Farmers eye drones - and so do animal rightists Tuesday, March 4, 2014 Are they a farming tool of the future? Or eye-in-the-sky spies? Depends on who's at the remote control. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the Australian Lot Feeders Association wants tougher laws that stop animal rights groups from using aerial drones to spy on farm activities. Last year, the animal rights group Animal Liberation used a drone to film free-range egg farms in New South Wales, and then gave the footage to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate whether the farms were actually free-range. Currently, using drones to spy on farming activities is legal in most countries. Bruce Baer Arnold, assistant professor at the University of Canberra School of Law, predicts in The Conversation that "facility operators taking the law into their own hands, shooting pesky drones . . . we can expect to see some claims in court before too long." PETA's blog post "Game of Drones" reveals a plan to purchase a drone to monitor factory farms. This is about to get very interesting. But what if it's a farmer doing the spying? The Associated Press reports that experts see agriculture as the most promising commercial market for drones. Drones can be used to monitor disease, apply precision sprays of fertilizers and pesticides, even scare away birds and other pests. Idaho farmer Robert Blair, who built his own drone to monitor his 1,500-acre farm, tells the AP "we're talking surgical agriculture, which allows us to be more environmentally friendly." BF Academic advocates user fees for agricultural antibiotics Pollution wrecks Chinese farmland
Ontario’s most problematic weed -- Canada Fleabane Cuts Corn and Soybean Yields Wednesday, September 17, 2025 At the , Dr. Peter Sikkema of the University of Guelph highlighted the persistent challenge of Canada fleabane, one of Ontario’s most problematic weeds. Once easily controlled with glyphosate, the weed has now developed resistance not only to glyphosate but also to multiple herbicide... Read this article online
Augusta Van Muyen selected as the 67th Grape King Wednesday, September 17, 2025 Grape Growers of Ontario and Farm Credit Canada have announced that Lincoln vineyard manager Augusta Van Muyen has been chosen by her peers as the . Currently, the vineyard manager at Tawse Winery, Van Muyen, followed a path to success that took her across Ontario and the world.... Read this article online
Grain Growers of Canada calls on Carney to Prioritize Upgrades to the Port of Vancouver Wednesday, September 17, 2025 Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is calling on the federal government to urgently prioritize major upgrades to the Port of Vancouver and its connecting rail infrastructure. The organization warns that without these improvements, Canada’s economic growth and global trade reliability are at... Read this article online
Strategies to Optimize Market Returns in Ontario Monday, September 15, 2025 Berkley Fedorchuk, grain marketing specialist with Hensall Co-op in Southwestern Ontario, recently shared insights into the current corn market and strategies for forward marketing during his presentation at the . With a focus on the Ontario and Eastern Canadian grain sectors,... Read this article online
From Plows to Plates - The 2025 International Plowing Match Returns to Niagara Friday, September 12, 2025 For the first time since 1926, the International Plowing Match & Rural Expo (IPM) is returning to the Niagara Region September 16 to 20. Set to take place in West Lincoln, the 106th edition of this iconic event will run under the theme “,” celebrating the deep roots and fresh flavours of... Read this article online