Field observations
Summer 2023
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September 21, 2023 This week, there is some good and bad news. The good is that soybean harvest has begun or is not that far around the corner (be sure that combines, planters, and winter…
June 2023
In this issue:
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Embracing innovation
DENMARK’S SUSTAINABILITY STORY
- WHEN UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH engineering student Shellie Boudreau Christensen moved to Denmark 18 years ago to pursue her doctorate at Aalborg University, what she calls the “undercurrent of innovation” in her new locale was palpable.… -
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Feeding the world
FROM THE CEO'S DESK
- GLOBAL EVENTS OF the past few years — including the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, climate-related natural disasters, and rising inflation and cost of living crises — have gotten Canadians talking about farming… -
Agricultural labour laws
CONVERSATIONS WITH BUSINESS EXPERTS
- (J.M.) WHAT LAWS GOVERN FARM EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES IN ONTARIO? (S.L.) Four Ontario workplace laws apply to all employers and workers under provincial jurisdiction (including farm workers):• Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) — sets… -
U.K. Yield Enhancement Network
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF SUCCESS
- IT HAS BEEN just over 10 years since U.K.-based independent agricultural and environmental consultancy, the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS), launched its Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) project, and what a success it’s been. The… -
International farm risk management
A NUFFIELD SCHOLAR UPDATE
- WHILE AMY CRONIN’S travel plans were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Nuffield scholar improvised by starting her studies in Canada. She was able to kick off her global tour last spring and has… -
Measuring soil health
THREE INDICATORS IDENTIFIED AS THE BEST
- THREE YEARS, USD $6.5 million, and 124 sites across Canada, the United States, and Mexico — these were the basic ingredients that came together in a successful effort to identify the three most effective and… -
GrainTALK for June/July 2023
AN UPDATE ON GRAIN FARMERS OF ONTARIO NEWS AND EVENTS
- With summer approaching and planting well underway, it is a high-stress time for farmer-members. What would you say to someone struggling this season? This spring has been difficult for me and my District (District 1,… -
EFP – a winning model
ANDREW GRAHAM REFLECTS ON OSCIA’S SUCCESS
- ANDREW GRAHAM, LONG-TIME executive director for the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), retires in June 2023. With 33 years of experience in the organization, eight of which were in the executive role, Graham… -
A leadership journey
AALP CLASS 19 VISITS GREECE
- I TOOK AWAY many lessons from my recent experience with the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP), but the one that is probably the most valuable was working with and learning from my AALP Class 19… -
Spray drift
A LESSON IN PHYSICS FROM ISAAC NEWTON
- FOR SPRAY OPERATORS to reduce the potential for pesticide drift, they must be situationally aware, willing to make operational changes, and they must possess a basic understanding of why drift happens — and that means… -
March Classic 2023
CULTIVATING NEW TOMORROWS
- IT WAS A full house at RBC Place in London, Ontario, on March 21 for Grain Farmers of Ontario’s annual March Classic. With more than 700 attendees, including farmer-members, industry representatives, and government officials, a… -
Spider mite populations
AGRONOMIC INFORMATION FROM ONTARIO'S CROP SPECIALISTS
- CONFIRMED DIMETHOATE (LAGON® or Cygon®) resistant populations of two-spotted spider mite have been found in Ontario over the last two years from soybeans, dry beans, and other crops, including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries. Research… -
Integrating Indigenous knowledge
NEW ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE DEGREE INSPIRES STUDENTS
- JESSICA PELCHAT BELIEVES our society can achieve a balance between respecting the land through traditional practices while applying Western science to feed the world. Such a holistic approach has been inspired by her enrollment in… -
Rural Pride
FOSTERING A WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY
- IN LATE APRIL, the municipal council for the Township of Norwich passed a new bylaw that restricts the types of flags that can be flown on township property and lampposts. The original version included language…