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
Chinese Tariffs Are Squeezing Canadian Grain and Oilseeds Thursday, March 20, 2025 By Aleah Harle, Farms.com Risk Management Intern On March 8, 2025, China announced steep retaliatory tariffs on $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural products in response to Canada’s October tariffs of 100% on Chinese EVs, and 25% on steel, and aluminum. These newly... Read this article online
Canada’s Biggest Plowing Match Comes to Niagara in 2025 Thursday, March 20, 2025 For the first time since 1926, Niagara Region will host the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) 2025, a major agricultural event bringing together farmers, exhibitors, and visitors from across Canada. This five-day event will run from September 16 to September 20 at the West... Read this article online
Farmer Planting Decisions for 2025 Taking Shape Wednesday, March 19, 2025 As farmers across Canada prepare for the 2025 crop year, Statistics Canada says their planting decisions reflect a complex mix of factors including moisture conditions, crop rotation considerations, and market prices. Nationally, farmers are expected to plant more wheat, corn for... Read this article online
Trevor Jones appointed ag minister in Premier Ford’s cabinet Wednesday, March 19, 2025 There’s a new face overseeing the agriculture portfolio in Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet. Trevor Jones, the MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, is the new minister of agriculture, food and agribusiness, the premier announced on March 19. Jones previously served as the associate... Read this article online
It’s been a while… Wednesday, March 19, 2025 The () is coming to the Niagara Region this fall, providing a unique opportunity to showcase the community’s agricultural diversity and natural beauty. The annual event is hosted in a different community each year, with this year’s edition the first time in almost 100 years that... Read this article online