Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Behind the Lines - December 2012

Monday, December 3, 2012

No-till has become a standard practice on many Ontario farms, saving producers both time and money as they make fewer passes in the spring and fall. So it came as a surprise recently when no-till and its conservation tillage derivatives came under fire from the scientific community for encouraging phosphorus to enter streams from farm drains.

Field Editor Mary Baxter looks at this story from the points of view of farmers, on both sides of the Great Lakes, and from scientists as well. The Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario is working with scientists to get more solid evidence on what is happening on farms. Baxter's story starts on page 10.

We live in a land of abundance, and we will be thinking of that especially as we approach the Christmas season. But abundance is not there for all of us.

Food banks were started in the 1980s as a solution to what was deemed to be a short-term problem. But that's not how it turned out, as senior staff editor Don Stoneman notes in a story starting on page 28.

Food bank usage in Ontario has increased 28 per cent since the recession hit in 2007-2008. "We think the number (of hungry people) is much higher than that. Not everyone in need visits food banks," says Carolyn Stewart, a top official with the Ontario Association of Food Banks.

Stewart says a survey taken last March also determined that clients are using food banks for longer periods of time as it becomes more difficult to find a job. "This has been the worst year thus far," Stewart says. "It's very worrisome from our point of view."

Stoneman looked at creative solutions that some farmers and farm groups have taken to address the growing problem. It's worth noting that there is no shortage at food banks during the Christmas giving season. It's another matter as winter wears on into January and February.

For a national and international perspective on hunger and food banks, you will find Barry Wilson's overview in The Hill on page 44.

As we were going to press, we learned of the latest development in the legal battle Corrado and Concetta Bartolo are waging. In our October issue, we told you about their plan to turn a property they bought in the Township of Uxbridge into a productive farm by adding hundreds of thousands of tons of fill. The township says the Bartolos are running a commercial fill operation and passed a retroactive bylaw requiring them to have a fill permit. In June, a Superior Court Justice ordered them to cease operations and return the farm to its original condition.

Ottawa lawyer Terrance Green appealed the Superior Court decision and applied for a hearing before the Normal Farm Practices Protection Board (NFPPB). A favourable board decision, he claimed, would trump the Superior Court of Justice ruling, Not so says the NFPPB. In a decision released in early November, they ruled: "On the basis of this ruling of the Superior Court of Justice, the Board denies your application."

No word yet on the Bartolos' next move, but in our earlier story Corrado noted the battle was exacting a heavy financial toll.  BF

ROBERT IRWIN & DON STONEMAN

Current Issue

October 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Massey Ferguson DM Series Triple Mower Overview

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Massey Ferguson continues to lead the way in hay and forage innovation with its DM Series Triple Mower, a machine designed to maximize efficiency, reduce downtime, and deliver outstanding cutting performance for farmers of all sizes. With an overall working width of 32 feet, including... Read this article online

Gleaner T Series Combine Updates

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Gleaner continues to advance harvest technology with its new T Series combine, delivering major improvements in power, reliability, and ease of operation. Designed with the farmer in mind, the T Series focuses on performance, accessibility, and cutting-edge precision tools for... Read this article online

New MacDon FD2 Plus Draper Header

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Case IH continues to expand its innovative harvest equipment lineup with the launch of the MacDon FD2 Plus Draper Header, a new series designed to provide farmers with smoother, cleaner, and more efficient harvesting. Available in multiple widths — 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and even 61... Read this article online

New Holland IntelliSense Tech Elevates Crop Efficiency

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

The IntelliSense system features a forward-looking sensor mounted at the cab’s center line, allowing the sprayer to assess crop quality up to 50 feet ahead. It operates in two main modes: variable rate application and spot spraying. In variable rate mode, the system uses sunlight... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top