Ontario’s veterinary community is responding to the rise in goat and sheep production with new education and research initiatives. Jeff Wichtel, dean of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), says since September, his school’s curriculum has expanded teaching to include more information on small ruminants, and is conducting several new research projects to build up health... Read More
Category: Livestock
Dairy Farmers of Canada has found its new chief executive officer, and he comes with an understanding of the processing side of the dairy business in Canada. Jacques Lefebvre's first official day in DFC's Ottawa office is January 8th, as he replaces Caroline Emond, who departed in July 2017. He comes to DFC from his... Read More
According to the dictionary, a sin tax is "a tax on items considered undesirable or harmful, such as alcohol or tobacco." There is mounting pressure from activist groups to add animal proteins to that list of so-called "sinful" items. They argue meat creates added healthcare costs and negative impacts on the environment. It might sound... Read More
Cattle markets are kicking off 2018 like it's 2017, with strong prices and a strong basis in Western Canada, in spite of a higher Canadian dollar. Factoring the jump in the Alberta fat cattle market last week to around C$167, the loonie rising over 80 cents, and a U.S. price of around $123, the spot... Read More
With all of the hype around synthetic meat and plant based burgers, it appears consumers still have a taste and desire for regular old meat. In the 2017 wrap-up show on RealAg Radio, Kelvin Heppner described "plant-based meat" as one of the most overused terms of 2017 and consumers are not buying the Silicon Valley... Read More
Sensors and internet cloud technology — a combination sometimes described as the "Internet of Things" — are increasingly being used by farmers to maximize the quality and food safety of their production. The reduced cost of sensors and the ability to connect them to the internet (and users' smartphones) is enabling new uses for this... Read More
If you have a sick animal, there’s no such thing as a “timely” veterinarian shortage. But the current situation, which is seeing fewer veterinary service hours available and much more demand expected, is particularly worrisome. It’s raising caution flags in the veterinary sector, and has a leading veterinary educator searching for solutions. Here’s the situation.... Read More
Where can Canadians find everything they need to know about farming all wrapped into a neat 60-page package? It's all in The Real Dirt on Farming. Farm & Food Care Ontario officially unveiled the newest version of its flagship public outreach publication last month. This new Real Dirt is the fourth edition since the project’s... Read More
Plant-based "meat" is gaining a new level of mainstream presence, as McDonald's is planning to debut a vegan burger in Europe next week. The McVegan will be added to the menu in Sweden and Finland on December 28th, after testing in a limited number of Finnish restaurants this fall. Produced by Anamma, a subsidiary of... Read More
From planting to feeding, there is a lot to consider when it comes to growing, and keeping a high quality silage. "I think over the years we've learned that we have to be patient when we're harvesting to get the silage off at the right time," says Ryan Kasko of Kasko Cattle Co. "Especially corn... Read More