Cultivating a level playing field
Ontario could take notes from lessons learned through other provinces’ organic regulations
by Kate Ayers
Dig Deep Archive
Take control of charging water
Producers may be eligible for funding for erosion control structures
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.
Accessing end-of-life care in rural Ontario
How legislation about medical assistance in death affects palliative care
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.
Forecasting tools boost farm efficiency
Precision ag may be less daunting with multiple means of product assistance
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.
Supporting rural Ontario’s health care
Poultry farmers raise funds for rural health research
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.”
Less waste, more resources
Biofertilizers offer range of nutrients for land application
By Kaitlynn Anderson
With the Waste-Free Ontario Act underway, farmers could see more biofertilizers, such as LysteGro, being used across the province.
A shock to agriculture’s bottom line
Lessons to learn from California: Minimum wage increase should be gradual
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.
Much ado about hemp
Highlighting the crop’s uses and abuses
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.
Finding new life in an old combine
A restored combine is the result of a partnership between a regional Case IH dealership and a local 4-H group
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.
Growing a future in the north
Provincial government increases support for livestock production in northern Ontario
by JIM ALGIE
The Northern Livestock Pilot project announced in May by Jeff Leal, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, followed both a provincial strategy and a growth plan for agricultural opportunities in northern Ontario.