Ontario’s 2016 budget made many headlines last week – from free university tuition for low income families to a 4.3 cent climate-change-fighting gas tax, and even a lower-than-expected deficit. But what does it all mean for agriculture, farmers and rural Ontario? With some help from our RealAgriculture twitter followers, we peppered Ontario Agriculture, Food and… Read More

Update as of March 3, 2016: The landowners conducting the protest have “retreated” following a commitment, they say, from Manitoba Hydro to move equipment out and clean it. They’re asking to have a third party, possibly the CFIA, ensure biosecurity protocol is followed. Spokesperson Jurgen Kohler says Hydro crews aren’t meeting their own biosecurity standards, which… Read More

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay announced a $1 million investment in genomic technologies for the cattle sector today. “Canada’s beef sector contributes significantly to the country’s economy,” said Minister MacAulay. “Investments in genomic testing offer producers a science-based approach to improve the selection of beef breeds for improved productivity and quality.” The funding… Read More

The BIXS beef information platform has signed a deal with one of the biggest data-holders in Canada’s beef industry. Cargill — one of the country’s two largest beef packers — has agreed to provide beef carcass information to the rest of the supply chain through the online data exchange. “Carcass data has been a major roadblock for industry-wide data sharing. With… Read More

If you are looking to upgrade your farm’s drying capabilities for 2016 you can always buy the latest model dryer – or just go retro. Real Agriculture caught up with GSI’s Conditioning Applications Manager Gary Woodruff at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky to discuss what’s new in the company’s grain storage and… Read More

A coalition of Alberta farm groups formed in response to the province’s new farm labour legislation is getting itself organized. The Alberta Agriculture Farm and Ranch Safety Coalition, or the “AgCoalition” as it’s known, announced a formalized governance structure, communications protocol and plans for involvement in provincial consultations today. The group’s mandate is to “unify… Read More