Local food bill returns to Queen's Park for third reading Tuesday, October 29, 2013 by SUSAN MANN A provincial government local food bill is coming up for third reading next week and possibly a vote by mid November, says Mark Cripps, communications director for the Ontario agriculture ministry. Premier and Agriculture Minister Kathleen Wynne “is committed to working with all the parties to ensure that the bill is passed,” Cripps says. Currently the bill is in second reading. On Monday, the Progressive Conservatives issued a press release outlining their proposed amendments to the bill, including making food education for all grades mandatory to increase students’ knowledge of nutrition and where food comes from as well as to improve their cooking skills. Other Conservative amendments call on the government to create a 25 per cent non-refundable tax credit for farmers donating their products to an Ontario food bank, requiring the agriculture minister to set targets for local food and moving Local Food Week to the first week in June from the proposal to have it happen the same week as Ontario Agriculture Week, which is the week just before Thanksgiving in October. Having Local Food Week during first week in June will kick off the summer local food season and create another opportunity to highlight local food, the press release says. Cripps says “there has been some great suggestions from the other parties that will only strengthen the bill.” BF Areas for bean research prioritized New foreign worker program targets high skilled workers for Canadian farmers
Two-pass Weed Control Critical in Managing Herbicide-Resistant Waterhemp in Ontario Monday, September 8, 2025 Dr. Peter Sikkema of the University of Guelph recently shared insights into the growing challenge of multiple herbicide-resistant water hemp at the 2025 Great Ontario Yield Tour final event in Woodstock Ontario. Dr. Sikkema research highlights both the biology of the weed and practical... Read this article online
First Northern Cohort Joins Ontario Vet Program Thursday, September 4, 2025 This September, the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) at the University of Guelph welcomed its inaugural Northern Cohort of 20 students through the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program (CDVMP). This initiative, created in partnership with Lakehead University, marks a milestone... Read this article online
Manitoba Farmers Defend Their Whisky Roots Amid Ontario Backlash Thursday, September 4, 2025 As most reader will know by now, on August 28, beverage alcohol giant Diageo announced it will be closing its Amherstburg, Ontario bottling plant. Located just 25 kilometres from the nearest U.S. border crossing, the company says the decision is part of a strategy to streamline its supply... Read this article online
Canadian Farmers Face Weaker Soybean Yields Ahead Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Statistics Canada forecasts that Canadian soybean production will decline in 2025, reflecting weaker yields across major producing provinces. Nationally, output is projected to fall by 7.3% year over year to 7.0 million tonnes. The decline is linked to a drop in yields, which are expected... Read this article online
Canadian Corn Outlook Shows Mixed Regional Trends Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Statistics Canada projects Canadian corn-for-grain production to grow slightly in 2025, despite drier-than-normal weather and high temperatures that have pressured yields. National production is forecast to rise 1.4% year over year to 15.6 million tonnes. This gain comes from higher... Read this article online