|  There was good news in the provincial budget for farmers this week. The Ontario government announced new, permanent risk-management programs that farmers have long been asking for to help bring some much needed stability to notoriously fluctuating farm incomes.
Farm leaders have been making their case both federally and provincially about the need for this kind of support for a long time. A pilot program specifically for farmers who grow grains and oilseeds, like soybeans and canola, was announced four years ago and its success made it a model for other agricultural sectors also in need of long-term stability, like pork, beef, veal and fruits and vegetables. What makes farming so special that they need government-supported risk-management programs? Continue reading Long awaited support for local food and farming  For anyone writing or blogging about farming, here’s a great resource for you.
One of my biggest struggles is always trying to find current, accurate and available photos to go along with articles or blog posts. The Ontario agriculture photo library has a wide array of available photos depicting many of the different aspects of farming in our province. Continue reading Fabulous farming fotos  I’m in beautiful Banff today, giving a presentation to hog farmers and pork industry representatives on social media and how we can use it in agriculture.
It’s a bit of an event for me, for a number of reasons. First of all, I always like talking about social media and helping people gain an understanding of the different tools that are out there and what, with a little skill and practice, we can achieve by using them. Continue reading Banff, pork and social media  Farming affects the daily lives of all Ontarians – what we eat, where we live and what we do to earn a living.
Now, a newly released report spells out in stark detail the economic impact of the agricultural sector as well as the punishing effects of long term farm income losses on the Ontario economy. The results are staggering. Continue reading Measuring agriculture’s economic footprint in Ontario  I’ve already talked about my love for fresh Ontario asparagus in a post a couple of weeks ago…but it’s still in season and I’m still enjoying!
Tonight I combined it with another favourite – Ontario pork – and ended up with a delicious meal. It was surprisingly easy to make and great to grill on the barbecue, which was a must for me in today’s heat. Continue reading Tasty and delicious asparagus pork tenderloin  A few weeks ago I came across an article that talked about Breakfast Pizza as the latest trend in chic breakfast eating. This seems like a great idea to me – I love pizza and I love breakfast, so I figure you can’t go wrong by bringing these two life staples together!
Continue reading Breakfast pizza – easy, delicious and local!
Ontario’s farmers are using a town hall meeting in Stratford today to reach out to the public. The Save our Farms forum will focus on the beleaguered state of Ontario’s farming sector and on what the future of an Ontario without farming could look like down the road if nothing is done. Continue reading Plea from farmers: Save our farms | |
