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Terry Reesor is one such farmer. I met him last summer when I interviewed him for an article I was writing about solar energy. Here’s his story. Continue reading Reducing energy use on the farm
His perspective was a bit different from mine, though. While my ideas of why this is a great place to live are shaped by family, friends and lifestyle, his were focused on societal fundamentals, such as oil, water and food. John P. Oliver says our conventional supplies of oil, food and water will be surpassed by global demand by 2050. Continue reading Healthy Ontario farms will help us as supplies decline
Here’s a real life example in Terry, a farmer and business owner from the Stouffville area. I interviewed him this past summer for an article that I was writing and his story, to me, shows how relatively little things farmers are doing on their farms benefits all of society in the long run. In Terry’s case, it was a protective liner he installed in a fertilizer storage to ensure a beautiful pond on his property stays beautiful – and clean. Continue reading Protecting the environment – one farm at a time
Yes, this week you can head down to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto and learn all sorts about food and farming in Canada but for the rest of the year, these new virtual farm tours provide a neat alternative. Continue reading Your chance to tour real Ontario farms
A new national publication promises the answers to all these questions and more as it tackles the issues head on and unveils the “real” dirt on Canadian farming – straight from Canada’s farmers. Continue reading Unveiling the “real” dirt on Canadian farming This is an update to a blog post I put up almost a year ago, where I wrote about a soy-based asphalt sealant that can help keep potholes at bay. I was intrigued by the potential of the product at the time – both for municipalities trying to keep their roads budgets under control in the crazy Canadian climate and for farmers seeking new market opportunities for their soybean crops. Well, we’re a few steps closer to reality on both fronts – the product is now being tested on a one kilometre stretch of road near Owen Sound and will be evaluated by the Grey County Department of Transportation and Public Safety to determine its effectiveness in the Canadian climate. Continue reading Soybeans could help extend life of asphalt roads |   | ||||
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The winter blahs have well and truly set in, especially for those of us who can’t escape by heading south. Last week’s few short days of warmth and sunshine seemed to transform our drab winter world as people reawakened and remerged. Everyone was talking about the weather those few days — because that’s what we do as Canadians, we talk about the weather.
Farms are, for the most part, pretty large energy users. Barns housing livestock, the use of sophisticated feeding or milking technology or climate control and water recycling systems in greenhouses – all require energy to keep going. So it’s no surprise, with energy costs on the rise, that many farmers are looking for ways to reduce or off-set their energy use.
The crystal ball says we live in the best place in the world. Personally, I’ve long been convinced of it, having lived in this area for most of my life, but this is the opinion of a bio-economy expert who spoke at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre recently.
Folks in food and farming talk a lot about all the things farmers do to protect the environment – but often in somewhat general terms.
If you’re interested in touring real Ontario farms and meeting real Ontario farmers – but have no way of knowing how to go about that – here’s a new option for you.
Curious about where our food comes from? Wondering about hormones, antibiotics, GMOs and other things linked to modern agriculture? Worried about environmental impacts of agriculture? Looking to connect the dots between the food we eat and our health?