Beavers, ostriches enter the wheat board debate Sunday, December 4, 2011 From Hansard: Oct. 25, 2011Mr. Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, NDP): "Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives really believe that Prairie grain farmers will make more money by selling their grain outside of the Canadian Wheat Board, then that means every single Conservative MP involved in the grain industry is in a conflict of interest and must recuse themselves from the vote on Bill C-18 . . ."Gerry Ritz: Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board: "Mr. Speaker, farmers will never be intimidated by what I think is a lingering case of beaver fever over there . . ." Martin: "Mr. Speaker, coming from a failed ostrich jockey, I do not know what the member knows about beaver fever . . ."The Speaker (Andrew Scheer): "Order. I think some of these metaphors involving animals may be causing a little disorder in the House. I would urge all hon. members to try to avoid using them so that we can get through question period."Ritz: "Mr. Speaker, that is sound advice. Over the top never works. I will say that farming ostrich allowed me the opportunity to get used to working with the lesser life forms I sometimes see here on the floor of the House of Commons . . ."The Speaker: "Order. Similarly, those types of comments when referring to our colleagues are also unhelpful during question period."("Beaver fever" generally refers to Giardiasis, a parasitic disease causing diarrhea. Beavers and muskrats harbour the water-born cysts.) BF Cover Story: The cash-crunch woes of rural municipalities Debate over global warming causes heat
Potato industry on PEI to save up to $7 million because of cuts to bridge tolls Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Effective August 1, 2025, tolls on the Confederation Bridge will drop dramatically, with personal vehicle tolls falling from $50.25 to $20. Commercial vehicles will also benefit from these reductions. In addition, ferry tolls in Newfoundland and Labrador and other regions will see... Read this article online
Soil Compaction Challenges Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Ontario’s spring planting faced challenges from soil compaction, impacting crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat. Despite some areas experiencing rapid planting under ideal conditions, other regions, even those with lighter soils, struggled due to excessive rainfall. The team at OMAFA –on... Read this article online
2026 Grains Innovation Fund is now open Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), the province’s largest commodity organization representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers, is now accepting applications for its . “This year marks another exciting chapter for the Grains Innovation Fund,” stated Paul... Read this article online
Applications Open for Grains Innovation Fund 2026 Monday, July 28, 2025 Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), the province’s largest commodity organization representing 28,000 farmers, is now accepting applications for the 2026 Grains Innovation Fund. The fund offers grants up to $75,000 to support innovative projects that promote the use of Ontario’s grains such as... Read this article online
Sowing the Seeds of the Future -- A Fresh Look at Farm Succession in Canada Monday, July 28, 2025 “You’ve worked the land for decades—through changing seasons, shifting markets, and long days that begin before sunrise," says Jason Castellan, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Skyline when he spoke with Farms.com. “You know every acre, every decision, every responsibility that... Read this article online