Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine is the flagship publication of Grain Farmers of Ontario and a source of information for our province’s grain farmers.

Grain Farmers of Ontario

March 2020

In this issue:

Web Special

Take advantage of the growing season

UNDERSTANDING HOW TO MAKE YOUR CHU WORK FOR YOU

March 2020 - AS WE REFLECT on last year and make decisions for this year, we need to learn from the 2019 season, and apply key findings to our future decisions. Many of us will remember 2019 as…
Field observations

SPRING 2020 UPDATES

March 2020 - June 19, 2020 Dry weather this week is forcing the spring planted crops to search for water. Roots are going deeper and in restricted root development areas, evapotranspiration is higher than the moisture uptake of…
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Web Special

Planter tune-up

ITEMS TO CONSIDER AHEAD OF SPRING PLANTING

March 2020 - BEFORE YOU START in the field, make sure you spend the time needed to thoroughly inspect and fix your planter for the 2020 planting season. Just pulling the planter out of the shed and greasing…
Help wanted

OTTAWA IS IGNORING GRAIN FARMERS’ DIRE SITUATION

March 2020 - WHY IS OTTAWA turning its back on Ontario grain farmers? That’s what 28,000 farmers are trying to understand this winter, as losses mount from a perfect storm that has devastated the grain sector in and…
Carbon tax costs

HURTING FARMERS’ BOTTOM LINES

March 2020 - IT WAS A positive sign for grain farmers across Ontario to see the headline “Trudeau government considering relief for farmers who need extra fuel to dry out soggy grain” in the National Observer on January…
Where does the grain go?

DOMESTIC AND EXPORT MARKETS

March 2020 - UNDERSTANDNG THE END-USE markets for Ontario barley, corn, oats, soybeans, and wheat is critical for the viability of the industry. It is also a key component in the development of new market opportunities for Ontario…
Federal priorities

Q&A WITH POLICY LEADERS

March 2020 - ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER extended an invitation to the federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and the federal opposition agriculture critics to answer questions about the important issues facing Ontario grain farmers. Here are the responses…
A big impact

a CONTRIBUTION OF $18 BILLION TO THE ECONOMY

March 2020 - IN 2018, THE Ontario grain and oilseed industry contributed $18 billion to the Ontario economy, employed 75,000 people and paid $6.2 billion of taxes to governments. Agricultural production in Ontario is big, it’s growing, and…
Looking back

10 YEARS OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

March 2020 - In recognition of Grain Farmers of Ontario’s 10th anniversary, Ontario Grain Farmer is talking to staff about the impact that the organization has had. This month we sat down Deb Conlon, manager of government relations…
GrainTALK for March 2020

AN UPDATE ON GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO NEWS AND EVENTS

March 2020 - FROM THE CHAIRA Q&A with Grain Farmers of Ontario chair, Markus Haerle. Q. In your discussions with governments, what are you learning about the best way to be successful with our asks?A. It is very important…
Clean growth

SUSTAINABLE FARM PRACTICES

March 2020 - BUSINESS STRATEGIES THAT are good for the planet and good for the pocketbook are not a novel approach for farmers. Farm businesses rely on healthy soil, water, plant diversity, vegetation cover, reliable and efficient energy…
Ethanol and E15

BREAKING DOWN THE MYTHS

March 2020 - IT’S A NEW decade, the long-awaited 2020, a time to reflect and measure where we are compared to the expectations we set years ago. Nowhere else is this as poignantly clear as with the environment…
Science is key

KEEPING IT REAL IN PESTICIDE REGULATIONS

March 2020 - DEB CONLON IS a strong advocate for the federal government’s reliance on science, not emotion, to review pesticides, and points to the recent decision on neonicotinoids (neonics) as proof. “When the issue arose, Health Canada…
All opinions count

FROM THE CEO'S DESK

March 2020 - WE ARE DEFINITELY a group with varied opinions here at Grain Farmers of Ontario. As I cross the province each year in January for the Annual District Meetings, it is always interesting — to put…
Provincial priorities

Q&A WITH DOUG FORD

March 2020 - ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER extended an invitation to the Premier of Ontario to answer questions about the important issues facing Ontario grain farmers. Here is the response we received from Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario. Grain…
Protect Ontario’s economy

BRM NEEDS TO CHANGE NOW

March 2020 - THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT for grain farming in Ontario is high risk. With trade disputes impacting farmers continually, new costs, the rising cost of land and equipment, production tools at risk, and support programs that are…
Ontario Members of Parliament

HOW WILL THEY SUPPORT ONTARIO GRAIN FARMERS?

March 2020 - ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER invited all 121 Ontario Members of Parliament to share their vision for the Ontario grain and oilseed sector. Thank you to those who took the time to respond. Grain Farmers of Ontario…