Judge says Chinese ownership irrelevant Sunday, October 4, 2015 References to the Chinese government, the Communist Party and China's People's Liberation Army are "highly prejudicial" and must be edited out of statements of claim against large pig farms, a North Carolina judge has ruled.According to Associated Press, U.S. District Judge W. Earl Britt agreed with pork industry leaders that Chinese ownership of Murphy-Brown LLC has nothing to do with recently filed nuisance complaints against the farms, operating since the 1990s. Smithfield Foods bought Murphy-Brown in 2000, and was subsequently taken over by WH Group, based in China, in 2013.The judge did not excise allegations regarding exports to China, and Chinese demand for and purchase of pork, because those allegations address a potential source of the alleged nuisance and "provide potentially useful contextual information." The lawsuit contends that Chinese demand for more pork will only increase demand for more North Carolina pork. BF An action plan for Lyme disease Whole Foods introduces 'value-oriented' stores
Ontario Farm Leaders Drew and Heather Spoelstra Named 2026 Outstanding Young Farmers Friday, April 10, 2026 Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF) Program has announced Drew and Heather Spoelstra of Binbrook, Ontario, as the Ontario regional winners for 2026. The announcement was made following the Ontario regional competition held April 7 through 9 in St. Jacobs, Ontario. As provincial... Read this article online
Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre designs revealed Thursday, April 9, 2026 Attendees of the Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre’s (OAFDC) AGM last month received a first look at building design concepts. The planned 34,000-square-foot science centre in Listowel, Ont., designed by Moriyama Teshima Architects, the same firm responsible for the looks of buildings... Read this article online
Proposed USDA budget cuts could shift the North American ag landscape Thursday, April 9, 2026 Image by Konyvesotto from Pixabay The US administration’s latest budget proposal includes a significant reduction to the US Department of Agriculture’s discretionary spending, a move that could have ripple effects across North American agriculture. According to Farms.com reporting... Read this article online
Corn and Soy Products Cleared for Global Market Access Thursday, April 9, 2026 The Market Access Committee for corn and soybeans has completed its 2026 review of new crop protection products, confirming no export concerns for four corn products and six soybean products. Approved corn products includeCovintroCorn,TelaroneDC,ZiduaSC Herbicide, and Storen Herbicide.... Read this article online
What Distributed Energy Resources Mean for Canadian Producers Tuesday, April 7, 2026 As energy costs rise, many Canadian farms are looking for ways to take greater control of their electricity use. One term that farmers are hearing more often is distributed energy resources, often shortened to DERs. While the phrase may sound technical, the concept is highly practical, and... Read this article online