Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, where we turn farming into a real-life show and tell. We’ve been doing this since 1993, right in the heart of Woodstock, Ontario. It’s all about giving farmers like you a place to see what’s new in the world of farming, talk shop, and share tips and tricks.
Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, you’ll find more than hundreds of exhibitors set up to show you their latest and greatest. They come from all across Canada and beyond, showing everything from the biggest tractors to the smartest ways to manage your crops. Each year, we bring together over 40,000 people who live and breathe farming just like you do.
More details coming soon
10 (Tuesday) 8:00 am – 12 (Thursday) 5:00 pm
Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show
744906 Oxford Road #17, R.R. #6
Originally published on May 14, 2024 on RealAgriculture
Farm kids are the next generation of farmers and it’s up to the current generation to keep them safe.
This week, May 13 to 19, 2024, marks the first-ever Kids FarmSafe week hosted by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) with presenting sponsor BASF Canada.
Robin Anderson, director of programs and communications for CASA, says that this week is all about encouraging farm families and farming communities to #KeepKidsFarmSafe by raising awareness about health and safety risks for children and youth on the farm.
Between 1990 and 2020, 435 children and youth were lost to agriculture-related incidents. Anderson says that the highest incidents of deaths involving children on-farm happen to the youngest age group (4 and under) and most often by being driven over.
Robinson says that its vital that children follow their parents’ and grandparent’s example of working safely on the farm, but it’s also key that farmers communicate hazards and risks to kids who might just be visiting or less familiar with farm life.
It’s also important, she says, that kids be included in age-appropriate tasks that they’re mentally, emotionally, and physically capable of performing safely.
Everyone in the farming industry is encouraged to learn more about farm safety, especially as it relates to keeping the next generation of farmers safe, through the resources available at www.kidsfarmsafe.ca.
Originally published on May 10, 2024 on RealAgriculture
A possible rail strike at both of Canada’s main railways could be delayed as the federal labour minister has called for a review of the potential impact of a work stoppage on the health and safety of Canadians.
On Thursday, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan Jr. asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to look into maintenance of activities agreements between the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and the two railways: CN Rail and CPKC.
“Serious concerns have been raised about potential impacts to the health and safety of Canadians. It’s our duty to look into this,” said O’Regan Jr, on X (formerly Twitter.)
After voting in favour of a strike mandate last month, over nine thousand employees of CN and CPKC were in a position where they could have gone on strike as soon as May 22.
However, under the Canada Labour Code, the minister can ask the CIRB to intervene to decide which activities need to continue during a strike or lockout, and the parties are banned from beginning a strike or lockout until the board has made a decision.
How long it will take the CIRB to make its decision is not known.
The dispute revolves around three collective bargaining contracts that expired on Dec. 31, 2023, affecting the following railway workers:
– Nearly 6,000 conductors, locomotive engineers, and yard workers at CN,
– Nearly 3,200 conductors, locomotive engineers, and yard workers at CPKC, and
– Around 80 or 90 rail traffic controllers at CPKC.
CPKC says it’s scheduled to meet with TCRC leadership again next week, with federal mediators on hand.
At least four consecutive rounds of labour talks between CPKC (previously CP Rail) and the Teamsters union have resulted in work stoppages, in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2022. TCRC members at also CN spent eight days on strike in 2019.
Originally published on May 10, 2024 on Farmtario
By Leah Douglas and Reuters
Washington | Reuters—The Biden administration said today it will provide nearly $200 million to fight the spread of avian flu among dairy cows, in the government’s latest bid to contain outbreaks that have fueled concerns about human infections with the H5N1 virus.
The virus has been detected among dairy cattle in nine states since late March. Scientists have said they believe the outbreak is more widespread based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration findings of H5N1 particles in about 20 per cent of retail milk samples.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make $98 million available to provide up to $28,000 per dairy farm for efforts to contain the spread of the virus between animals and humans and for testing milk and animals for the virus, the agency said on Friday.
“USDA is doing the work to track and eliminate H5N1 in the dairy cattle herd,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on a call with reporters.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it would provide $101 million through the FDA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect public health and the nation’s food supply.
“The risk to the public from this outbreak remains low,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said on the call.
The money includes $34 million through the CDC for testing efforts and supporting public health labs, $8 million for vaccines, and $3 million for wastewater surveillance.
While the CDC has said the public health risk is low, scientists are closely watching for changes in the virus that could make it spread more easily among humans.
The FDA also will provide $8 million to ensure the safety of the commercial milk supply.
“At this stage there’s no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or beef supply,” Vilsack said on the call. Health experts have cautioned against the consumption of raw milk but said pasteurization appears to kill the virus.
