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
FCC Predicts Canadian Farmers will Wait to Buy New Farm Equipment Thursday, May 1, 2025 This year may not be the year to buy a brand-new John Deere X Series combine. No matter how great it would be to raise harvest capacity by 45 percent, Canadian farmers may put off their purchase until later. Rising farm equipment prices due to trade disruptions will alter farmers'... Read this article online
Holland Marsh Celebrates 100 Years of Agricultural Excellence Thursday, May 1, 2025 Celebrating a century of farming, community, and natural heritage in Ontario’s “Salad Bowl” 2025 marks a significant milestone for the town of Bradford West Gwillimbury as it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Holland Marsh—a region renowned for its rich soil, vibrant farming... Read this article online
How will Carney work with Farmers? Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Prime Minister Carney has a mandate to lead the country, but the country is quite divided, and much of the agriculture industry feels alienated. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre have both pledged cooperation on key issues like U.S. tariffs. As the new... Read this article online
Sheep farmers win Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Sheep farmers and wool producers from Wallenstein, Ont. are Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2025. “It’s great to be recognized by your peers in the industry with an award like that,” Ryan Schill told Farms.com. “When we started the sheep farm, there were people questioning us... Read this article online
2025 Election Results Prompt Concern and Reflection Among Prairie Farmers Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Users on Agriville.com weigh-in on the 2025 federal election outcome As news broke on April 28 that Mark Carney’s Liberals had won the 2025 federal election, many western Canadian farmers on Agriville.com shared their reactions. The mood was largely one of disappointment, with... Read this article online