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.
By Kaitlynn Anderson
With the Waste-Free Ontario Act underway, farmers could see more biofertilizers, such as LysteGro, being used across the province.
LysteGro, manufactured by Lystek, “is registered as a fertilizer with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and is currently utilized by farmers throughout Ontario as a commercial fertilizer replacement,” said Mike Dougherty, director of product management for Lystek International Inc.
By Kaitlynn Anderson
In California, the minimum wage is scheduled to increase to $15 per hour, similar to Ontario. However, there is one major difference: the time frame for the implementation of this increase.
While the Ontario government plans to enact the change over a period of 18 months, California has set a date of 2023 – about eight years after the change began in the state in 2016.
By Nicholas Van Allen
Hemp has different uses and it’s incorporated into some products you might not have considered.
Nutritionists and health experts prominently note hemp’s benefits to Canadian diets: hemp seed is a rich source of both protein and healthy fats. “Two tablespoons of shelled hemp seeds can contain between seven and 11 grams of protein,” and are a source of dietary fibre, EatRight Ontario says.
By Jennifer Jackson
When Craig Smith, co-owner of O’Niel’s Farm Equipment Ltd. in Binbrook, told Robert Meier, Territory Sales Manager for central and eastern Ontario for Case IH, about a 1930s A-6 Case combine that was up for sale at auction, it wasn’t long before the pair set a plan in place for the piece of equipment.
The combine needed to be restored and Meier knew the right team for the job: the local 4-H machinery club.