One dairy farm worker in Texas tested positive for the virus and reported conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye.
To limit transmission in cattle, the USDA on April 29 started requiring lactating dairy cows to test negative before being shipped across state lines.
In the first week of the order, USDA laboratories reported 905 tests, of which 112 were presumptive positives, said an agency spokesperson.
The figure could include samples that were tested more than once or those collected for other purposes like research studies, the spokesperson said.
—Updated May 10 to include the number of USDA lab tests
—Additional reporting for Reuters by Ahmed Aboulenein in Washington and Tom Polansek in Chicago
Originally published on December 7, 2023 on Alberta Seed Guide
By Alberta Seed Guide
A consortium of partners from Canada’s agriculture and agrifood sectors will develop artificial intelligence technology to address some of the biggest issues faced by Canadian lentil growers, a Dec. 6 news release said. With support from Protein Industries Canada (PIC), Ukko Agro, Hawk’s Agro and Three Farmers will work together to build out an in-field platform to predict and control anthracnose and Ascochyta blight.
“Consistency of crop and ingredient quality is a key element of strengthening Canada’s domestic food supply chain. Collaboration across the ecosystem is the best way to establish and maintain this consistency in a sustainable manner,” Bill Greuel, PIC CEO, said in the release. “Together, our project partners are meeting this need, while also addressing major disease concerns for some of Canada’s most widely grown high protein crops. And with the technology’s potential to be expanded to other plant-protein crops in the future, this is a clear demonstration of how one successful cluster project can benefit the full value chain and ecosystem.”
The release noted by utilizing AI to address the main diseases of concern in lentil crops, the project will help farmers and agronomists make improved crop management decisions. The project will utilize and build on Ukko Agro’s ForeSite platform to develop and commercialize their AI technology. Once available to farmers, agronomists and retailers, the technology will help improve the sustainability of the sector, increase yields and strengthen the ingredient supply chain.
“We are extremely excited to be a part of this consortium with Hawks Agro, Three Farmers and Protein Industries Canada. Our goal at Ukko Agro is to combine data science with plant science that helps value-chain partners and farmers make more data-informed decisions on application of crop inputs,” Ketan Kaushish, Ukko Agro founder said in the release. “Once commercialized, this project will enable value-chain members to proactively engage with their growers in order to help them grow a better crop, a key to maintaining the Prairies’ leadership position in the pulses market.”
A total of $2.6 million has been committed to the project, with Protein Industries Canada investing $1.2 million and the partners together investing the remainder, the release said.
Originally published on May 9, 2024 on Farmtario
By Farmtario Staff
The federal government is investing up to $1.08 million in activities aimed at supporting the mental health of Canadian farmers.
The investment will be used by the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) to support mental health literacy education for agriculture educators across the country, the development of a mental health toolkit to support the sector in case of catastrophic events, and to help industry further develop capacity throughout the sector and facilitate the sharing and expansion of national farm mental health strategies and resources.
The CCAW will also develop Canada’s first evidence-based agriculture literacy training program in collaboration with the Rural Physicians Society of Canada in order to deliver the training to rural physicians who interact with Canadian farmers and organize two national conferences that will enable mental health information sharing with stakeholders from across the sector.
In a release, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay said the funding will help more farmers gain access to the mental health support they need, with services and tools tailored to them.
“I know firsthand the challenges that come with life on the farm. You work around the clock, 365 days a year, facing unique demands and significant pressure. With everything else our producers have to manage, it can be hard to check in on yourself and prioritize your mental health,” said MacAulay.
The CCAW is a collaboration between researchers and mental health professionals looking to expand access to counselling and develop new resources for people in agriculture. It virtually brings together national and global leaders in the agricultural mental health field to conduct research to develop evidence-based community-informed programming and education to address challenges related to well-being among Canadian farmers.
Funding is provided through the AgriCompetitiveness Program, a Sustainable-CAP initiative.
If you are struggling with your mental health, here are some free mental health resources available for farmers:
Calling all fungi-enthusiasts! Join us for a tour of Mr. Mercy’s Mushrooms and learn about mushroom production, followed by a potluck dinner in the garden.
Mr. Mercy’s Mushrooms is a certified organic mushroom and spawn producer that has been operating in Kaslo, BC since 2017. On the farm tour you will have a chance to see their mushroom production process and learn about both commercial high-production systems, as well as backyard mushroom growing methods such as inoculated logs and growing King Stropharia in the garden.
