Sheep case heads into preliminary inquiry phase Wednesday, September 24, 2014 by JOE CALLAHANAt a judicial pre-trial meeting last Thursday in Peterborough, dates were established for a preliminary inquiry into the Linda (Montana) Jones sheep trial case.According to Alura Moores in Crown Attorney Damien Frost’s office, Justice Lorne Chester will preside over the inquiry scheduled to run from Feb. 17 to March 2 at provincial courts in Cobourg, Lindsay and Peterborough.Jones, from Hastings in Northumberland County and Michael Schmidt from Durham County, along with Robert Pinnell of Grey County and Suzanne Atkinson in Northumberland County face charges of conspiracy to commit obstruction of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) officer, to transport or cause to transport an animal under quarantine, and conspiracy to defraud the public of a service over $5,000 under the Criminal Code.Jones is also charged with obstructing a CFIA inspector under the Health of Animals Act and Pinnell faces a further charge of attempting to obstruct justice and another for obstructing a police officer, both under the Criminal Code.The charges are connected with the disappearance in 2012 of sheep from Jones’ Northumberland County farm.Prior to the livestock’s disappearance, Jones, a Shropshire sheep breeder, was embroiled in a dispute with the CFIA over its decision to quarantine her farm and destroy her flock following a positive test for scrapie, a federally reportable disease that is fatal to sheep and goats.The missing sheep were recovered later on a farm in western Ontario.The Law Society of Upper Canada says on its website that the purpose of preliminary inquiries is “to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to require a person charged with an indictable offence, to stand trial on that or any other indictable offence arising out of the same transaction.” Scheduling the preliminary inquiry follows a June ruling by Judge Chester dismissing Crown Attorney Damien Frost’s application to have Jones’ and Schmidt’s lawyer, Shawn Buckley, removed as counsel for the co-accused because of his alleged conflict of interest.The charges against Jones, Schmidt, Atkinson and Pinnell were first laid in December 2012. BF Marketing board proposes name change, adjustments to advisory committees Good-bye to a major supporter of Ontario agriculture
Farmers—protect yourself from fraud Thursday, February 6, 2025 Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay It can happen to anybody. It doesn’t matter how safe you are or how smart you are; there’s always a chance you are going to get scammed over something. And the agricultural community is no exception. One of the latest instances involves... Read this article online
Canadian tech leads the way for egg gender testing Wednesday, February 5, 2025 Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash Canadian Egg Technologies and MatrixSpec Solutions Inc. have announced that their technology is delivering accurate in-ovo gender determination for white and brown eggs as early as the fourth day of incubation. Called a transformative breakthrough for... Read this article online
Nortera celebrates $25M expansion Wednesday, February 5, 2025 Nortera, a North American leader in frozen and canned vegetable processing, has celebrated the $25 million expansion of its Wright Street frozen warehouse in Strathroy, Ontario. This investment directly supports the local economy by sustaining over 270 jobs and strengthening... Read this article online
Profitable Pastures 2025 webinar series Wednesday, February 5, 2025 The Ontario Forage Council (OFC) has announced that its is back, providing best management practices for pasture and grazing managers. There will be three webinars airing daily from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm EST over March 4-6, 2025. Registration is required, but there is no cost to... Read this article online
OFA says farmers appreciate risk management program funding Increase Monday, February 3, 2025 Ontario farmers are expressing their support for the January 28, 2025, announcement that the provincial government is expanding risk management funding for farmers. Over the next three years, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness is phasing in a $100 million... Read this article online