|  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  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.
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  Weetabix, a global cereal brand, is sponsoring a wheat art competition for Ontario farmers this year. Sounds a little out-of-the ordinary at first glance and I must admit it is. After all, cereal, art and farming aren’t usually things I tend to link in my head.
Ontario wheat farmers are encouraged to give their artistic selves free reign to express themselves by taking part in a competition to build the best straw bale sculpture in Ontario. Continue reading Weetabix mixing food, farming and art  There’s power in biofuel! The Ferrari team finished one-two at the opening Formula One Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain over the weekend.
Sure, that’s sports news, but what also makes this feed, fuel and farm news is that these race cars were powered by an experimental biofuel made from Eastern Ontario wheat straw. Continue reading Farmers fuel Formula One  When I came across a website that mentioned it would let me grow my own wheat online and follow it through right to my dinner plate, I have to admit I was intrigued.
I went to www.howwheatworks.com and signed myself up so I could get started. Faced with several different wheat types I could plant, I chose durum as I am totally addicted to pasta – and the majority of our pasta contains this particular kind of wheat.
Continue reading Grow your own pasta – virtually | |
