BSE not linked to farmed fish Tuesday, August 4, 2009 A Canadian prion expert says that humans have nothing to be worried about when they eat farmed fish, contradicting a report published in mid-June in the Journal of Alzheimer's Diseases. Neurologist Robert P. Friedland of the University of Louisville warned that farmed fish, eating byproducts rendered from cows and contaminated with the prions associated with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, may spread Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans."It is a fish story," says Neil Cashman, scientific director of PrioNet Canada. Cashman, Canada Research Chair in Neurodegeneration and Protein Misfolding Diseases at the University of British Columbia, says he has "worked in the prion field for 20 years" and fish do not contract the BSE prion. "You can feed them until the cows come home."Fish could be contagious, he allows, if they had consumed BSE-infected material and someone ate the intestines before the material was digested. "Typically, we don't eat the intestines of fish. The idea is far fetched."On its own, CJD in general, not the new variant caused by eating BSE-infected food, affects more people than generally acknowledged – one in 10,000 over a lifetime, or one per million people per year. Cashman says that, despite claims that CJD is more common in Kentucky than elsewhere, this is not the case. And it is not due to the consumption of squirrel brains, a favourite local treat. Quebec study shows 'local' label works How do you say 'milk the cows' in Spanish?
Sowing Solutions--Guelph’s Agri-Food Research Gets Federal Spotlight Friday, October 3, 2025 The University of Guelph welcomed two prominent federal representatives for a day of engagement and discovery on Friday, October 3rd. Dominique O’Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph, hosted the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, for a comprehensive tour... Read this article online
Downtown Diner Delivers a Taste of Canadian Farming to Ottawa Friday, October 3, 2025 This week, the heart of Canada’s capital was filled with the sights, sounds, and flavors of Canadian agriculture as Sparks Street played host to the Downtown Diner, a pop-up event celebrating Canadian food and the farmers who make it possible. At the center of the conversation was... Read this article online
Poll Reveals Mixed Public Sentiment on BC Ostrich Cull Decision Thursday, October 2, 2025 Farms.com poll shows divided opinions among Canadian farmers on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull. A recent poll conducted on Farms.com's X account @OntAg aimed to capture Canadian farmers' views on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull in British... Read this article online
Effective Strategies for Corn Soybean and Wheat Thursday, October 2, 2025 As reported on the OMAFRA website fieldcropnews.com, effective crop residue management in corn, soybean, and wheat fields is key to profitability and long-term soil health. It begins at harvest, with combines and headers set correctly to size and spread residue evenly across the... Read this article online
New Ontario agrobotics challenge seeking high school submissions Thursday, October 2, 2025 A new competition for Ontario high school students is looking for innovative ways to solve challenges in the ag sector. The AgRobotics Ontario Challenge launched at the end of September. The competition is a collaboration between the Western Fair District, the Ontario Council for... Read this article online