(Thinkstock photo)

Ontario’s sheep producers rebrand

Reading Time: 2 minutes The organization that represents sheep farmers in Ontario has a new name and look. The Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency (OSMA) is now known as the Ontario Sheep Farmers, effective at the Ontario Sheep Convention held Thursday and Friday at Alliston. OSMA’s board of directors made the change following a resolution at the 2015 annual meeting. […] Read more


Kim Jo Bliss credits her grandmother, Gladys Smith, with instilling the love of farming she carries with her today.

About the northwest

To this farmer, northwestern Ontario offers loads of advantages over the hustle of the southwest

Reading Time: 6 minutes Whether it’s through the longer days of spring and summer in northwestern Ontario or the darker nights that mark the passage of winter, Kim Jo Bliss puts a lot into every hour of every day. A full-time farmer, manager of the Emo Agricultural Research Station, a passionate advocate for farming, and a mentor for young […] Read more



(JBSs.infoinvest.com.br)

Brazil police detain JBS CEO

Reading Time: 3 minutes Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s federal police on Wednesday detained the chief executive of JBS SA, the world’s No. 1 meatpacker, saying he used insider information to avoid hefty losses related to a plea bargain he signed earlier this year. Wesley Batista, who has been at the helm of JBS since 2011, was detained […] Read more

Horses that escaped from an enclosure onto a road near an RCMP checkpoint in an evacuated zone at Williams Lake are calmed and walked to safety on July 17. (WilliamsLake.bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca)

AgriRecovery in place for farms in B.C. wildfire zones

Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers and ranchers whose operations were hit or evacuated during British Columbia’s particularly destructive wildfire season can expect up to $20 million in AgriRecovery funds toward repair, rebuilding and livestock feeding costs. The federal and B.C. governments on Tuesday laid out more details for the 60-40 cost-shared program, which was announced in principle in mid-August. […] Read more


(Staff photo)

Online livestock supply store expands reach west

Reading Time: 2 minutes An Ontario livestock nutrition firm’s venture into online retail for producers is expanding into the Prairie provinces with four pickup and ordering points in the region. Cambridge, Ont.-based GVF Group announced Thursday its Farmers Farmacy business, previously available only to producers in Ontario, the Maritime provinces and Quebec, now also serves Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. […] Read more



Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

Livestock premises ID participation strengthens Canadian agriculture

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is considering changes to the Health of Animals Regulations for livestock traceability, the agency announced during PremisesIDWeek July 26, a federal release says. The changes would require all Canadian operators of premises where livestock may be loaded or unloaded from a vehicle to have a valid premises identification number for […] Read more

From clockwise at left: Riley and Lee-Anne Kemp, Michelle Schram and Troy Stozek, and Wayne and Maria McDonald of Manitoba.

Three farm families, five years later

Country Guide revisits three young Manitoba farm families building their future in agriculture

Reading Time: 2 minutes In 2012, Country Guide discovered a cluster of young farmers near out-of-the-way Cartwright, Man. They were all searching for ways to start small in the heart of big-farm Canada, and they all saw their best chance in a combination of direct marketing and holistic practices. To some readers, it seemed like a dream. To others, […] Read more