Canadian canola goes to California Sunday, January 4, 2009 The U.S. Department of Agriculture is getting excited about using Canadian-developed canola as a multi-tasking crop on a farm in a drought-prone part of California. At a return of a scant $300 an acre, canola is no competition for almond orchards worth 20 times that. But, planted where nothing else will grow anyway, canola may solve some environmental problems.According to Associated Press, John Diener irrigates once-fallow fields with water that had been contaminated with excess selenium which kills waterfowl in nearby sanctuaries. The fields grow canola, which Diener crushes for biodiesel, feeding the meal to dairy cows in an experiment sponsored by the federal department of agriculture.There is urgency in this because of an ongoing drought. Runoff from irrigation percolates through the ground, and collects excessive amount of selenium. Growing canola has the potential to clean up that contaminated water. Diener is a grower, not a dairy farmer, and the canola meal is being fed to an experimental herd. But the San Joaquin Valley is a huge dairying area and the agriculture department hopes to get other farmers to follow suit. BF Genetic diversity takes a beating Local food promoter hit by 'absurd' regulation
EMILI Celebrates 10 Years of Connecting Farmers, Innovators, and Industry Partners Saturday, July 18, 2026 The Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI) has received $3.5 million in funding from the Government of Canada to strengthen agricultural innovation and technology adoption in Manitoba. The announcement was made earlier this week during EMILI’s Field Day event... Read this article online
Minnesota Wildfires Threaten Agriculture as Governor Walz Mobilizes National Guard Friday, July 17, 2026 Farmers across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario and Manitoba are closely monitoring a growing wildfire situation in northern Minnesota after Governor Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to assist firefighting efforts. The decision... Read this article online
Woodland Mills Expands Portable Sawmill Capacity Friday, July 17, 2026 Woodland Mills has introduced the HM126MAX Portable Sawmill, a new machine designed to provide greater cutting capacity and improved lumber production for customers. The latest model builds on the success of a long-standing portable sawmill platform while offering enhanced performance and... Read this article online
Asian Vegetables Like Bok Choy Grown Right Here in Ontario Friday, July 17, 2026 When you think of vegetables grown in Ontario, do you think of ethic vegetables? Also known as pak choy or Chinese cabbage, bok choy has become an increasingly important crop for Ontario's vegetable industry, driven by growing consumer demand for fresh, locally produced ethnic... Read this article online
Survey aims to amplify voices of rural Ontarians Friday, July 17, 2026 New surveys for rural Ontarians are helping people in these communities paint a comprehensive picture of what life is like. “For too long, rural communities have lacked access to reliable, credible and reflective data,” Leith Deacon, a professor at University of Guelph’s School of... Read this article online