GMO and refuge seed in a bag gets federal nod Monday, June 13, 2011 by SUSAN MANNMonsanto will begin selling its stacked trait corn seed with the required refuge in the same bag starting this fall for planting in 2012.Michael Nailor, Monsanto’s trait marketing lead, says the company received approval Thursday from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for its Genuity SmartStax RIB Complete corn seed. Farmers planting Bt corn are required to plant a non-Bt refuge area to prevent insects from developing resistance to the Bt proteins. Nailor says farmers using Genuity SmartStax RIB Complete won’t have to buy separate corn seed and plant a separate, structured refuge. The bag contains 95 per cent Genuity SmartStax seeds and five per cent non-traited seed. Farmers would just plant the corn and not have to worry about a refuge because it’s already included.The refuge will be randomly located in the field “which makes it great because now a farmer doesn’t have to stop and plant a separate refuge and do a lot of stopping and starting,” Nailor says, noting the product will be available in Ontario and Quebec.The Genuity SmartStax corn seed, developed in collaboration with Dow AgroSciences and introduced in time for the 2010 planting season, offers protection against a number of above ground pests including corn borer, fall armyworm and western bean cutworm. Below ground it has protection for corn rootworm.Nailor says farmers want to be compliant with government-mandated refuge rules and have been asking for this product for years. BF Decision reserved in egg whistleblower's contempt case Premier's Award winners announced
Harvest Weather Alert: Midwest Rain Risks Rise as Super El Nino Strengthens Monday, September 21, 2026 As summer gives way to autumn, farmers across the U.S. Midwest and parts of Canada are watching a weather pattern that appears poised to become increasingly active during the heart of harvest season. According to Nutrien Ag Solutions meteorologist Eric Snodgrass, recent atmospheric... Read this article online
U of G Launches Powering Food Futures Initiative, Invites Farmers to Shape Canada’s Agri-Food Future Monday, September 21, 2026 A new national initiative is inviting farmers, industry leaders, researchers and policymakers to help shape the future of Canada’s agri-food sector at a time when food security, climate resilience and global competitiveness are taking on heightened importance. Powering Food Futures, a... Read this article online
Green Care Farms celebrates five years of dementia care Monday, September 21, 2026 What a wonderful event! As communities recognize World Alzheimer's Day 2026, Green Care Farms marked a major milestone: five seasons operating Canada's first care farm designed specifically for people living with dementia. The celebration took place on September 19, 2026, at Andrews... Read this article online
Organic Farming in Canada Enters the Mainstream as Market Nears $12 Billion Thursday, September 17, 2026 September is recognized as Organic Month across Canada, offering an opportunity to feature a sector that has transformed from a niche market into a significant component of Canadian agriculture. For many years, organic farming was often viewed as a specialized production system... Read this article online
FCC Launches $1 Billion Agri-food Project Finance Fund for Canadian Food Processing Growth Thursday, September 17, 2026 Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has opened a 60-day Expression of Interest (EOI) process for a new $1 billion Agri-food Project Finance initiative, marking one of the largest targeted investments in Canadian food processing infrastructure in recent years. The financing program is intended to... Read this article online