This column was printed in The Grower, June 2008:
This year, April 22 marked the beginning of a new era in Ontario. It was the official unveiling of Premier McGuinty’s province-wide pesticide ban – promised during last fall’s election and somewhat surprisingly both kept and acted upon by the government in seemingly record time.
Basically, Bill 64 [...]

This week marked the start of my 14-month stint as Executive Director for AGCare.
AGCare provides science-based information and policy initiatives on environmental issues on behalf of Ontario’s 45,000 crop and horticulture farmers – efforts that are sorely needed to represent farmers’ interests relating to hot topic issues like pesticides, water, soil conservation and general [...]

Now safely ensconced at Queen’s Park for another four years, Ontario’s Liberal government seems keen to move ahead with its proposed cosmetic ban of pesticides. Out of the many promises they made during last fall’s election campaign, this one seems to be one of the least pressing.
On the surface, a pesticide ban is probably relatively [...]

Ontario’s farmers have put together an enviable track record of environmental achievements over the last twenty years. More than most, their farms, their businesses and their families depend on a healthy environment to thrive and flourish. In fact, farmers are often called pioneers of the environmental movement, caring for the land long before “going green” [...]