Agriculture ministers' meeting takes place this month Wednesday, July 3, 2013 by SUSAN MANN Ontario’s Premier and Agriculture Minister Kathleen Wynne will be discussing the importance of local food, along with bee mortalities and other matters when she attends her first federal, provincial/territorial agriculture ministers’ meeting later this month. Wynne’s spokesperson, Gabrielle Gallant, says by email the agriculture minister is looking forward to attending the meeting. It’s being held in Halifax, Nova Scotia July 17 to 19. For its part, the federal government didn’t have too much to say about the upcoming meeting. Other than releasing the dates, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada spokesman Patrick Girard says by email “unfortunately there aren’t any other details available at this point.” On its website, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says that since agriculture is a shared federal-provincial-territorial responsibility in Canada, agriculture ministers from across the country meet face-to-face a few times a year to talk about issues facing the farm and agri-food sectors and to make decisions about how to address the issues. The meetings include a one or two-day annual conference, usually held in the summer, and one or two other daylong meetings during the year. The meetings are held in different locations across Canada. BF CFIA invites comment on food safety action plan Researcher urges cautious approach to local food policy development
Minnesota Wildfires Threaten Agriculture as Governor Walz Mobilizes National Guard Friday, July 17, 2026 Farmers across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario and Manitoba are closely monitoring a growing wildfire situation in northern Minnesota after Governor Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to assist firefighting efforts. The decision... Read this article online
Woodland Mills Expands Portable Sawmill Capacity Friday, July 17, 2026 Woodland Mills has introduced the HM126MAX Portable Sawmill, a new machine designed to provide greater cutting capacity and improved lumber production for customers. The latest model builds on the success of a long-standing portable sawmill platform while offering enhanced performance and... Read this article online
Asian Vegetables Like Bok Choy Grown Right Here in Ontario Friday, July 17, 2026 When you think of vegetables grown in Ontario, do you think of ethic vegetables? Also known as pak choy or Chinese cabbage, bok choy has become an increasingly important crop for Ontario's vegetable industry, driven by growing consumer demand for fresh, locally produced ethnic... Read this article online
Survey aims to amplify voices of rural Ontarians Friday, July 17, 2026 New surveys for rural Ontarians are helping people in these communities paint a comprehensive picture of what life is like. “For too long, rural communities have lacked access to reliable, credible and reflective data,” Leith Deacon, a professor at University of Guelph’s School of... Read this article online
Wildfire Smoke Over Ontario--What Farmers Need to Know Thursday, July 16, 2026 Ontario farmers are becoming increasingly familiar with hazy skies as wildfire smoke drifts across the province. While much of the public focus remains on human health and visibility, the agricultural impacts are also drawing attention as smoke affects crop development, livestock... Read this article online