Farm tires from dandelions? Sunday, March 8, 2015 Mitas, the Czech Republic tire maker, plans to test agricultural tires made with dandelion rubber, Modern Farmer reports.Natural rubber, typically harvested from the rubber tree, is an integral part of the tire industry. According to Reuters, passenger car tires need to be 10-40 per cent natural rubber to stay flexible in cold weather and to prevent significant cracking. But there has always been concern over of the risks and volatility of rubber tree farming. Taraxacum koksaghyz – commonly called the Kazakh dandelion, native to the Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan region and a source of natural rubber – is hoped to be a future answer to those concerns.According to Modern Farmer, in North America Mitas exclusively produces agricultural tires. Its sales and marketing director, Andrew Mabin, told AgWeb that Mitas, "is actively seeking new ways of improving our manufacturing process, which includes researching new raw materials or substitutes." BF Purple Loosestrife not so bad after all Fewer allergies for children on the farm
Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth Monday, June 30, 2025 Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online
Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility Friday, June 27, 2025 Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online
Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost Friday, June 27, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online
Health Canada sets rules for drone spraying Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Health Canada has approved the use of drones, also called Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), for pesticide application under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Drones are considered aircraft by Transport Canada, but Health Canada treats them differently due to their unique... Read this article online
Twelve Ontario Agri-Businesses Receive Funding Support Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Bioenterprise Canada has announced the successful recipients of the second call for proposals under the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) Commercialization Stream. Twelve organizations across Ontario will receive support to bring innovative agri-food solutions to the... Read this article online