Guelph scientists figuring out how to grow crops in space Saturday, January 9, 2016 Scientists in Guelph are setting the groundwork for extraterrestrial farming, the Hamilton News reports.Sponsored by both the Canadian and European Space Agencies, scientists at the University of Guelph's Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) are discovering how people might grow crops in space. Using 14 hypobaric chambers CESRF scientists are able to test how plants react to many factors – such as changes in atmospheric pressure, light and availability of carbon dioxide – that would be considerations in space. According to the CBC, CESRF's research can also be adapted for use on Earth, notably for farming in harsher climates like Kuwait or the Canadian North.Professor and CESRF director Mike Dixon thinks that farming on Mars is not that far off. According to the Hamilton News, in his talks to schools, "I tell them that the Canadian horticultural mission specialist on the first trip to Mars is in Grade 3 today." BF Chipotle's problems continue Behind the Lines - January 2016
A new front in the repair access debate Friday, March 6, 2026 Iowa lawmakers have pushed the right‑to‑repair conversation into new territory with House File 2529, a bill that focuses specifically on diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) systems—the single most common cause of emissions-related downtime on modern farm machinery. The bill would require... Read this article online
March 8 is International Women’s Day Friday, March 6, 2026 Across the United States and Canada, women are taking on increasingly visible roles in agriculture—managing farms, leading ag-tech startups, advancing research, and strengthening the rural economies that feed both nations. Their work reflects a shift in an industry once defined... Read this article online
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to Visit Toronto and Southwestern Ontario Tuesday, March 3, 2026 The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry will be in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario later this week as part of its ongoing study on the role of Canada’s agriculture and agri‑food sector in strengthening national food security. The fact‑finding mission is scheduled for... Read this article online
AgriStability Program Updated to Include Pasture-Related Feed Costs Beginning in 2026 Monday, March 2, 2026 In case you missed it last week, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced that pasture-related feed costs will be added as an allowable expense under AgriStability starting with the 2026 program year. The update addresses rising operational... Read this article online
Bringing more Food and Ingredient Processing Back to Canadian Soil Monday, March 2, 2026 Protein Industries Canada has announced the second cohort of nine companies participating in its Program, an initiative designed to bring more food and ingredient processing back to Canadian soil and expand the nation’s value‑added agriculture sector. The selected companies span the... Read this article online