On-farm energy production has role to play in national energy strategy Tuesday, April 28, 2009 © AgMedia Inc.by SARAH McGOLDRICKThe need for collaboration between agriculture and government was one of the key points raised at a green energy conference held in London earlier this week.“Some ministries were not aware of how other ministries were treating energy,” says the event’s committee co-chair Mike Bouk of Agriculture Energy Cooperative in Guelph. (The cooperative provides energy products and services to members). “There has to be a national strategy for energy.”Bouk says generating energy from biomass would have a role to play in such a strategy. Biomass includes living and recently dead biological material that can be used for fuel of industrial production such as fibers, chemicals or heat.“We want to make use of Ontario's decision to move from coal fire to biomass,” he says. “It can create more farm income and create a biomass infrastructure.”He points out that biomass technology is used all over the world. In Holland and Austria it’s being used to produce ethanol, biodiesel and electricity.He says $8.7 million in federal funding announced in March could be used to help establish the infrastructure. Distributed over three years, the funding is intended to assist with the development of technologies to increase the industrial value of crops.Don McCabe, vice president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, attended the meeting and says the need for public education to foster a broader understanding of biomass’ potential was another point raised. He says issues such as whether agricultural land should be used to produce food or fuel have hindered the province’s adoption of biomass as an energy source.“We are not using things which are part of the food chain,” for biomass, says McCabe, noting spoiled grain or hay can be used for energy and does not affect the human or animal food supply. Farmers produce higher yields than they did in the 1950s and there is room in agriculture for biomass production, he adds. Held April 26 and 27, the Green Energy – Policies and Priorities Conference examined ways farmers could use biomass to produce energy and fuel in the emerging green energy market and for Ontario to become a leader in biomass energy. Richard Ivey School of Business' Lawrence National Centre for Policy and Management hosted the event. McCabe says proceeds from the conference may be used to form a lobbying document to persuade governments about the merits of biomass energy production. “When we bring this level of expertise together there is some opportunity to get things done and done right.”He says such conferences help remove the barriers which continue to prevent green energy from becoming an economic driver in the agriculture industry. BF Pigeon King's bankruptcy hearing stalled again Ontario sees smaller gain in farmland values than most other provinces
Setting Foundations for Higher Yielding Soybeans Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Farmers can achieve higher soybean yields by focusing on strong foundations and careful field management according to Shaun Casteel, Extension Soybean Specialist from Purdue University, who spoke at the in August. He emphasized that no single method guarantees success—each field... Read this article online
Canada Post Strike Got you Down–Missing your Ag Buyer’s Guide? Tuesday, September 30, 2025 We know it’s not quite the same as holding a crisp new copy of the Farms.com Ag Buyer’s Guide in your hands—but with postal workers on strike (yes, again), the digital edition will have to do for now! The Ag Buyer’s Guide Team is pleased to share the October Digital... Read this article online
Save Time and Costs with the Portable MiniCombine Monday, September 29, 2025 MiniCombine Delivers Fast and Accurate Grain Sampling The MiniCombine is a portable, fully self-contained electric unit designed to simplify grain sampling with speed and precision. Suitable for a wide range of crops including wheat, barley, sorghum, oats, soybeans, peas, field beans,... Read this article online
Poll Reveals Mixed Public Sentiment on BC Ostrich Cull Decision Monday, September 29, 2025 Farms.com poll shows divided opinions among Canadian farmers on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull. A recent poll conducted on Farms.com's X account @OntAg aimed to capture Canadian farmers' views on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull in British... Read this article online
Cereals Canada Expands 2025 Wheat Quality Study to Ontario Monday, September 29, 2025 The 2025 crop year marks a significant milestone for Cereals Canada as it expands its wheat quality analysis to a national scale. Known for over 50 years as a trusted expert in Western Canadian wheat quality, the Winnipeg-based organization is partnering with Grain Farmers of Ontario to... Read this article online