Farmers behaving badly Monday, February 3, 2014 Some bizarre stories of farmer misbehaviour have been making the headlines lately. The Irish Examiner reports that pig farmer Donal Connaughton was sentenced to a year in jail after he ordered two repossession men to strip naked and get into a pen with an "agitated" boar. A cellphone recording taken by one of the men during the ordeal features the sound of the boar in the background while the men plead for their release. Connaughton made the men kneel and say an "Our Father" before finally letting them leave, without their truck. In Lancashire, a cattle farmer has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for violating U.K. gun laws. The Daily Mail reports that Paul Alton possessed a "bizarre" homemade gun "crudely constructed from lumps of wood, belts and tags" attached to an air-rifle barrel. The weird weapon could fire 74 rounds of "expanding ammunition" that would mushroom upon hitting flesh. Police were told about the gun by Alton's wife when they came to investigate a domestic dispute. Shame these farmers couldn't just blow off steam like Australian farmer Oscar Bell. He told ABC that, after a November frost ruined his canola crop, he fed it to his sheep. While making paths with the slasher, he wrote a giant "Sh*t Happens" into his field. He then asked his father to check the paddock from the air, and when Geoff Bell flew his ultralight over the artwork he captured his son's "deep-felt sentiments" on camera. BF Ontario livestock groups reach agreement with OSPCA Butterball, have you tried beer?
Ont. farmer Tony McQuail reflects on NDP leadership race Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Huron County farmer Tony McQuail is back at Meeting Place Organic Farm in Lucknow after vying to replace Jagmeet Singh as the leader of the federal NDP. “It was a very hopeful and positive experience for me,” he told Farms.com. “I was very pleased with what we were able to bring to the... Read this article online
Broadband Access is a Defining Issue for Rural Canada’s Future Monday, March 30, 2026 Broadband connectivity took centre stage during the on March 26, as speakers emphasized that reliable, high-speed internet is now foundational to rural economic growth, community well-being, and Canada’s broader ambitions in technology and resource development. The Coalition’s latest... Read this article online
Rural Canada Is an Economic Powerhouse that Policymakers Need to Build Upon Monday, March 30, 2026 Rural Canada is a far bigger driver of the national economy than many policymakers realize, and leaders say the time has come to place a rural lens at the centre of public policy decision-making. That message was front and centre during the Coalition for a Better Future’s Scorecard... Read this article online
Spring Swine Events Across Canada that are Not to be Missed Monday, March 30, 2026 It’s a sure sign of Spring, several swine events will be taking place over the next few months. Between April and June 2026, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario will all host significant swine-focused events, ranging from producer AGMs and pork quality competitions to large-scale... Read this article online
Boosting Wheat Production with Better Nitrogen Use Monday, March 30, 2026 A University of Guelph research team is pioneering new ways to grow wheat more sustainably by improving nitrogen efficiency and supporting soil health. Dr. Kari Dunfield, professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the Ontario Agricultural College, received $3.92 million from the... Read this article online