Linda J. Visser
Editor's note: Linda J. Visser, a concerned resident of southwestern Ontario, shared the letter that she’s sent to government officials about the proposed high-speed rail system connecting Toronto to Windsor. She encourages other concerned Ontarians to reach out to provincial and local representatives to discuss the issue.
by JIM ALGIE
Farms are unique among industrial workplaces because people of all ages live on them. But children and elderly residents suffer “significant numbers of severe work-related injuries,” said the most recent report of Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting (CAIR), an agency based in Winnipeg.
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Reporter
Since the first International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) in 1913, the Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) has relied on volunteers.
Beginning in Toronto at Sunnybrook Farm (now the location of Sunnybrook Hospital), the event has toured across the province, showcasing rural communities and their residents.
By Kate Ayers
Profitability mapping has changed Saskatchewan farmer Terry Aberhart’s approach to crop production and how he manages the land. Together with his ag consultants, Aberhart analyzes his field data and gross revenue from across his fields.
Profitability maps can be generated using yield data and the cost of production for each field. These maps colour code zones of the field to indicate areas that are making money, losing money or, perhaps, simply breaking even.
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Reporter
Wildlife predation is such a pressing issue for the province’s producers that the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) may ask the government for more assistance.
by Kate Ayers
The Ontario government is reviewing the Organic Products Act, which would ensure that products for sale within the province could not be labelled or marketed as “organic” unless they are certified as such in conformity with the act. As the Ontario discussions continue, Better Farming provides an overview of the five provinces in Canada which have provincial organic regulations: British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec.
By Kate Ayers
Runoff and soil erosion are major issues in some areas of Ontario, and best management practices (BMPs) cannot always solely solve these problems, says Brad Glasman, manager of conservation services in the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority.
by Jim Algie
New federal law permitting medical assistance in death (MAID) has changed aspects of the palliative care provided by physicians in Canada. The law particularly affects the treatment of patients in the early stages of diagnosis with life-limiting illnesses, said Dr. Peter Tanuseputro, a leading researcher of palliative care and a family physician in Ottawa.
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Many precision ag companies offer more than just an online resource.
For example, Farmers Edge, which was founded in 2005, offers face-to-face support for product users. In fact, trained precision technology specialists will set up the product components, including on-farm weather stations.
Farmers may also benefit from the year-round assistance provided by some companies.
by Jim Algie
A group of Huron and Perth County poultry farmers has gathered in the month of September for a few years now at the Seaforth Golf Club for what they call “The Chicken Classic.”
The event is a round of golf for fun that also raises funds for charity. In recent years, the Chicken Classic organizers have donated the proceeds to the Goderich-based Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health, a unique, nine-year-old organization created to support and research rural health issues.