Daughter needed better training, tribunal rules Tuesday, March 13, 2012 by DAVE PINK The Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal has dismissed the request of Dundas-area chicken farmer John Feddes to reduce the overproduction penalty of more $20,000 imposed on him by the Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO). At a Feb. 15 hearing, John Feddes, the owner of La Primavera Farms, attributed the overproduction to a “clerical error.” Feddes told the tribunal that in April 2010 he allowed his daughter, Joanne Feddes, to order the chicks needed to meet that year’s quota requirements. He admitted that he did not check her work even though she had never previously ordered chicks or handled any of the farm’s chicken production business. As well, Feddes said the farm received two letters from the CFO and there was confusion about the quota allotted to his operation. In its decision the board ruled that Joanne Feddes should have received better training from her father, who has been in the chicken business for about 35 years. BF Canadian chicken inventories drop in January Ontario's race tracks face uncertain future says association
Middle East conflict pushes fertilizer costs higher, forcing Ontario growers to rethink corn acres Wednesday, March 11, 2026 Ontario farmers are bracing for a turbulent spring as fertilizer and fuel prices surge in response to the escalating conflict involving Iran, a development that analysts say could reshape planting decisions across North America. The spike in nitrogen costs—the most critical and... Read this article online
A new front in the repair access debate Friday, March 6, 2026 Iowa lawmakers have pushed the right‑to‑repair conversation into new territory with House File 2529, a bill that focuses specifically on diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) systems—the single most common cause of emissions-related downtime on modern farm machinery. The bill would require... Read this article online
March 8 is International Women’s Day Friday, March 6, 2026 Across the United States and Canada, women are taking on increasingly visible roles in agriculture—managing farms, leading ag-tech startups, advancing research, and strengthening the rural economies that feed both nations. Their work reflects a shift in an industry once defined... Read this article online
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to Visit Toronto and Southwestern Ontario Tuesday, March 3, 2026 The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry will be in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario later this week as part of its ongoing study on the role of Canada’s agriculture and agri‑food sector in strengthening national food security. The fact‑finding mission is scheduled for... Read this article online
AgriStability Program Updated to Include Pasture-Related Feed Costs Beginning in 2026 Monday, March 2, 2026 In case you missed it last week, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced that pasture-related feed costs will be added as an allowable expense under AgriStability starting with the 2026 program year. The update addresses rising operational... Read this article online