A pig for adoption Tuesday, August 4, 2009 Wiggles, the baby weaner pig found injured at the side of Highway 401 by a motorist and spirited to the offices of Toronto Humane Society, was big news last spring – at least until that office was caught up in a scandal after a newspaper investigation alleged that animals there weren't well cared for and the overseeing Ontario SPCA yanked the society's powers to investigate. Ian McConachie, spokes-person for the Humane Society, did not immediately return telephone calls about the current state of the piglet. A television news clip on the society's website shows the piglet, two weeks after she underwent extensive surgery for a badly broken back right leg, enjoying a scratch from a society worker. Meanwhile, Toronto isn't the only place with a soft spot for pigs. This spring the Peninsula Humane Society, near San Diego, Calif., was offering a 40-pound pig for adoption. Cost? $25. The female Hampshire, named Mercedes, had been found wandering and was dropped off after being driven to the shelter in a luxury automobile. The California shelter's website warned perspective owners that, like a dog, Mercedes could live to be 12 years old. Unlike a dog, she could grow to several hundred pounds in weight. Her ideal home, according to the animal adoption agency, would be a large enclosed yard with protection from the elements and regular access to mud for cooling. Isn't California the state that just banned some commercial methods of raising pigs for welfare reasons? Could Ontario be next? Hmmm . . . How do you say 'milk the cows' in Spanish? Red Fife returns to its Otonabee roots
First Northern Cohort Joins Ontario Vet Program Thursday, September 4, 2025 This September, the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) at the University of Guelph welcomed its inaugural Northern Cohort of 20 students through the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program (CDVMP). This initiative, created in partnership with Lakehead University, marks a milestone... Read this article online
Manitoba Farmers Defend Their Whisky Roots Amid Ontario Backlash Thursday, September 4, 2025 As most reader will know by now, on August 28, beverage alcohol giant Diageo announced it will be closing its Amherstburg, Ontario bottling plant. Located just 25 kilometres from the nearest U.S. border crossing, the company says the decision is part of a strategy to streamline its supply... Read this article online
Global grain trade gets a shake-up: What it means for Canadian farmers Tuesday, September 2, 2025 The global grain and oilseed trading industry is undergoing a major transformation—and Canadian farmers should take note. A recently published study in the September 2025 issue of discussed how the traditional dominance of a few multinational giants is giving way to a more competitive,... Read this article online
Canadian Farmers Face Weaker Soybean Yields Ahead Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Statistics Canada forecasts that Canadian soybean production will decline in 2025, reflecting weaker yields across major producing provinces. Nationally, output is projected to fall by 7.3% year over year to 7.0 million tonnes. The decline is linked to a drop in yields, which are expected... Read this article online
Canadian Corn Outlook Shows Mixed Regional Trends Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Statistics Canada projects Canadian corn-for-grain production to grow slightly in 2025, despite drier-than-normal weather and high temperatures that have pressured yields. National production is forecast to rise 1.4% year over year to 15.6 million tonnes. This gain comes from higher... Read this article online