Action committee revamps administration Thursday, November 27, 2008 by BETTER FARMING STAFF Elbert van Donkersgoed has left the position of executive director of the Greater Toronto Agricultural Action Committee as of early November. “We came to a mutual agreement, says Peter Lambrick, Campbellville, chairman of the action committee. “Elbert has done well at raising our profile and the committee has decided to maybe go in a more active direction,” Lambrick said Thursday. “We had a meeting last night.” Made up of representatives of local federations of agriculture and municipalities, the action committee promotes agriculture in the Greater Toronto Area. Van Donkersgoed joined the action committee 2.5 years ago after a long stint at the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, most recently as strategic policy advisor. Lambrick says the action committee hopes to have a replacement working soon, with a new job description and a new title: plan coordinator. “We need to be pulling coalitions together and to get more positive results back to the farmers.” Van Donkersgoed was not immediately available for comment. BF Behind the Lines: December 2008 Agricorp makes changes
Canada Faces Below-Average Hurricane Season, Will Farmers be Safe? Wednesday, May 27, 2026 As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins, Canadian farmers and rural communities are being reminded that preparation remains critical, even with forecasts calling for fewer storms. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says modern forecasting systems are ready to deliver... Read this article online
Ontario Invests $7M in Agri-Food Innovation Tuesday, May 26, 2026 The Ontario government is committing up to $7 million to support 34 new research projects aimed at transforming innovative ideas into practical, market-ready solutions for farmers and food processors across the province. Delivered through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, the... Read this article online
Sunrise Farms invests over $100 million to build advanced poultry plant in Woodstock Monday, May 25, 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... Read this article online
Falling Behind on Direct Alcohol Shipping Deadline Monday, May 25, 2026 Canada’s small alcohol producers are growing increasingly frustrated as a promised timeline for direct-to-consumer (DTC) alcohol shipping reforms approaches with little visible progress. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling out federal and provincial... Read this article online
Saskatchewan Startup Unveils Portable Device to Detect Crop Diseases in the Field Monday, May 25, 2026 With global crop losses from pests and diseases reaching as high as 40 percent annually, a Saskatchewan-based startup is working to equip farmers with faster, more practical tools to protect their yields. PathoScan Technologies, founded in Saskatoon, has developed a portable... Read this article online