Bee expert joins University of Guelph Wednesday, December 18, 2013 by SUSAN MANN A leading British expert in pollinator conservation and ecology joins the University of Guelph in May. Nigel Raine, who is currently a faculty member in the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway University of London, has been named the inaugural holder of Canada’s first research chair in pollinator conservation, University of Guelph’s Rebanks Family Chair in Pollinator Conservation. The university conducted a year long international search to fill the position. Dan Davidson, president of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, says Raine’s expertise is more in a broad range of pollinators other than honeybees but “it definitely is still positive. He’s going to be a good guy for that chair from what I understand.” Raine studies the impacts of pesticides on bees, insect behavior and pollinator ecology. At the University of Guelph, he will be based in the School of Environmental Studies where he will raise awareness of the importance and plight of pollinators, inform public policy and help train highly qualified conservationists and agriculturalists, according to the university’s Dec. 19 press release. In the U.K., Raine has been an adviser and expert witness for the All Parliamentary Group on Agroecology, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides, the Environment Audit Committee, the National Action Plan for Pesticides, and the Pollinator Conservation Delivery Group. He has also advised the European Food Safety Authority. The chair is funded by a $3 million donation from the W. Garfield Weston Foundation in the name of Wendy Rebanks, Garfield Weston’s daughter and one of the foundation’s directors. BF Agricorp adjusts fruit insurance programs It's time for a new approach to farm property assessment says OFA
Grain Bin Emergencies Turn Deadly in Seconds, but Training Can Save Lives Thursday, May 7, 2026 Would you know what to do if someone you loved was trapped in a grain bin? The reality is sobering. Compared to a flowing mass of grain, a person is only several bushels in volume. When grain begins moving, escape becomes nearly impossible. In most cases of full grain engulfment,... Read this article online
Applications open for GFO 2026 Legacy Scholarship Thursday, May 7, 2026 Applications are now open for the 2026 Grain Farmers of Ontario , an annual program designed to support students pursuing post‑secondary education that contributes to the future of the province’s grain and agri‑food industries. Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) represents 28,000... Read this article online
Farmland Rents Lag Land Values Thursday, May 7, 2026 Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has released a new economic analysis highlighting a growing gap between farmland values and rental rates across the country, a trend that will likely reshape expansion decisions for Canadian producers. According to the analysis, Canada’s average farmland... Read this article online
How to Keep Your Groundwater Safe and Clean Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Groundwater plays a vital role for families and businesses in rural and agricultural settings. It supports essential activities such as livestock care, irrigation, and cleaning processes, and in many areas, it's the sole source of drinking water. For this reason, it's critical for rural... Read this article online
Rising Waters on the Canadian Prairies and Beyond Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Spring flooding is intensifying across large portions of Canada, placing farms under growing pressure during one of the most important windows of the agricultural year. From the Prairies to Central Canada and into Atlantic regions, saturated soils, elevated rivers, and damaged rural... Read this article online