Red Fife returns to its Otonabee roots Tuesday, August 4, 2009 Red Fife wheat, the cultivar of choice on the newly-plowed Canadian Prairies in the middle to late 1800s, was developed in the "Otonabee" area of Ontario, near Peterborough. Now Red Fife is back there – or at least nearby, in Hastings County. Organic grower and miller Patricia Hastings started with one 25-kilogram bag of Red Fife five years ago and multiplied it for four seasons before beginning milling a year ago, harvesting eight tonnes and grinding it with her own stone mill.Hastings says her flour is in demand. "I had no idea there were so many artisan bakeries in Ottawa and Toronto," she says."I expected it to be a very small market." Yield isn't Hastings' biggest concern. "I decided not to worry about feeding the world," she says. Instead, she focuses on a specialty product with excellent flavour and milling qualities. She thinks Red Fife produces better without crop inputs than most "modern" varieties; the crop stands up in heavy wind and rain. In 2009, she planted 100 acres on her certified organic fields, along with spelt, buckwheat, flax, hemp and other heritage grains. The farm is located between Stirling and Marmora. For her efforts, Hastings' vertically integrated company, CIPM Inc. in Madoc, was a regional winner in the Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. A pig for adoption Hens that live and let live
Livestock Research Innovation Corporation welcomes new board members Friday, May 23, 2025 Two new board directors have joined the leadership of Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC). Mohamad Yaghi with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and Sonya Fiorini from Burnbrae Farms both fill appointed director positions on the LRIC board. Yaghi replaces Franco Naccarato from Meat and... Read this article online
Northern Ontario Farms Get Ag Plastic Recycling Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Northern Ontario agriculture communities have compacted 27 metric tons of agricultural plastics. The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA), in partnership with the northern caucus of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), is proud to announce major progress in its... Read this article online
Ontario's Foodbelt: A Bold Move to Protect Farmland and Food Security Tuesday, May 13, 2025 The Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the National Farmers Union, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, and Ontario Farmland Trust are collaborating with Ontario Greens Leader Mike Schreiner and Haldimand-Norfolk independent MPP Bobbi Ann Brady to introduce legislation aimed at... Read this article online
Protecting Plant Health Supports All Life Monday, May 12, 2025 Healthy plants are vital to the survival and well-being of people, animals, and nature. They clean the air, support biodiversity, and are the foundation of food and economic systems. On May 12, Canadians celebrate International Day of Plant Health. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)... Read this article online
V6 Agronomy Joins Port of Johnstown Deal Monday, May 12, 2025 V6 Agronomy has partnered with the Port of Johnstown (100 kilometres south of Ottawa) to build a national fertilizer hub. This long-term collaboration should support Canada’s food security, reduce input costs for farmers, and modernize the fertilizer supply chain using clean... Read this article online