The price of land is a big barrier to growing the province’s beef cow numbers, but northern Ontario may offer a solution for farmers seeking new opportunities. “Northern Ontario, where land is cheaper and could work for cows, is a logical spot. There are 16 million under-used acres in the Great Clay Belt,” Beef Farmers […]
Read MoreAnother undercover video of farm animal abuse – this time on a BC dairy farm – means another black eye for farmers in the media. Those of us in farming know these terrible incidents are by far the exception and not the norm – but the many millions who see or read the bad news […]
Read MoreThe strength of the local food movement and the potential of an untapped urban market keen to buy high quality beef direct from farmers are behind a new marketing initiative underway by Beef Farmers of Ontario. Farm to City Marketing is based on the popular community-supported agriculture (CSA) model that has been successful for vegetable […]
Read MoreThey’re young, they’re educated and they’re passionate about their future as veal farmers in Ontario. Tom Oudshoorn and his brother Paul raise about 2,000 grain-fed veal calves on their home farm in the Auburn area near Goderich and on a second farm near Kincardine, where Paul now lives.
Read MoreMany of Ontario’s species at risk – such as grassland birds – make their homes in farmers’ fields. In honour of Earth Day this week, here’s a glimpse at a program that lets rural landowners do their part to protect those species. Attempts to protect habitats for grassland birds can be a hard sell to […]
Read MoreMore beef check-off dollars are going into social media than ever before – and it’s proven to be a very effective strategy for boosting consumer awareness and driving loyalty to Canadian beef. That’s according to Heather Travis, Canada Beef’s Director of Public Relations and Marketing Communications, who’s been a long time champion of social media […]
Read MorePicton – A desire to give back to a community that supported them in their time of need led to a fundraising campaign by local beef farmers that has raised $70,000 for a cardiac rehabilitation program in Picton, Ontario. The donation by the Prince Edward County Cattlemen’s Association was instrumental in helping to establish an […]
Read MoreUsing ultrasound on cattle to identify carcass characteristics is helping beef farmers maximize their profitability. A project led by Beef Improvement Opportunities (BIO) has shown that ultrasound technology can accurately predict specific carcass characteristics, such as weight, back fat and marbling, which directly affect how much a producer is paid for an animal.
Read MoreMany modern-day pet owners microchip their four-legged companions. This is to help identify them should they become lost, injured or otherwise harmed in some way. Farmers are doing a similar thing with their beef cattle. They’re using radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to keep track of their animals as they move from farm to farm […]
Read MoreHere’s the third in a series of guest posts I’ve been writing for the Canadian Beef Blog. Last month, I described some of the different cattle breeds and how to tell the difference between a dairy cow (one that gives milk) and a beef cow (one that is raised for meat). Now we’re going to […]
Read MoreHere’s another guest blog I wrote for Canadian Beef Blog recently: A cow is a cow is a cow, right? Not exactly. Yes, they’re all the same type of animal but there are many different breeds. For example, even though they’re both dogs, there aren’t a lot of similarities between a small white Bichon Frise […]
Read MoreWater testing has long been part and parcel of buying and selling agricultural properties. But knowing exactly what’s in your soil and well water is becoming increasingly important to safeguard both human health and property values. E.coli O157:H7 is one pathogen that can have serious human health implications but that many people don’t realize may […]
Read MoreFarming 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 […]
Read MoreOntario’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.
Read MoreHere’s one for the “you’ve got to be kidding me!” file… I read this article on the website of Farmers Weekly, an agricultural publication in the United Kingdom. According to the story, a UK dairy farmer has been found liable for injuries suffered by a walker who was attacked by his cattle while walking across […]
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