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

October 2020

In this issue:

Web Special

Wild pigs in Ontario

POPULATION SIZE, DISTRIBUTION AND CONTROL EFFORTS

October 2020 - AMONG ALL THE wildlife that can cause damage to Ontario crops, from gophers to elk, wild pigs may become the most serious threat of all. However, it’s hoped that because the provincial population is not…
Web Special

Managing farm business risk

AGRISHIELD® ASSESSMENT TOOL

October 2020 - ONLY 30 PER CENT of Canadian farmers say they have a risk management plan, according to Farm Management Canada, and typically this is limited to planning for price and yield. A 2015 study conducted by…
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Web Special

Seeds Canada voted down by CSGA

AMALGAMATION OF SEED GROUPS ON HOLD

October 2020 - IN A CONVINCING 414 to 337 vote, members of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA) chose not to amalgamate with four other organizations to create Seeds Canada. Voting took place starting in mid-July and wrapped…
Pandemic changes

FEED AND ETHANOL SECTORS RESPOND

October 2020 - THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC has shone a light on the interconnections, vulnerabilities, and resilience within the agriculture and food system. Nowhere is this more evident than in the livestock feed and ethanol sectors — two of…
The new Cereals Canada

MERGER WITH CIGI STREAMLINES REPRESENTATION

October 2020 - THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL Grains Institute (Cigi) and Cereals Canada solidified their amalgamation this year. The two organizations, which, at least for now, will use the Cereals Canada name, officially merged in April with a new…
Cropside: Soybean seeding depth

AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS

October 2020 - THERE IS A trend in modern soybean production to plant soybeans deeper than the traditional 1.5 inches. This trend may be associated with an increased use of planters compared to seed drills. The idea may…
Manitoba Crop Alliance

FIVE GROUPS FORM NEW ORGANIZATION

October 2020 - CREATING EFFICIENCIES WAS the theme behind a major amalgamation completed in Manitoba this summer — one that makes history in their province’s agriculture industry. Launching operations on August 1, 2020, Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is…
Simplifying plant-based meals

GUELPH COMPANY MEETING CONSUMER DEMAND

October 2020 - FOR FLEDGLING PLANT-BASED food company Neophyto Foods of Guelph, markets became rapidly and drastically limited when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. The company, which grew from an energetic team that first assembled to compete in…
Harvest stress

WELLNESS STRATEGIES FOR A HEALTHIER SEASON

October 2020 - WHETHER IT IS changing weather, equipment breakdowns, lower than expected yields, or human resources challenges, harvest can be the most stressful season on the farm. Seasonal increases in stress make sense because according to experts,…
The evolution of sustainability

A COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY

October 2020 - WHILE THE MARKETPLACE and consumers may alter the definition of what it means to be sustainable, the definition of sustainability has not waivered at Grain Farmers of Ontario. Grain Farmers of Ontario is committed to…
Learning opportunities

FROM THE CEO'S DESK

October 2020 - THERE IS A common saying, ‘you learn something new every day’. This certainly rings true in agriculture — and more so this spring and summer as we all learned how to adapt to numerous challenges…
Farm corporations

CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS

October 2020 - (J.M.) WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU OFFER FARMERS WHEN IT COMES TO FARM BUSINESS STRUCTURES? (J.M.) Establishing the right business structure that works for your farm is important for many reasons, and tax planning is one…
International grain trade

EXPORTS CONTINUE DURING PANDEMIC

October 2020 - FOOD INSECURITY FEARS related to the COVID-19 pandemic are understandable, at least from a consumers’ perspective. When people arrived at their favourite grocery stores in March and April to find staples depleted and some of…
BREXIT

THE IMPACT ON ONTARIO GRAIN

October 2020 - BREXIT — THE TERM heard by many over the past four years is used to describe the United Kingdom’s (UK) departure from the European Union (EU). It represents the most important constitutional change the UK…
Wheat blending

ADVANTAGES FOR ONTARIO MILLERS

October 2020 - FLOUR MILLING COMPANIES are always looking at ways to make the best quality flour for the lowest possible cost, and there are different ways to try to achieve this. Maximizing on automation in the production…
Specialty grains

MARKET GROWTH DRIVEN BY CONSUMERS AND FARMERS

October 2020 - SPECIALTY GRAINS COMPRISE a comparatively small portion of Ontario’s annual grain crop, but growing interest in how they can be used on farm, as well as in food and beverage products, means the market for…
GrainTALK for October 2020

AN UPDATE ON GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO NEWS AND EVENTS

October 2020 - FROM THE CHAIRA Q&A with Grain Farmers of Ontario chair, Markus Haerle. How is Grain Farmers of Ontario addressing the need to develop new markets during COVID-19 and travel restrictions? With every change in the world…
Looking back

10 YEARS OF MARKET DEVELOPMENT

October 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 made. This month we sat down with Nicole Mackellar, manager of market…
Water management

THE WATER CYCLE AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

October 2020 - Water is a precious resource. The success of farm businesses and the health of our families depend on having a clean and abundant supply. Historically, agricultural technology has allowed us to manipulate the quantity and…