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Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Academic advocates user fees for agricultural antibiotics

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

University of Calgary economics professor Aidan Hollis sees user fees for the non-human use of antibiotics as a way to stop dangerous overuse.

Hollis and co-author Ziana Ahmed argue in a paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine that the "promiscuous" use of antibiotics is leading to antimicrobial resistance, which could seriously threaten human health.

Their research shows agriculture accounting for 80 per cent of annual antibiotic use in the United States. Hollis told The Poultry Site that many applications are "low-value" – designed to increase productivity, but resulting in marginal profits. "The real value of antibiotics is saving people from dying," Hollis says. "Everything else is trivial."

Rather than advocating an all-out ban on agricultural antibiotics, which would stress some farmers and drive up food prices, Hollis argues for a user fee that would deter indiscriminate use. BF

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A Young Farmer Finds the Perfect Combine

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

At Farms.com, nurturing a passion for agriculture starts early, and nothing illustrates that better than a recent heartwarming video featuring young Jared Altmann and the Farms.com Ag Buyer’s Guide. In the video, Jared can be seen carefully combing through the pages of the Ag Buyer’s... Read this article online

Ont. farmer Tony McQuail reflects on NDP leadership race

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Huron County farmer Tony McQuail is back at Meeting Place Organic Farm in Lucknow after vying to replace Jagmeet Singh as the leader of the federal NDP. “It was a very hopeful and positive experience for me,” he told Farms.com. “I was very pleased with what we were able to bring to the... Read this article online

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