Fewer bankers, more farmers? Monday, October 3, 2011 If you want to become rich, become a farmer. That's the essence of an essay published in the July 10 issue of Time Magazine. The essay quoted Jim Rogers ("investment whiz, best-selling author and one of Wall Street's towering personalities") as predicting that farming incomes will rise dramatically in the next decades, surpassing even Wall Street. "The world has got a serious food problem," says Rogers. "The only real way to solve it is to draw more people back to agriculture." (That's according to Time).He cites net farm income as rising 27 per cent last year compared to less than two per cent for the overall economy. That's because of a wealthier and hungrier emerging middle class world-wide and a boom in biofuels. (He doesn't mention that the latter is due to heavy government subsidies which could disappear with the stroke of a pen.) While general real estate values have fallen, farmland has doubled in six years.One example Rogers cites of agricultural prosperity is Grand Island Neb. The home to a major beef packing plant and to farm machinery makers is booming and Nebraska itself has the second lowest unemployment rate in the nation.Yet another Time Magazine story, dated June 28, says that many of the workers producing food in California's Tulare County qualify for food stamps and 23 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. The state and national averages are 14 per cent. So it seems like owners of farmland are gaining wealth while workers on those farms are falling behind. BF Court rules chemical spray drift is trespassing Behind the Lines - October 2011
Ontario farmers get boost for energy upgrades Friday, July 11, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $3 million in the third round of the Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (ASI). This funding will help farmers improve the energy efficiency of their operations and support the long-term sustainability of the agriculture... Read this article online
Swede midge and cabbageworm found in Ontario canola Thursday, July 10, 2025 As reported on the OMAFA website fieldcropnews.com, Ontario canola crops are at various growth stages, ranging from seedling to full bloom depending on planting time and region. Winter canola is now fully podded, and harvest is expected to begin soon in Essex and other southern... Read this article online
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Friday, July 4, 2025 The was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium. Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded $60,000 to further his... Read this article online
Grape Growers 40th Annual Celebrity Luncheon has Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser Friday, July 4, 2025 The Grape Growers of Ontario’s marks the opening of the by showcasing Canadian personalities and celebrating the annual grape harvest. This year, in partnership with Meridian Credit Union, Ontario’s largest credit union and the third largest in Canada, the Grape Growers of Ontario... Read this article online
Ontario crops respond to summer heat Wednesday, July 2, 2025 According to the OMAFA Field Crop News team, Ontario field crops are showing rapid development as summer-like temperatures have dominated late June early July. The warm spell has accelerated growth and helped reduce the heat unit deficit from a cool spring. Corn fields have seen a burst... Read this article online