Biomass study fosters crop development in Ontario Wednesday, June 30, 2010 by KRISTIAN PARTINGTONAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada will invest $2.4 million into researching the economic viability of growing biomass crops for energy production.“The world is changing and it’s important that we change with it,” said Barry Devolin, MP representing Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. He announced the funding Tuesday at an evening reception hosted by Ontario’s Agricultural Adaptation Council. “The research will help Ontario agriculture lead the way to an entirely new family of crops, a new stable market and a new industry for purpose grown crops.”The Ontario Federation of Agriculture will lead the project, to run until October 2013, in partnership with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. Research will focus on assessing the growth, storage and aggregation of crops such as switchgrass, big bluestem, miscanthus and prairie mix for use in energy generation. “Our hope is to study the agronomic aspects of these purpose-grown field crops,” said David Armitage, a manger of policy research with the federation. The study will also explore engineering practices for transforming crops into energy and examine practices in other jurisdictions around the world through extensive literature readings. Armitage said the federation and Ontario Soil and Crop began seeking farms to take part in the study this month. “We’ve had three information meetings earlier this month and we requested or encouraged farmers to submit expressions of interest and we’ve had a number of those.” The goal is to have 900 acres of perennial crops through the course of the study. At this point, about 450 acres have been identified. The federation will announce another opportunity for expressions of interest in August or September. BF OPA reduces incentive for ground-mounted solar power Apple and grape acres take a tumble
Free Tools to Power Up Your Farm’s Digital Life in Canada Wednesday, October 22, 2025 For many Canadian farm families, the internet has become as vital as a tractor or combine. It is how producers manage precision planting, monitor commodity prices, check weather forecasts, pay bills and stay connected with suppliers and customers. However, fast and reliable broadband remains out... Read this article online
Precision Harvesting with HeadSight and TrueSight Tuesday, October 21, 2025 Modern harvesting relies heavily on precision and smart technology, and new systems for head height control and steering are making sure you are not leaving bushels in the field. These innovations ensure efficient crop collection, protect equipment, and reduce operator fatigue during... Read this article online
Remembering Ralph Winfield: Beloved Better Farming Columnist Tuesday, October 21, 2025 Ontario's farming community is mourning the loss of longtime agricultural writerRalph Gordon Winfieldof Glanworth, who passed away peacefully at St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital on Oct. 17, 2025, at the age of 85. Ralph’s name has been closely tied to Better Farming since 1999. His... Read this article online
Case IH FieldOps Brings Smart Connectivity to Modern Farming Friday, October 17, 2025 Lance Meyer, region precision manager at Case IH, told Farms.com that FieldOps operates on desktops through a web interface and on mobile devices through an app compatible with iPhone, Android, or iPad. This flexibility allows farmers to access critical machine and field information anytime,... Read this article online
New Holland Marks 50 Years of Twin Rotor Innovation Friday, October 17, 2025 New Holland is celebrating 50 years of leadership in twin rotor harvesting technology, a milestone that began with the introduction of the TR70 combine in 1975. This machine transformed agriculture by bringing the world the concept of twin rotor threshing and... Read this article online