Farm writer complies with bench warrant in sheep case Friday, April 25, 2014 by JOE CALLAHAN A slow-moving criminal court case connected to the disappearance two years ago of 31 sheep under quarantine at a Northumberland County farm took a tiny step forward this week when a judge at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cobourg cancelled a bench warrant against one of four people who have been charged. On Wednesday, Judge Robert Graydon cancelled a bench warrant that had ordered Suzanne Atkinson to appear in court after Atkinson complied with the order. It was the second warrant that had been issued to order Atkinson, a journalist, to appear in court. Atkinson had failed to attend two previously scheduled hearings. According to the ministry of the attorney general, “in circumstances where a person does not appear in court, the court may extend a courtesy by issuing a bench warrant ‘with discretion.’” Atkinson, of Warkworth, Northumberland County, as well as Linda (Montana) Jones from Hastings, Northumberland County, Michael Schmidt from Durham, Grey County and Robert Pinnell from West Grey township, Grey County, face charges of conspiracy to commit obstruction of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) officer, to transport or to cause to transport an animal under quarantine, and conspiracy to defraud the public of a service over $5,000 under the Criminal Code. Jones is also charged with obstructing a CFIA inspector under the Health of Animals Act and Pinnell faces a further charge of attempting to obstruct justice and another for obstructing a police officer, both under the Criminal Code. Atkinson declined to comment on the case. Graydon scheduled the matter to June 17 in Cobourg, when Justice Lorne Chester is expected to rule on a conflict of interest motion filed by the Crown in connection with another aspect of the case. BF Standardbred horse breeders say they have no choice but to sue the province OFA wants to see debt retirement charge removed from Ontario farm bills too
New Report Highlights Farm Housing Needs in Greenbelt Areas Wednesday, June 4, 2025 The Greenbelt Foundation has released a new report titled Housing Needs and . It highlights the urgent need for housing solutions in rural Ontario for farm families, farm workers, and agri-business employees. As the farming community knows, agriculture is a vital part of Ontario’s... Read this article online
New Precision Ag Digital Digest Coming Soon Wednesday, June 4, 2025 The Summer 2025 Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest will be released on June 11. Summer is upon us! Tillage and seeding are mostly completed (…hopefully), so we are shifting focus to irrigation, baling, spraying, guidance, and harvest (among other topics and technologies). In... Read this article online
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Artificial Intelligence Aiding Operations, But Not Without Concerns Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Artificial intelligence is increasingly being deployed to optimize food production in Canadian greenhouses, offering promising efficiencies in crop management. However, Dr. Rozita Dara, director of Artificial Intelligence for Food (AI4Food) at the University of Guelph, cautions that the... Read this article online
First Ministers and Prime Minister Pledge Action on Trade Growth Infrastructure - Including Agriculture Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Canada’s First Ministers met in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, aiming to strengthen the national economy. They discussed the federal plan to boost major projects through new legislation, called . These projects aim to build a strong and resilient Canada by strengthening security, economic... Read this article online