Cleaning up oil spills with milkweed Sunday, March 8, 2015 Using the crop from the world's only industrial milkweed farm, Quebec-based Protec-Style has found an ingenious new way to clean up oil spills, the CBC reports.Protec-Style president François Simard says milkweed fibre is perfectly suited for cleaning oil spills as the fibre is hollow, waxy and naturally repels water. Simard told Vermont Public Radio that milkweed fibre "can do five times better a job than polypropylene (the petroleum-based material currently used to clean spills) because it can absorb up to 50 litres per kilogram of fibre." Furthermore, as milkweed is also the habitat and food source of the endangered monarch butterfly, Protec-Style's milkweed farms have an added benefit for the environment.According to the CBC, Protec-Style currently has 325 hectares of milkweed farm in Quebec and has entered into a $186,651 contract with Parks Canada to supply 50 national parks with the absorbent kits. BF Parchment offers clues to old-time sheep breeding Milk regulations that don't make sense
Pocket Chainsaw: Change the Way You Deal with Pesky Trees and Bushes Friday, December 26, 2025 BY: Zahra Sadiq Are you frustrated with small trees and bushes along your farm's fence line, and tired of the hassle of starting your traditional chainsaw? The pocket chainsaw might be the perfect solution for you. Mountain Lab Gear is a company founded on a passion for the... Read this article online
Maizex Seeds Breaks Ground on $8.8 Million State-of-the-Art Seed Corn Facility in Blenheim Tuesday, December 23, 2025 Maizex Seeds, the seed division of Sollio Agriculture, has announced the groundbreaking of an $8.8 million investment in a new seed corn processing and packaging plant at its Blenheim, Ontario facility. “This is a significant investment by Maizex that not only supports the ability of... Read this article online
Renew CUSMA? Grain groups say yes—but with changes Wednesday, December 17, 2025 The Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)—known as USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) in the US and T-MEC (Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá) in Mexico—is the trade pact that, on July 1, 2020, replaced NAFTA (North American Free Trade... Read this article online
Plants flip genetic switch to survive sudden cold, study finds Wednesday, December 17, 2025 One things for sure—weather happens. When a sudden cold snap hits a farm, it can destroy seedlings slow growth. It can make the season's growth 'iffy' going forward. But like a ray of sunshine, results from a new study offer farmers hope. Scientists have discovered how plants... Read this article online
CFIA extends BIOPOWER SC claims to young ruminants Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Lallemand Animal Nutrition has announced that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has extended its approved claims for BIOPOWER SC, a viable yeast product (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077) classified as a gut modifier in Canada. The new approval adds... Read this article online