Ranching and farming dying out in high plains, USA Monday, April 6, 2015 A heavily researched demographic study, published in the journal Rangeland, predicts there will be no ranchers and farmers under the age of 35 in the state of Wyoming by 2033.Published by the Society For Range Management, the article could not be more pessimistic about the future of agriculture in the High Plains of the Western United States.A county by county examination of demographic trends from nearly 100 years of census information shows there's often no one for aging operators to pass the farm to. Currently, more than half of farm operators are older than 55; fewer and fewer people 34 years of age and younger are attracted to the business.The study can be read online at: www.srmjournals.org/doi/full/10.2111/Rangelands-D-14-00035.1"The relative proportions of younger operators are dwindling rapidly . . . We face a fundamental challenge in inspiring young agriculturalists to take up residence in the state to help replace those of retirement age."The "prohibitive" cost of generational land transfer is cited as one reason to sell out rather than pass on. In the United States, "in the United States, farmers with a new inheritance often owe more in taxes than they have in liquid assets." Corporatization would still allow for farming, but the writers note that 24 million acres of farmland in the United States has been "urbanized" between 1982 to 2010: an astounding 1.64 acres per minute. Sounds a bit like Ontario? BF Ag Canada teams up with NASA Swede midges 'last straw' for northern canola growers
Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth Monday, June 30, 2025 Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online
Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility Friday, June 27, 2025 Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online
Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost Friday, June 27, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online
Health Canada sets rules for drone spraying Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Health Canada has approved the use of drones, also called Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), for pesticide application under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Drones are considered aircraft by Transport Canada, but Health Canada treats them differently due to their unique... Read this article online
Twelve Ontario Agri-Businesses Receive Funding Support Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Bioenterprise Canada has announced the successful recipients of the second call for proposals under the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) Commercialization Stream. Twelve organizations across Ontario will receive support to bring innovative agri-food solutions to the... Read this article online