Huron-Bruce MPP promoted to ag minister Sunday, January 17, 2010 © AgMedia Inc.by BETTER FARMING STAFFHuron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell was named minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs when Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty shuffled his cabinet today.Bette Jean Crews, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, views Mitchell’s appointment positively and expects a smooth changeover from former Ag Minister Leona Dombrowsky, who becomes the province’s minister of education. Crews says the Federation is familiar with Mitchell from her time serving as parliamentary assistant to Steve Peters when he was agriculture minister. Mitchell, from agriculturally rich Huron County, is well known to farmers there, Crews says.Wayne Black, president of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture, says it’s fitting that an MPP from an agriculturally rich area is the minister. “She is no rookie to politics either,” Black says. “She should know how to handle herself.”Since first elected in 2003, Mitchell has spent time as parliamentary assistant to the minister of health and long term care, and most recently has been parliamentary assistant to the minister of municipal affairs and housing, with a concentration on municipal affairs. Mitchell was elected as new chair of the Ontario Liberal Caucus in December, 2007.According to a release from the Premier’s office, Minister Mitchell “will continue the government's efforts to help our farmers build a thriving rural Ontario through our high-tech agriculture and food sectors.” BF Farmer challenges farm plate restrictions Avian flu insurance delayed
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