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?
Grain Rescue Training: Saving Lives Beyond the Prairies Thursday, August 14, 2025 When thinking about grain bins and grain entrapment incidents, most people likely conjure up images of Prairie farms. And while that’s understandable, grain hazards exist across the country anywhere that grain is stored—including far away from the Prairies on Prince Edward... Read this article online
UK celeb’s farm faces TB outbreak Thursday, August 14, 2025 Jeremy Clarkson, the famously outspoken British television presenter, journalist, and motoring enthusiast, has found himself in the middle of a farming crisis. Best known for hosting and , Clarkson has more recently become a farmer and rural advocate through his unscripted Amazon Prime... Read this article online
Ontario Yield Tour Highlights Mixed Crop Conditions Thursday, August 14, 2025 From above-average yields to drought stress and pollination issues, this year’s tour captures a season of contrasts across the province. The 2025 Great Ontario Yield Tour is highlighting the varied conditions Ontario farmers are facing this season. Early stops show both strong yields and... Read this article online
Better Soil Health Improves Rain Absorption Wednesday, August 13, 2025 The OMAFA Fieldcropnews.com team recently held demonstrations regarding how soil management can greatly affect the amount of rainfall absorbed into the soil for crop use. This is especially important for corn, soybean, and wheat growers facing dry spells or intense summer storms. In early... Read this article online
Sunflower farming in Ontario Wednesday, August 13, 2025 While Manitoba dominates sunflower production in Canada—accounting for about 90 percent of the national output (https://oggardenonline.com/where-in-canada-are-sunflowers-grown.html)—Ontario is home to a growing number of sunflower farms. These farms are often smaller in scale and... Read this article online