DATE: Thursday, May 30, 2024 • 3:30 pm – 7 pm PST
LOCATION: Syilx, Sinixt, and Ktunaxa Territories. Kaslo BC.
REGISTER: This event is free but has a limited capacity. Please register on the Eventbrite page.
Originally published on April 30, 2024 on Alberta Beef Producers
By Kara Oosterhuis
Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) and Starbucks Canada (Starbucks) have launched a new collaborative effort to help advance sustainability in the dairy sector.
Starbucks has committed $500,000 to support sustainability-focused projects in dairy over the course of this year, rewarding the continued efforts to Canadian dairy farmers on their path to net zero.
The partnership includes three projects, the first of which is already underway for 2024 in collaboration with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and Lactanet for FCC’s Dairy Sustainability Incentive Program. This program rewards farmers who are successfully adopting environmental best management practices and encourages continued sustainable farming by granting annual incentives of up to $2,000 to FCC customers who meet select criteria. Starbucks will also provide additional funding to the FCC program in two new categories: Top Achieving and Most Improved.
David Wiens, president of Dairy Farmers of Canada, says the support of Starbucks will help recognize more farmers’ commitment to environmental management and show Canadians that sustainability begins with the people producing their food.
“When farmers set out to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, we knew we would not do it alone. DFC welcomes Starbucks as they join us on this leg of the journey,” says Wiens.
Dairy is an integral part of the Starbucks menu. Supporting the long-term health of the Canadian dairy sector is one of the latest efforts in the company’s global commitment to a resource-positive future – giving more than it takes from the planet by reducing the company’s carbon emissions, water usage and landfill waste by 50 per cent by 2030.
Farmer applications are scheduled to reopen for the Sustainability Incentive Program on May 21, 2024.
Originally published on May 13, 2024 on Canadian Cattlemen
By Reuters
Ottawa | Reuters—Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to do all he can to head off potentially devastating strikes by railway and port workers.
Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway staff represented by the Teamsters union voted overwhelmingly this month to strike as early as May 22.
Producers groups like Grain Growers of Canada have warned a stoppage would interrupt grain movements and would delay payment to farmers. It could also have negative implications for trade relationships.
Further to the west, talks between management and unions at the port of Vancouver have also hit an impasse.
“Any work stoppage affecting our railways and ports would be crippling for our national economy and North American supply chains,” Smith said in a letter to Trudeau that was released by her office.
Smith said Ottawa had to do all it could to help the parties in both disputes reach negotiated settlements.
“In the event of a work stoppage, your government must be prepared to use all the tools at its disposal to terminate it rapidly, including, if necessary, back-to-work legislation,” said Smith.
The Liberals could present a draft law to force striking workers back to work but in the past have shown little interest in doing so.
Asked about a possible Vancouver port strike, the office of Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said: “Our government believes in collective bargaining.” O’Regan last week asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to look at whether a rail strike might have safety implications.
Until the board has issued a decision, the strike by workers at cannot start. The board on Monday asked for submissions by the end of business on May 21 and could take weeks to act.
The unions are currently negotiating contracts and asking for better wages and working conditions.
—Reporting for Reuters David Ljunggren
Originally published on May 6, 2024 on Government of Alberta
Many parts of Alberta have experienced flooding in recent years, while others have seen water shortages and may face severe drought this year. Many communities need assistance in developing the expensive local infrastructure needed to protect residents from extreme weather events.
To help, Alberta’s government is launching the new $125-million Drought and Flood Protection Program. Municipalities and Indigenous communities across the province can now apply for funding to improve their drought and flood resilience and adapt to severe weather.
“We are helping communities build the infrastructure they need to help protect people’s homes and keep businesses going during droughts or floods. These emergencies can devastate public infrastructure and private property, damage the environment, disrupt our economy and put lives at risk. That’s why I encourage any and all communities to apply.”
The Drought and Flood Protection Program builds on the work of the Alberta Community Resilience Program. This year, $25 million is being made available for projects to benefit communities across the province that are facing drought and flood. Another $100 million will be available for funding over the next four years, with applications accepted each year.
The Drought and Flood Protection Program will help communities design and construct projects that protect critical infrastructure from drought and flooding and help ensure public safety is protected. This could include important drought-related projects to improve water storage, upgrading open-ditch irrigation canals to reduce water loss through evaporation, or relocating water intakes to help communities access water during dry periods. It could also include flood-related projects, such as berms, flood walls and other infrastructure.
Applications for shovel-ready projects are strongly encouraged, but all projects that meet the eligibility criteria will be considered for funding. All municipalities, Improvement Districts, Special Areas, Metis Settlements and First Nations are eligible to apply by June 6, 2024.