Nova Scotia will stop taking applications for its local-level renewable electricity program pending a review. The province on Thursday announced seven new approvals under its Community Feed-In Tariff (COMFIT) program, but also that it will “pause and evaluate” the program. The pause, the province said, is meant to see that COMFIT “continues to be community-based,
N.S. puts feed-in-tariff program on hold
Ont. boosts rewards for standardbred racehorses
Standardbred racehorse breeders in Ontario are hailing what they describe as a $12 million boost to the province’s Standardbred Improvement Program. The Ontario Racing Commission approved the program’s budget and elements earlier this week, pledging almost $16 million in purses for 2015 and just over $2 million in “Ontario Bred” and “Ontario Sired” rewards. The
Wheat models show climate change pressuring yields
A combination of multiple computer models of weather’s impact on wheat warns of a six per cent dent in world wheat production for every degree Celsius in temperature increase. Scientists have been trying for 20 years to estimate effects of temperature increase and climate change on wheat production, which accounts for 20 per cent of
Ontario farm registration streamlined
Ontario farmers filling out their farm business registration (FBR) forms in the next few weeks can look forward to five years of not doing so. Agricorp, the province’s farm programming delivery agency, noted in a statement that while all farmers in Ontario are required to complete the FBR form in 2015, the process has been
Dairy support price trimmed starting March 1
Canada’s dairy producers can expect their overall revenue from sales of industrial milk to slip nearly two per cent starting in March. The Canadian Dairy Commission on Thursday announced it will snip the support price it sets for skim milk powder effective March 1 to $6.3109 per kilogram — down from the current $6.4754 —
‘Nazi’ cattle prove too hard to handle for British farmer
Breed was an attempt to recreate cattle’s wild ancestors
A British farmer has culled his herd of “Nazi” cattle from 20 to six because the animals were considered too dangerous to handle. According to a story in The Guardian, in 2009, Derek Gow imported 13 Heck cattle to his Devon farm for study and as subjects for photography. Wikipedia says Heck cattle originated in
New reporter joins Co-operator staff
Jennifer Paige will be based in Minnedosa
A new reporter has joined the Manitoba Co-operator reporting staff. Jennifer Paige will be covering events and issues in western Manitoba from her home base in Minnedosa. Originally from Brandon, Paige graduated with honours from the print journalism program at Lethbridge College in Alta., and began her writing career with the agriculture-based magazine publisher, Issues
Federal funding pledged for crop market development work
Canadian crop commodity groups getting federal AgriMarketing funding plan to put the money to work over five years — not just in salesmanship, but in developing their crops’ story for potential customers. Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz made two five-year funding announcements during the CropSphere 2015 conference Tuesday and Wednesday in Saskatoon: over $3.3 million
Outdoor Farm Show owner sets sights on Saskatchewan
The owners of the biggest outdoor farm show in Canada have announced plans to put the business model to work northwest of Saskatoon. Farm publishing house Glacier FarmMedia, owners of the Woodstock, Ont.-based Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and this website, on Wednesday announced its chosen site and date for the inaugural edition of what it’s dubbed Ag in
Farrowing barn is Quebec’s ninth PED case
Animal health officials in Quebec’s Monteregie have confirmed three more hog operations with cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) since Friday. The province’s swine health team (EQSP) said Friday it had confirmed PED in hogs at a 2,700-head nursery operation at St-Aime, with an epidemiological link to the province’s sixth case at a nearby nursery
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
