2018

Farmers and agri-food businesses can take advantage of many resources under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). These resources include several new and existing programs from the Agri-Food Management Institute (AMI). The organization’s projects will focus on themes such as business management, productivity enhancement and local production opportunities, according to today’s release. “This year is pretty exciting because we are able to build on our successful programs from previous years and branch out into new business development initiatives,” Ashley... read more

Bylaw could threaten biosecurity in Perth East

April 16, 2018

Farmers in Perth County are concerned about a new bylaw that could have biosecurity implications. Earlier this month, the region’s council appointed a Property Standards Officer under bylaw 15-2018. This individual has the authority to enter any premise without a warrant to determine if it meets the requirements of the Building Code Act. To protect their operations from diseases and to ensure visitors follow proper safety measures, producers in Perth East would like the municipality to add an exemption to the bylaw for agricultural properties, according to last week’s release... read more

Encouraging innovation with chicken

April 11, 2018

Ontario’s chicken farmers and other members of the industry may be more equipped to address shifting preferences in the marketplace, thanks to a new program from the Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO). The Ontario Chicken Innovation and Growth Program aims to encourage industry members – such as processors, food service companies, restaurants and retailers – to create new products for consumers, according to a release last week. To be eligible for the program, applicants must submit the following information about their products: description minimum of six months of... read more

Understanding regional farmland prices across Ontario

April 9, 2018

Farmers and prospective land owners have raised some concerns about the increasing values of Canada’s agricultural land. So, in an effort to provide Ontario’s agricultural industry with current farmland prices and rental rates, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) conducted an online survey earlier this year. A total of 2,367 individuals – including farmers, farmland owners, tenants, landlords and farm managers – provided data on their acreage and price perceptions. The OFA and University of Guelph published this information in the 2017 Farmland Value and... read more

Natural gas expanding in rural Ontario

April 5, 2018

Some rural Ontarians can look forward to future savings on their heating and farm energy bills. The provincial government plans to invest nearly $100-million to provide 11 communities with natural gas service, according to Tuesday’s release. (The projects await regulatory approval from the Ontario Energy Board.) The investment will allow 11,300 families and businesses to lower the costs of heating their homes and buildings. In fact, families could shave up to $1,100 off their energy bills, the release stated. By having access to natural gas, farms that currently rely on electricity,... read more