Tests show soil microbes help prevent uptake of antibiotics in food crops
LONDON, Ont. —Spreading municipal bio-solids on farmland comes with risks, but bio-solids also alleviate the risk by stimulating soil life, according to an Agriculture Canada scientist. Ed Topp, a researcher at the Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre in London, said most micro-pollutants such as path-ogenic bacteria and antibiotics are broken down by soil […] Read moreStories by Jeffrey Carter
Dairy finds cash in new places
Cheese maker | Monforte Dairy’s unconventional business model wins prize for innovation
STRATFORD, Ont. — The altruistic aspects of her artisanal cheese business are Ruth Klahsen’s prime motivation, but the dollars and cents still matter. “We need a different business model where you make a living, not get rich,” the owner of Monforte Dairy said. “My line has always been, poverty sucks but money doesn’t make you […] Read moreContainer rules irk honey producers
Consumer information | Ontario regulations may prevent sales of honey in Mason jars
DRESDEN, Ont. — Two Ontario honey producers say regulations governing container sizes in Canada are getting in the way of common sense. Astrid Manske and her husband, David Moffat, of OtonoBee Apiary near Peterborough have been selling honey in half-litre and one-litre Mason jars. The honey in the jars weighs 650 grams and 1.33 kilograms, […] Read moreOnt. farmers push for improved risk management funding
Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition Farm group wants Risk Management Program cap increased to $175 million by 2018
DRESDEN, Ontario — Without a commitment from the federal government, Ontario farmers are looking for a larger provincial contribution to the province’s Risk Management Program. With the province in the midst of an election, Henry Van Ankum, chair of the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition, said it’s an ideal time to make the push to increase […] Read more
Ontario farmers test subsurface drip irrigation
Buried beneath the soil | Systems are already used in arid regions of the United States
DRESDEN, Ont. — Subsurface drip irrigation is catching on in Ontario. Al Kominek, a farmer and sales representative with Heartnut Grove Inc., said several systems have been installed on former tobacco farms in the province’s drought-prone Norfolk Sand Plain. “I’m the only one putting one in west of London, that I know of,” Kominek said, […] Read moreOntario beekeepers drop call for ban on neonics
Group modifies position | Organization maintains position that too many acres receive seeds treated with neonicotinoids
DRESDEN, Ont. — The Ontario Beekeepers Association has backed away from its call for a ban on neonicotinoid seed treatments, according to the organization’s president. Instead, it has adopted the National Farmers Union position. Dan Davidson said the organizations are calling on seed to be delivered to growers untreated, who would then have to show […] Read moreBlight resistance a priority for chestnut breeding
Industry rebuilding | Fewer than 2,000 chestnut trees remain in Ontario
ST. THOMAS, Ont. — The American chestnut, once a dominant species throughout Appalachia and as far north as southwestern Ontario, is making a comeback. It’s a recovery that’s been measured in years and decades, but that may changing, thanks to a grafting technique developed by a University of Guelph researcher. Dragan Galic has learned how […] Read moreDry trend needed for Ontario corn growers
CHATHAM-KENT, Ont. — Ontario corn growers will be switching to shorter season varieties or another crop altogether if it doesn’t dry up soon, according to the province’s corn specialist. “The anxiety level continues to creep up, especially after a week we’ve had like this,” Greg Stewart said earlier in the month. “The growers are looking […] Read more
Higher beef prices may hurt sales
Chicken could rule the roost | Some butchers are reducing their profit margins or promoting cheaper cuts to keep customers
Good times may have returned for beef producers, but they come with a proviso, says the George Morris Centre’s senior market analyst. The industry is likely to lose market share. Kevin Grier expects the loss to present a challenge when production begins to increase. “The bottom line for the cattle and beef industry is that […] Read moreSoybean research money to target automotive sector
DRESDEN, Ont. — The development of specialty soybean lines could make soybean oil an even more attractive feedstock for the automotive industry. It’s a research focus for Istvan Rajcan and his team at the University of Guelph’s plant agriculture department. They have received nearly $2 million from government and industry, and the soybean breeder said […] Read more
