Dig Deep Archive | Page 5 | Better Farming

Greenbelt expansion could cinch rural communities

London’s Metropolitan Greenbelt faces rising pressure from developers

By Kate Ayers

London, England’s Metropolitan Greenbelt is one of the world’s oldest greenbelts.

The city established the land-use plan exactly 80 years ago through the Greenbelt Act.

The grass is always greener: cropping and grazing

Cover crop selection requires background research and forward thinking

By Kate Ayers

Cover crops planted after a cereal crop, such as winter wheat, fit well into the growing season and provide opportunities for livestock grazing. The crop can also provide a wealth of benefits for the field, such as improving infiltration, reducing erosion and increasing soil organic matter.

Looking abroad for local labour

Beamsville church welcomes temporary foreign workers into its community

By Jim Algie

For long-standing members of St. Alban’s Anglican Church in Beamsville, their outreach to temporary agricultural workers has meant “new life for the church,” Rev. Javier Arias said in a recent interview.

All aboard: female representation in ag leadership

Innovation Guelph offers multiple programs to help women become involved on boards

By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Reporter
Better Farming

Women in agriculture – and other industries – can access a variety of resources to help them develop the confidence, skills and knowledge which can enable them succeed on boards.

Crossing the tracks: Alberta’s high-speed rail study

Lessons learned from an HSR rural assessment in Alberta

By Kate Ayers

Ontario is moving forward with plans to build a 370-kilometre (230-mile) $21-billion high-speed rail (HSR) system connecting Toronto to Windsor. The province plans to complete the project in two phases and estimates the second phase will wrap up in 2031.

Crossing the tracks: high-speed rail in Ontario

Concerned southwestern Ontario resident shares her thoughts on HSR

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.

Growing pains for farm families

Tracking farm fatalities in Canada

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.

Keeping rural volunteerism alive

The IPM has depended on contributions from Ontario’s ag community for over 100 years

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.

Mapping your way through precision ag

Sask. farmer finds profitability mapping allows him to maximize production and efficiency

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.

Livestock producers face predator pressure

Farmers requesting financial support for reasonable care plans

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.

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Preparing for SWAC

November 12, 2019

One of Ontario’s popular ag events is gearing up for its 27th year. The Southwest Agricultural Conference (SWAC) takes place at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus on Jan. 7 and 8, 2020. The theme for the conference is 2020 Ag Vision, which will give farmers an opportunity to discuss the latest innovations and techniques. The event will feature 44 sessions on many industry topics. Jeff Cook, a grain producer from London, Ont., for example, is part of a three- farmer panel titled Real Corn Growers. “I plan on running through what works for us on the farm,”... read more

Farmers across Ont. prepare for winter

November 12, 2019

Snow has blanketed fields across Ontario. Though it may not last, the white stuff is a sure sign that winter is on the way. So, farmers across the province are focusing on what lies ahead as we reach the end of a fickle and challenging harvest season. “It’s been a little bit of a stressful fall,” Chris Chadwick, a cash-crop farmer from Chatham-Kent, told Farms.com. “There are a couple big operators by us that have some beans left in the field. (But), for the majority, we’re just waiting on corn,” he said. He hopes to get a window soon to allow him to... read more

Wild pigs in Ontario

November 11, 2019

Ontarians have sighted wild pigs which pose a risk to natural ecosystems and agriculture. “Based on reported sightings to date, Ontario’s wild pig population appears to be small,” Jolanta Kowalski, spokesperson at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNR&F), said in a statement to Farms.com. Wild pigs usually come from farm escapes, either wild European boars which were kept as exotic livestock or “feral” domestic pigs, the MNR&F said in a statement released Oct. 7. Wild pigs can reproduce rapidly, exhibit nocturnal and elusive behavior, and... read more

Winter wheat seeding promising in Ont.

November 8, 2019

Producers in Ontario planted most of their intended winter wheat acres in time for good establishment before winter. “Winter wheat seeding has actually gone really well this year,” Joanna Follings, cereals specialist at OMAFRA, told Farms.com. “We had a pretty good harvest window, from a soybean perspective at least. A lot of the soybeans came off in really good time. Winter wheat was seeded right after into really good conditions.” Optimal planting timing is essential to accumulate adequate Growing Degree Days for winter wheat germination and emergence. “The... read more

Ontario’s corn harvest update

November 6, 2019

Combines are starting to roll in some Ontario corn fields. “In Kent County, a lot’s been done in the last couple days – I’d say close to 25 per cent of the crop,” Matt Chapple, a market development agronomist with Pride Seeds, told Farms.com. “Anybody with his or her own dryer is picking away at it. The corn crop is high moisture, (so farmers) are trying not to take it off too early if they don’t have to.” High moisture is the story in the eastern part of the province as well. Farmers have harvested only 5 per cent of the corn in his region,... read more