Two independent sources familiar with the workings of Ontario’s legislature have confirmed that the impending regulations regarding access to neonicotinoid-treated corn and soybean seed will go to cabinet on Wednesday, June 3rd. This final version of the regulations designed by Ontario’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) will take effect July 1. First announced… Read More
Category: News
Farmers from across southern Ontario rallied at two MPP offices today, May 29, to demonstrate their frustration over the Ontario government’s handling of impending regulations regarding the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed. Grain Farmers of Ontario put the call out earlier this week for farmers to show up between 10 am and… Read More
The threat of retaliation from Canada and Mexico is forcing American lawmakers and farm groups to weigh whether it’s worth maintaining the mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) rules for meat. The American Farm Bureau Federation, which describes itself as the largest general farm organization in the U.S., announced Wednesday it has decided to back… Read More
From frost in Ontario to flea beetles in the West, and just a few things in-between, here’s TWORA for May 28th, 2015: Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
If you were impacted by extreme drought or moisture in 2014, there may be some good news coming your way, as the Government of Canada has finalized a list of regions eligible for tax deferral for 2014. The changes mean that eligible producers will be able to defer a portion of their income from sales of… Read More
The Senate’s Standing Committee on Agriculture released its much-anticipated report on bee health today. Entitled The Importance of Bee Health to Sustainable Food Production in Canada, the document highlights the complexity of bee health, and the many factors influencing it, while providing a list of recommendations the committee believes are necessary for improving bee health. The recommendations include continued bee health surveillance and… Read More
Big changes are underway inside the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, but the province’s new NDP agriculture minister says he doesn’t foresee any major shifts in Alberta’s agriculture policies. Oneil Carlier grew up on a family farm near Val Marie, Saskatchewan, a fourth-generation beef and grain operation now run by his brother. As a teen, he got a job… Read More
SaskCanola has announced it is more than doubling its financial support for Saskatchewan’s Agriculture in the Classroom program. The grower organization has decided to contribute $50,000 annually to AITC-SK, up from $20,000 previously. “Agriculture education is more important than ever as social licence is a growing issue. As the consuming public becomes increasingly skeptical, the… Read More
Next week, June 1 to 7, 2015, marks the second annual local food week here in Ontario. What’s local food week? Announced as part of the “Local Food Act” passed in 2013, the first week of June is a time to shine the light on all things locally grown for Ontario. While this might bring… Read More
New appointments to the province’s Ontario Pesticide Advisory Committee (OPAC) have got at least one farm group calling foul — yet again — on Ontario’s government. The committee’s purpose is to “annually reviews the content and operation of the Pesticides Act and its regulations and recommends changes or amendments” to the minister of environment and… Read More