Diana Martin

Diana Martin has spent several decades in the media sector, first as a photojournalist and then evolving into a multi-media journalist. In 2015, she left mainstream media and brought her skills to the agriculture sector. She owns a small farm in Amaranth, Ont. 

Stories by Diana Martin

Photo: Photo: iStock/Getty Images Plus
Livestock Management, News

Ontario ag-gag appeal concludes, court ruling pending

Animal advocates argue law violates free expression; province defends focus on trespass, not speech

Animal rights advocates challenge the constitutionality of Ontario’s Security from Trespass Act, arguing it stifles undercover exposés and infringes on Charter freedoms; government defends the law as targeting trespass, not speech.
Chris Roelands, of Honeyland Ag, foreground, and Jack Legg, SGS Crop Science manager and agronomist, shared best practices and timing for soil and tissue testing and utilizing the results to fortify crop success at Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement’s February Microsmart Deep Dive presentation in Kingston.
Crop Management

Taking the mystery out of soil and tissue tests

Agronomists, soil scientists on what they offer, and what the differences between the tests are

Soil tests assess the potential availability of nutrients under optimal conditions. In contrast, tissue tests indicate actual uptake under variable field conditions.
Measurement and data analysis are critical tools for deciphering the per-pound production costs and for increasing efficiency and profit through incremental changes, said Mark Ferguson, founder and chief executive officer of neXgen Agri of New Zealand. | File photo
Livestock Management

Producers encouraged to raise sheep by the numbers

An expert in sheep production says incremental change and increased measurement can increase production profit

Glacier FarmMedia – The pathway to profit in sheep is paved with little details. “The secret of success is doing the common thing uncommonly well,” said Mark Ferguson, founder and chief executive officer of neXgen Agri of New Zealand. “Our goal has to be kilograms of lamb out the door.” Measurement and data analysis are […] Read more
Wool accounts for one per cent of global fibre production by volume and eight per cent by value but is still losing ground to synthetics. | Woolmark Co. photo
Farm Living

Wool sector emphasizes green focus

The Australian company behind a new ad campaign says the fibre’s environmental footprint isn’t all about carbon


Glacier FarmMedia – The Woolmark Company has a new plan to promote the sustainability of wool. “There’s wool for all seasons,” said Monica Ebert, sustainability manager for the Australian company. “You just have to find the right pieces.” Ebert was the guest speaker during a Campaign for Wool “Spinning Yarn” webinar series last month. She […] Read more
Canadian Te Pari dealer Jake Sloan demonstrates the Racewell HD4’s chute for hoof trimming and health applications in addition to weighing. | Diana Martin photo
Livestock Management

Automated sheep system streamlines workflow

Portable system uses a combination of pre-programmed sorting draft gates, sensor technology and remote control

Glacier FarmMedia – A new version of a livestock handling system is designed to combine efficiency with technology for use in sheep operations. The Racewell HD4 Chute is offered by Te Pari Products, a New Zealand based livestock equipment company. “The whole idea is minimizing stress on the farmer, the sheep, and maximizing your labour […] Read more
Yukon Senator Pat Duncan, under the watchful eye of Heather White, pours water into cover-cropped soil as part of a rain run-off demonstration during a Senate agriculture committee national soil study fact-finding mission at the University of Guelph’s Soil Health Interpretive Centre in Elora earlier this year. | Diana Martin photo
News

Senate soil study highlights need for research

In their Critical Ground report, senators call for the protection of soil and its designation as a national resource

Glacier FarmMedia – Under a blazing sun, Senator Rob Black shared insights from the recently released soil study entitled “Critical Ground.” “Soil is critical and essential to life; we must do all we can to preserve it,” Black stated. The senator spoke metres away from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s soil pit, which […] Read more
SP327’s low, stable winter storage glucose levels, fry tests, colour and shape consistency, regardless of where it’s grown, are keys to its success. While not late blight resistant, it is resilient to it and other viruses and doesn’t rot in storage. | Diana Martin photo
News

New chipping varieties catch potato growers’ attention

Sunrise Potato Systems Institute’s SP327 reaches commercial production in Canada, and company negotiates with China

Glacier FarmMedia – An early chipper variety stirred interest during recent potato field trials in Ontario by offering earlier maturity than standard varieties with similar yields. Five companies, including one in the United States, are evaluating the potential of F160032-06 this season. Vanessa Currie, a research technician with the University of Guelph’s plant agriculture department, […] Read more
Senator Rob Black discusses the important role the recently released Critical Ground report could play for soil health and protection at Canada's Outdoor Farm Show, Sept. 11, 2024. | Diana Martin photo
Crop Management, News

Critical Ground highlights the need for research during Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show

Report advocates for soil to be designated and protected as a national resource

Glacier FarmMedia – Under a blazing sun, Senator Rob Black shared insights from the recently released soil study “Critical Ground.” The senator spoke metres from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s soil pit, displaying the challenges and benefits of soil health during Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show on Sept. 11. Related stories: The Latest News […] Read more

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