New COOL additions toughen labelling protocols Thursday, February 26, 2009 © AgMedia Inc.by SUSAN MANNThe Canadian government will closely monitor how additional voluntary Country of Origin Labelling requirements being implemented by the United States affect farmers here after they come in next month.U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released the voluntary requirements last week as part of the Final Rule for Country of Origin Labelling slated to go into effect March 16.Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says in a written statement the government “will continue to stand up for the Canadian livestock industry and monitor the situation closely to ensure that Canadian producers are treated fairly according to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and the WTO (World Trade Organization).”The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has already called on the government to relaunch its WTO trade challenge. Spokesman John Masswohl says the voluntary requirements remove the flexibility American packers are given in the final rule to mix Canadian cattle fed in the U.S. with Canadian cattle fed in Canada and both slaughtered in the U.S.In his letter to stakeholders in the U.S., Vilsack says all meat needs to be identified with the place where it was born, raised and slaughtered.Masswohl says Vilsack has essentially told the U.S. industry that “even though the rule gives the flexibility, ‘I don’t want anybody to use it.’ Vilsack is saying he wants everything segregated.”In addition, the U.S. government plans to audit packers for compliance of the voluntary requirements and if they’re not following them the government will consider making them laws.Masswohl says they have to wait and see if U.S. packers will use the voluntary rules. It may seem like the new requirements are voluntary but the plan to audit them means they’re really not. BF 'Speed networking' connects farmers to local markets Property reassessment leads to tax hike
Free Tools to Power Up Your Farm’s Digital Life in Canada Wednesday, October 22, 2025 By Farms.com Based on an Article on SmallFarmCanada.ca by Jeff Buell For many Canadian farm families, the internet has become as vital as a tractor or combine. It is how producers manage precision planting, monitor commodity prices, check weather forecasts, pay bills and stay... Read this article online
Precision Harvesting with HeadSight and TrueSight Tuesday, October 21, 2025 Modern harvesting relies heavily on precision and smart technology, and new systems for head height control and steering are making sure you are not leaving bushels in the field. These innovations ensure efficient crop collection, protect equipment, and reduce operator fatigue during... Read this article online
Remembering Ralph Winfield: Beloved Better Farming Columnist Tuesday, October 21, 2025 Ontario's farming community is mourning the loss of longtime agricultural writerRalph Gordon Winfieldof Glanworth, who passed away peacefully at St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital on Oct. 17, 2025, at the age of 85. Ralph’s name has been closely tied to Better Farming since 1999. His... Read this article online
Case IH FieldOps Brings Smart Connectivity to Modern Farming Friday, October 17, 2025 that FieldOps operates on desktops through a web interface and on mobile devices through an app compatible with iPhone, Android, or iPad. This flexibility allows farmers to access critical machine and field information anytime, anywhere. One of the most significant upgrades to... Read this article online
New Holland Marks 50 Years of Twin Rotor Innovation Friday, October 17, 2025 New Holland is celebrating 50 years of leadership in twin rotor harvesting technology, a milestone that began with the introduction of the TR70 combine in 1975. This machine transformed agriculture by bringing the world the concept of twin rotor threshing and... Read this article online