Flatulent cow story is overblown Friday, April 4, 2014 In late January, news outlets were abuzz with the story of how 90 flatulent cows at a German dairy farm released enough methane gas to blow up their own barn. In fact, manure may have been the culprit. Reuters reported that the explosion was severe enough to damage the roof of the cow shed and injure one of the cows, that had to be treated for burns. Local police said high levels of methane had built up within the shed, then "a static electric charge caused the gas to explode with flashes of flame." Naturally, burping and farting cows were blamed. After all, cows can produce 250 to 500 litres of methane per day, according to the Journal of Animal Science. But Modern Farmer magazine says a follow-up report from German newspaper Hünfelder Zeitung points the finger at manure slurry, which can produce high levels of concentrated methane. BF In the works: an ambitious plan to bring High-Speed Internat to rural western Ontario Mounties investigate horse tail hackers
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
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Tuesday, June 24, 2025 The 2025 Early Career Research Award 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... Read this article online