South Dakota loves mini-cheeses Monday, April 2, 2012 South Dakota could soon be known as a dairy powerhouse thanks to a popular snacking cheese. In February, Bel Brands USA announced it would build a US$100 million cheese plant near Brookings, described on a state website as having an ideal climate location for milking cows. The plant will be operating by the end of 2013. Just the first phase will produce about 22 million pounds of cheese annually. The company's signature product is Mini Baby Bel snacking cheeses. It represents close to one third of Bel Brands' U.S. sales with consistent 25 per cent plus growth per year. State officials were recruiting farmers from outside the Dakotas at the World Ag Expo in California. Bel Brands, based in Elk Grove Village, Ill., is the American subsidiary of Fromageries Bel, based in Paris, France, with sales of nearly US$3.2 billion in 2010. BF Planting Season: Advice from the front lines on eliminating those costly and time-consuming bottlenecks Transportation system in jeopardy
Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention Names Douglas Darling as President Wednesday, May 20, 2026 The Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention (OFVC) has named Niagara-based grower Douglas Darling as its new President, marking a leadership transition as the organization prepares for continued growth and innovation within Ontario’s horticulture sector. Darling, with Sunnydale Farms in... Read this article online
Sunrise Farms invests over $100 million to build advanced poultry plant in Woodstock Wednesday, May 20, 2026 Ontario’s agri‑food sector is set for another major boost as Sunrise Farms announced an investment of more than $100 million to build a state‑of‑the‑art poultry processing facility in Woodstock. The expansion—described as the largest greenfield project in the company’s history—will create... Read this article online
Simple Breeding Boosts Bee Survival Wednesday, May 20, 2026 To celebrate World Bee Day, May 20, we thought some good news about bees would be welcome. Honeybee colonies continue to face serious losses each year due to many challenges. Changes in weather, climate conditions, and land use all affect bee health. However, Varroa mites remain the... Read this article online
Protect Lake Simcoe from Water Soldier Spread Monday, May 18, 2026 Residents and visitors in Ontario are being encouraged to protect Lake Simcoe from watersoldier, a fast-growing invasive aquatic plant. This plant spreads quickly in shallow water and along shorelines, making activities such as swimming, fishing, and boating difficult. It can also pose a... Read this article online
90 percent of agri-businesses are concerned about the future of Canadian agriculture Thursday, May 14, 2026 Canada’s agriculture sector is facing a prolonged period of low confidence and limited growth, raising concerns about its long-term resilience. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), agri-business sentiment remains near the bottom across all industries, with... Read this article online