Provincial agricultural growth committee to release report this year Thursday, February 5, 2015 by SUSAN MANNA new committee established to give Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal advice and recommendations on how the agricultural industry can double its annual growth rate and create 120,000 new jobs by 2020 is slated to release a report later this year.Leal says in an email from his press adviser the committee will deliver a report on its progress and recommendations at the 2015 Premier’s Summit on Agri-Food. The committee has already met for the first time last week and will meet again this spring.“I look forward to receiving advice from this committee as we work to support and grow the agri-food sector,” he says.The agriculture ministry named deputy minister Deb Stark and Ontario Pork chair Amy Cronin as co-chairs of the Agri-Food Growth Steering Committee.The challenge to double the agricultural industry’s growth rate and create 120,000 new jobs by 2020 was issued by Premier Kathleen Wynne in 2013.In its Feb. 3 press release, the agriculture ministry says the committee will provide advice on growth opportunities and on the development of a growth measurement system.Other members of the committee are:Ted Bilyea, president of a consulting firm and chair of the board of directors for the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.Jim Brandle, CEO of Vineland Research and Innovation.Christian von Twickel, executive vice president of Dr. Oetker Canada Inc.Norm Beal, president and CEO of Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery and executive director of Food and Beverage Ontario.Scott Graham, chair of Egg Farmers of Ontario and an egg and cash crop farmer.Jamison Steeve, executive director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity. BF Chicken just in time for the Pan Am Games Ailsa Craig lab plans to add in-house testing
Ont. farmer Tony McQuail reflects on NDP leadership race Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Huron County farmer Tony McQuail is back at Meeting Place Organic Farm in Lucknow after vying to replace Jagmeet Singh as the leader of the federal NDP. “It was a very hopeful and positive experience for me,” he told Farms.com. “I was very pleased with what we were able to bring to the... Read this article online
Broadband Access is a Defining Issue for Rural Canada’s Future Monday, March 30, 2026 Broadband connectivity took centre stage during the on March 26, as speakers emphasized that reliable, high-speed internet is now foundational to rural economic growth, community well-being, and Canada’s broader ambitions in technology and resource development. The Coalition’s latest... Read this article online
Rural Canada Is an Economic Powerhouse that Policymakers Need to Build Upon Monday, March 30, 2026 Rural Canada is a far bigger driver of the national economy than many policymakers realize, and leaders say the time has come to place a rural lens at the centre of public policy decision-making. That message was front and centre during the Coalition for a Better Future’s Scorecard... Read this article online
Spring Swine Events Across Canada that are Not to be Missed Monday, March 30, 2026 It’s a sure sign of Spring, several swine events will be taking place over the next few months. Between April and June 2026, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario will all host significant swine-focused events, ranging from producer AGMs and pork quality competitions to large-scale... Read this article online
Boosting Wheat Production with Better Nitrogen Use Monday, March 30, 2026 A University of Guelph research team is pioneering new ways to grow wheat more sustainably by improving nitrogen efficiency and supporting soil health. Dr. Kari Dunfield, professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the Ontario Agricultural College, received $3.92 million from the... Read this article online