Government ag critics weigh in on new premier juggling agriculture role Tuesday, February 12, 2013 by BETTER FARMING STAFF In an open letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne, Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman argues that the dual role of premier and agriculture minister “will result in agriculture and rural Ontario being shortchanged.” Hardeman, who has been the PC ag critic for “six or seven years,” calls Wynne the “part-time” minister of agriculture. He said Wednesday Wynne had not yet responded to the letter he sent two days earlier, adding, “I just don’t imagine the agricultural issues are going to be that high on the agenda in the premier’s office.” However, NDP ag critic John Vanthof, MPP for Timiskaming-Cochrane, thinks having the premier wear two hats could be a good thing. “The test is in what actually happens,” Vanthof says. “If she just announces it (her appointment as ag minister) and kind of ignores it, then it’s going to be a disaster. If she actually takes the time and puts things in place that she can try and make it work, I think maybe we could get some things done.” He says his past experience – he has been ag critic for 18 months – is that when you try to work with the ministry of agriculture they might say they want to accomplish something but argue they are being blocked in the premier’s office. “Well,” Vanthof says, “if they are the same person, maybe we can remove a couple of roadblocks.” BF Raw milk cheese consumption risks higher according to Canada/US draft assessment Provincial federation applauds new Ontario premier's commitment to agriculture
Canadian tech leads the way for egg gender testing Friday, February 7, 2025 Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash Canadian Egg Technologies and MatrixSpec Solutions Inc. have announced that their technology is delivering accurate in-ovo gender determination for white and brown eggs as early as the fourth day of incubation. Called a transformative breakthrough for... Read this article online
A little US – Canada Competition to Boost Wheat Yields Friday, February 7, 2025 The Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) is a data-driven initiative designed to help wheat farmers understand and enhance their crop yields. Developed in partnership with leading agricultural organizations, the program provides detailed insights into field performance through... Read this article online
Farmers—protect yourself from fraud Thursday, February 6, 2025 Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay It can happen to anybody. It doesn’t matter how safe you are or how smart you are; there’s always a chance you are going to get scammed over something. And the agricultural community is no exception. One of the latest instances involves... Read this article online
Nortera celebrates $25M expansion Wednesday, February 5, 2025 Nortera, a North American leader in frozen and canned vegetable processing, has celebrated the $25 million expansion of its Wright Street frozen warehouse in Strathroy, Ontario. This investment directly supports the local economy by sustaining over 270 jobs and strengthening... Read this article online
Profitable Pastures 2025 webinar series Wednesday, February 5, 2025 The Ontario Forage Council (OFC) has announced that its is back, providing best management practices for pasture and grazing managers. There will be three webinars airing daily from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm EST over March 4-6, 2025. Registration is required, but there is no cost to... Read this article online