Buchanan takes the reins Wednesday, October 16, 2013 by BETTER FARMING STAFF This month, Premier and agriculture minister Kathleen Wynne nominated Elmer Buchanan as head of a revamped Ontario Racing Commission. It will be Buchanan's job to lead revitalization and re-invention of horse racing in Ontario. Buchanan, a former provincial agriculture minister and a frequent appointee to government panels concerning agriculture, is no stranger to farming. Nor is he new to the horse industry – he was one of three assigned to a horse industry transition panel whose final report on how to save the industry was released last week. But many in the province’s horse industry might not be familiar with Buchanan’s involvement in the industry. So we’ve dug into our archives and found this excellent profile by Bernard Tobin published in 1995 by the former Farm and Country magazine. Tobin spent three years covering Buchanan's dealings as agriculture minister and penned this story just prior to the 1995 provincial election that saw the New Democratic Party lose power to Progressive Conservative Mike Harris and his Common Sense Revolution. Harris would then go on to establish the slots at racetracks program, which was dismantled by Dalton McGuinty's Liberal government in 2012. Tobin, as you may remember, won this year’s gold award for monthly press reporting at the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation annual awards for his Better Farming feature profiling the impact of the ending of the racetrack slots program. BF Behind the wheel with Buchanan Listowel farmer, milk board at odds over direct payment policy Vomitoxin levels in Ontario corn are low for second year in a row
US-Canada tariff uncertainty continues to concern businesses and farmers Tuesday, August 25, 2026 As of late August 2026, trade relations between Canada and the United States remain under pressure as both countries work to finalize an agreement aimed at preventing a new round of tariffs from disrupting cross-border commerce. While a temporary reprieve has been secured, uncertainty... Read this article online
Alveo partners with AgriNerds on bird flu surveillance Tuesday, August 25, 2026 Poultry producers may soon have access to a new tool designed to improve how they monitor and respond to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) threats. Alveo Technologies and AgriNerds have announced a partnership that will combine rapid on-farm molecular testing with real-time... Read this article online
OPA Secures Lambton County Site for 2027 International Plowing Match Monday, August 24, 2026 Lambton County is preparing to welcome one of Ontario agriculture’s biggest events after the Ontario Plowmen’s Association (OPA) announced it has secured a site for the 2027 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM). The event is scheduled for September 21 to 25, 2027, on... Read this article online
Grain Prices Rise as Crop Tours Raise Yield Concerns Monday, August 24, 2026 Grain markets ended the week on August 21, 2026, with a strong tone as traders assessed the latest Pro Farmer Crop Tour results, crop damage concerns across the U.S. Midwest, improving demand prospects and growing fund interest from speculative traders. During the August 21 Farms.com... Read this article online
AALP Dream Gala tops $110,000 for leadership programming Sunday, August 23, 2026 The 2026 Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) Dream Gala raised more than $110,000 to support leadership development within Ontario’s agri-food sector, according to the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI). Held at The GrandWay Events Centre in Elora, the biennial fundraising event was... Read this article online