Startup costs stall biodigester project Tuesday, March 9, 2010 by BRIAN LOCKHARTMachabee Farm Foods’ plans to build a deadstock biodigester in St. Albert Ontario are being mired in hefty start up costs including a $900,000 quote by Ontario Power Generation to connect the facility to the power grid.The company raised $4 million for the project and sought the remaining $2 million in funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The project’s $6 million price tag includes costs of connecting to the grid.“They provide, in our view, an essential service,” says Mary McCuaig CAO of Nation Township of Machabee’s, noting the area is “primarily rural farmland.”The town provided OMAFRA with a brief detailing the need for such a plant after the application for partial funding of the project was turned down.McCuaig says Machabee is still trying to secure financing for the project but will not proceed until it is found.Neither company spokesperson Guy Machabee nor an OMAFRA spokesperson could be immediately reached for comment.The company operates five related businesses in eastern Ontario.If constructed the biodigester would create 20 new jobs in the area. BF High dollar cited as process vegetable returns sink Tribunal dismisses dairy farmer's appeal
March 8 is International Women’s Day Friday, March 13, 2026 Across the United States and Canada, women are taking on increasingly visible roles in agriculture—managing farms, leading ag-tech startups, advancing research, and strengthening the rural economies that feed both nations. Their work reflects a shift in an industry once defined... Read this article online
Middle East conflict pushes fertilizer costs higher, forcing Ontario growers to rethink corn acres Friday, March 13, 2026 Ontario farmers are bracing for a turbulent spring as fertilizer and fuel prices surge in response to the escalating conflict involving Iran, a development that analysts say could reshape planting decisions across North America. The spike in nitrogen costs—the most critical and... Read this article online
Sask Farmer Say he Knows Why Fertilizer Companies Come Out Ahead When Markets are Disrupted Friday, March 13, 2026 As farmers continue to grapple with volatile input costs (Read: Fertilizer Prices Rise as Gulf Supply Tightens, one Saskatchewan farmer has offered a blunt assessment of why he believes fertilizer companies often appear to come out ahead during wars, sanctions, and global supply... Read this article online
PEI introduces one of Canada’s strictest honey bee import protocols for 2026 Friday, March 13, 2026 Prince Edward Island has released its updated 2026 protocol regarding the importation of honey bees, establishing some of the most stringent movement rules in the country. The protocol outlines new inspection, disease control, and transport requirements for any beekeeper or broker moving... Read this article online
Ontario Young Farmer Award Finalists 2026 Friday, March 13, 2026 The Ontario Outstanding Young Farmer (OOYF) Program will announce the province’s top young farmer during the 2026 awards banquet on April 8 at Cellar 52 in St. Jacobs, Ontario. The event will recognize young agricultural leaders whodemonstratestrong farming skills, innovation, and community... Read this article online