COVID-19 and the farm: Stories from the GFM network

COVID-19 has added an unprecedented level of uncertainty and disruption to the agricultural communities we serve. Throughout this crisis, Glacier FarmMedia is leveraging the strength of its farm news network to help you stay up to date on developments important to your family and farm. Look here for links to all the coverage provided by our[...]

Four farmers named to panel on Ontario prison farms

Four eastern Ontario farmers have been named to a new seven-member advisory panel on the "potential reopening" of two federal penitentiary farms at Kingston. Correctional Service Canada (CSC) on Thursday announced the panel members, who are expected to hold their first meeting next month and to "engage with community stakeholders" on the farms' possible reopening.[...]


Cargill selling Ontario grain, inputs businesses

Quebec agrifood co-operative La Coop federee is set to stake a larger claim in Ontario's grain and crop input sector with a deal for Cargill's assets there. Cargill's Winnipeg-based Canadian arm announced Thursday it will sell its Ontario grain and crop input outlets and its joint-venture stake in South West Ag Partners to La Coop[...]

Ontario redrafts vegetable grower organization governance

Ontario's Farm Products Marketing Commission (OFPMC) is proposing a new governance structure for the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, which has been without a board of directors since March. The commission last week released proposed amendments to provincial Regulations 441 and 400, which would set up an eight-member OPVG board with an OFPMC-appointed chair. The amendments[...]


Quebec extends organic conversion funding plan

A support program for Quebec farmers to convert crop, livestock or maple syrup operations to organic production will get an extension. Provincial Agriculture Minister Laurent Lessard on Monday announced the three-year, $4 million organic agriculture conversion support program set up in June 2015 will now run to the end of March 2022. The program offers[...]

Ontario ag minister downed in Tories' election win

The Ontario Liberals' minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs is among the election-night casualties as the province's Progressive Conservatives get set to form a majority government. As of midnight CT Friday, Doug Ford's Tories were elected or leading in 76 of 124 ridings, followed by Andrea Horwath's New Democrats in 40 and Kathleen Wynne's[...]


Grain Growers applauds move to accelerate CGC outward inspection fee reduction

Grain Growers of Canada says it is pleased to see an April 22 Canada Gazette notice that proposes an early reduction of Canadian Grain Commission outward inspection fees as of August 1, 2017. The accelerated reduction is ahead of the original schedule of new user fees which would have started April 1, 2018. “This move[...]

'Natural' food firm to buy cold-pressed juice maker

The owner of Life Choices Natural Foods and Rolling Meadow Dairy is set to expand its share of the Canadian  juice market with a deal for the Toronto maker of Cedar organic and cold-pressed juices. GreenSpace Brands announced Thursday it has signed a cash-and-stock deal by buy the Cold Press Corp. for between $5.385 million[...]


Cargill to replace chicken plant's stunning system

Agrifood firm Cargill has budgeted $22 million to swap out an electric stunning system at its London, Ont. chicken processing plant in favour of a new controlled atmospheric stunning (CAS) system. The CAS system, expected to be up and running this spring, "will help reduce handling stress with chickens, resulting in a higher-quality, more consistent[...]

Sleeman investing to bring back production from U.S.

Canada's third-biggest national brewer plans upgrades at its southwestern Ontario plant, with which it plans to bring back some production it now contracts out to a U.S. brewery. Guelph-based Sleeman Breweries, owned since 2006 by Japanese brewer Sapporo, announced Monday it will invest $6.61 million to expand packaging capability, put up new beer tanks and[...]