GFO Newsletter for September 2013

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Insects and Diseases Research Insert
Attached on the opposite page, you will find the Grain Farmers of Ontario research insert on insects and diseases. This insert highlights some of the research projects we have funded over the past year. Insects and diseases is one of the areas that has been selected by our members as a priority area to target our research dollars. You will read about the results that have been gathered thus far, some of which can already be applied on-farm.

An electronic version of this insert is also available online at www.gfo.ca/research. •

Grain Farmers of Ontario 2013 Annual General Meeting
New Location and Date!

The Annual General Meeting of Grain Farmers of Ontario will be held on Monday, September 9, 2013 in Woodstock at the Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show site in the Ontario Corn-Fed Beef Tent, North Mall.

This meeting is called in accordance with By-Law No.1, to review the Auditor’s Report and the Financial Statements of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Provision has been made for open discussion of board operations and the industry in general. – Henry Van Ankum, Chair.

All producer-members are encouraged to attend and participate in this one-day meeting. During the morning, from 9:00am – 12:00 noon, business matters will be discussed. This will include a review of the board’s activities for the 2013 crop year. Exclusive plot tours at the Farm Show for producer-members will be conducted during the afternoon following a corn-fed beef lunch. A full agenda can be found at www.gfo.ca/agm.

Please confirm your attendance with Anita D’Sylva at the Grain Farmers of Ontario office, by phone at 1-800-265-0550, or by email at adsylva@gfo.ca. •

Concern over FHB
Reports of Fusarium head blight (FHB) were high in wheat crops this year due to wet and humid weather conditions. FHB, also known as scab, is a fungal disease of small grain cereals which results in a reduction in yield, grade and quality. The full extent of Fusarium damage can not be determined until harvest. Producers who encountered a problem this summer are encouraged to file a damage report to Agricorp.

Production Insurance through Agricorp compensates growers for Fusarium losses by factoring down lower quality (Grade 3 and Feed) wheat yields by 5% and 10% respectively. If the factored yield falls below the guaranteed production, a claim will be paid. Growers can refer to best management practices developed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food for tips on handling Fusarium infected wheat. •

Initial Payments made in August
Grain Farmers of Ontario was pleased to announce the initial payments for Wheat Pool participants in the 2013 marketing year. The initial payments for the 2013 Grain Farmers of Ontario Wheat Pool made in August are:

Soft White Winter (Pool A)    $159.00
Hard Red Winter (Pool B)      $166.00
Hard Red Spring (Pool C)      $175.00
Soft Red Wheat (Pool E)       $153.00
Hard Red (Pool F)                 $153.00
Feed (Pool G)                       $119.00

To provide flexibility for farmers, Grain Farmers of Ontario offers several options for pool deliveries. Farmers can still make a post-harvest pool commitment, which allows for participation in the pool while the wheat is being stored on farm until the agreed upon delivery period.

Grain Farmers of Ontario marketing staff are available to answer any questions on the program or provide additional marketing services at 1-800-265-0550. •

Pollinator health
Grain Farmers of Ontario is actively involved in the issue of pollinator health. All farmer-members will have received a post-card with notes to help them speak to their MP/MPP about protecting Ontario’s crops and honey bees. If you have spoken to your provincial or federal representative, please report back to the office at 1-800-265-0550. If you would like further updates or more information please go to www.gfo.ca/protectingpollinators.  •

Chris Hadfield to speak at March Classic 2014
Grain Farmers of Ontario is proud to announce Chris Hadfield as the keynote speaker for the 2014 March Classic Conference. Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut and recent commander of the International Space Station, was born and raised on a grain farm in Sarnia, Ontario. He became interested in space at a young age after watching the Apollo moon landing on television.

Hadfield brought excitement to the Canadian space program and science through his interactions from the space station to Earth during his five-month expedition earlier this year. He used Skype to talk with students about what it takes to be an astronaut, made videos showing how everyday tasks can be performed without gravity, and shared photos from space with more than one million Twitter followers.

The 2014 March Classic will be held on Monday March 17 at the London Convention Centre. Planning is well underway for an “out of this world” conference! •

At work on a national and international level
The US Grains Council held their 53rd Annual Board of Delegates Meeting in Ottawa from July 29-31. The theme of the meeting was Developing Markets, Enabling Trade and Improving Lives.

At the “Meet your Neighbour“ lunch, District 13 Director Don Kenny and District 14 Director Markus Haerle participated in discussions with members of the board. They are pictured below  along with Don Fast, Chairman of the US Grains Council. Kenny later participated in a “farmer to farmer” panel with Canadian and US counterparts discussing trade issues, biotechnology, domestic farm policy, sustainability, and producing for the export market.

Grain Farmers of Ontario staff members Gord Pugh, Government Relations, and Valerie Gilvesy, Member Relations, also attended the meeting.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture held their summer meeting July 30 – August 1 in Montreal. Grain Farmers of Ontario District 1 Director Leo Guilbeault and staff member Meghan Burke, Public Relations and Events Lead, attended the meeting which drew representatives from organizations across the country. Some of the key issues addressed were recent developments in international trade policies, changes to Canada’s fertilizer regulations, and food security.  •

Grain Farmers of Ontario Partners with the Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger Cats are calling Guelph home for the 2013 season while their home stadium in Hamilton is being rebuilt for the Pan-American games. And for the 2013 season, Grain Farmers of Ontario, along with Farmers Feed Cities, has partnered with the Tiger-Cats to bring two unique agricultural experiences to the game.

At every home game, Grain Farmers of Ontario is looking for the Ultimate Tailgater of the Game. The winner will showcase their Tiger-Cats passion by decorating their area in Black and Gold while showing off their game day tailgate menu. Winners receive a Tiger-Cats grill set, tickets to the next game, delicious Ontario Corn-Fed Beef steaks, and Ontario whisky made from corn for their next tailgate party.

Farmers Feed Cities has signage along the sidelines which can be seen on tv broadcasts nationwide. •

Grain Discovery Zone
Grain Farmers of Ontario has been touring the province with the Grain Discovery Zone this summer. This interactive trailer exhibit features educational video games and a corn box where children can play with farm equipment toys and learn more about how our crops are produced.

We are not done yet! The Grain Discovery Zone will be at fall fairs and events until the end of October. Check out the events page on www.gfo.ca for a complete listing. You can also keep up to date with our adventures on our blog at www.growingruralconnections.com and ‘like us’ on Facebook at facebook.com/ GrainDiscoveryZone. •