Turtles save the day for wind farm opponents Monday, October 7, 2013 Wind farms are not harmful to humans, Ontario's Environmental Review Tribunal has ruled. But they may be harmful to Blanding's turtles, and that has stopped a Prince Edward County wind farm development, at least for now. The tribunal revoked an approval issued by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) under the Green Energy Act giving the nod to a nine-turbine project on 324 hectares of crown land at Ostrander Point, bordering on Lake Ontario. The Prince Edward County Field Naturalists sought an appeal on grounds that the wind turbine project would cause serious and irreversible ecological harm to the area and the species within it. Alliance to Protect Prince Edward County also sought an appeal on grounds that the wind turbine project would cause serious harm to human health. That appeal lost. The Blanding's turtle is listed as threatened under Ontario's Endangered Species Act. Females live to be as old as 75, but don't produce eggs until they are 20. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Natural Resources, which guards the species at risk, had also given permission for the project to go ahead. Developer Gilead Power Corporation and the MOE have both appealed the decision, so expect to hear more about Blanding's turtles and wind turbines in the future. BF Case IH needs a 'breather' from high farm equipment demand Fatty beef trim prices come back
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
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Tuesday, June 24, 2025 The 2025 Early Career Research Award was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium. Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded... Read this article online