Court rules chemical spray drift is trespassing Monday, October 3, 2011 Spray drift qualifies as trespass, thanks to a ruling handed down recently by the Minnesota Court of Appeals.Organic farmers Oluf and Debra Johnson sued Paynesville Farmers Union Co-operative Oil Company, alleging that pesticide and herbicide applications repeatedly drifted onto their property, damaging crops. As well, the Johnsons lost their organic certification and the higher prices associated with their produce. The state department of agriculture ordered affected fields to be removed from organic production for three years and some crops destroyed.According to an article written by Nancy Burke, Jeff Peterson, and Jessica Mitchell of the Gray Plant Mooty Law Firm in Minnesota, the Court differentiated between "transient" manure smells that interfere with the enjoyment of property and liquid pesticide drift that "descends and clings to soils or plants."Most jurisdictions now recognize that agricultural chemical drift provides sufficient grounds for a trespass claim, and some courts are issuing injunctions against applicators to prohibit drift," the article reads.Damages have yet to be determined. BF More packaged milk for Asia Fewer bankers, more farmers?
Ontario Farm Leaders Drew and Heather Spoelstra Named 2026 Outstanding Young Farmers Friday, April 10, 2026 Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF) Program has announced Drew and Heather Spoelstra of Binbrook, Ontario, as the Ontario regional winners for 2026. The announcement was made following the Ontario regional competition held April 7 through 9 in St. Jacobs, Ontario. As provincial... Read this article online
Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre designs revealed Thursday, April 9, 2026 Attendees of the Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre’s (OAFDC) AGM last month received a first look at building design concepts. The planned 34,000-square-foot science centre in Listowel, Ont., designed by Moriyama Teshima Architects, the same firm responsible for the looks of buildings... Read this article online
Proposed USDA budget cuts could shift the North American ag landscape Thursday, April 9, 2026 Image by Konyvesotto from Pixabay The US administration’s latest budget proposal includes a significant reduction to the US Department of Agriculture’s discretionary spending, a move that could have ripple effects across North American agriculture. According to Farms.com reporting... Read this article online
Corn and Soy Products Cleared for Global Market Access Thursday, April 9, 2026 The Market Access Committee for corn and soybeans has completed its 2026 review of new crop protection products, confirming no export concerns for four corn products and six soybean products. Approved corn products includeCovintroCorn,TelaroneDC,ZiduaSC Herbicide, and Storen Herbicide.... Read this article online
What Distributed Energy Resources Mean for Canadian Producers Tuesday, April 7, 2026 As energy costs rise, many Canadian farms are looking for ways to take greater control of their electricity use. One term that farmers are hearing more often is distributed energy resources, often shortened to DERs. While the phrase may sound technical, the concept is highly practical, and... Read this article online