FCC targets young farmers with loan program Saturday, April 14, 2012 by BETTER FARMING STAFFOntario and Quebec’s Canadian Young Farmers Forum representative says a new Farm Credit Canada loan program with a $500,000 ceiling is a “great initiative” that recognizes “young farmers are vital to the success of agriculture in the future.”Jessica Burgess, 23, from Bruce County, says she’d like to eventually take over the family dairy operation but with the costs of quota and land prices “I don’t know if it’s going to be viable for myself to do that as an individual.” The young farmer loan would help; although she hasn’t seen what the requirements are yet so doesn’t know if she would qualify.But she’s pleased to see a loan in place with such a high ceiling. “They do realize agriculture is getting more expensive to invest in.” A federal news release issued Thursday, says the $500 million loan program offers people 18 to 39 who qualify, loans of up to $500,000 to buy or improve farmland and buildings. Interest rates are variable at prime plus 0.5 per cent and there are special fixed rates. As well, there are no loan processing fees.Clem Samson, FCC’s vice president of western operations, says the loan program is available now. He says it is designed to encourage younger people to move into agriculture.Young farmers, typically defined as less than 40 years of age, are involved in the formative years of an operation, Samson says. “As people build equity and so on it can be more difficult to get financing moving forward,” he says. “So what we thought we’d do is come about with a product that was less expensive fee-wise and so on and then also a rate that was lower than the normal industry would give out.”The news release says about 16 per cent of Canadian producers fall into the younger farmer category according to the 2006 Census. BF Pigeon King case goes to preliminary inquiry Delhi research station chopped in federal budget cutbacks
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Tuesday, June 24, 2025 The was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium. Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded $60,000 to further his... Read this article online
Rural internet speeds have improved, but compared to urban gap is wide Friday, June 20, 2025 Rural internet speeds have improved, but the gap with urban areas is still wide, says Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) - the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain. Regional differences also continue—New Brunswick shows faster speeds, while as... Read this article online
Ontario Bean Growers are having a day and you are invited Friday, June 20, 2025 The Ontario Bean Growers have announced it will be holding its annual on August 20, 2025. The day begins with research presentations at 1 pm. Details of the research presentations will be published as they become available. At 4 pm, Chris Gillard will lead attendees on a tour... Read this article online
Did you know your summer picnic watermelon might be from Ontario? Thursday, June 19, 2025 Watermelon, a fruit often linked to warmer U.S. states, is grown in southern Ontario during the summer months. In 2023, Ontario farmers produced 35,084 tonnes of watermelon, accounting for 96.7% of the total Canadian watermelon production. Sweet potatoes are another example. In... Read this article online
Ontario crops face mixed spring conditions Tuesday, June 17, 2025 According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Field Crop News, variable spring weather has created mixed crop conditions across the province. Rain, wind, and cool nighttime temperatures have delayed planting, slowed growth, and limited spraying windows for corn, soybeans, and... Read this article online