Soil and Crop News Georgian Central Soil & Crop Improvement Association Serving Members of Bruce, Dufferin, Grey, North and South Simcoe Counties

Spring 2018 Soil and Crop News Georgian Central Soil & Crop Improvement Association Serving Members of Bruce, Dufferin, Grey, North and South Simcoe Counties

The Williams Family, South Simcoe SCIA Left to Right- Jordan, Carla, Jim and Jace Williams

Appreciation is extended to the following Partner Sponsors:

Huron Bay Co-operative

Canada Post Publications Agreement # 40045424 GEORGIAN CENTRAL Co-ordinator’s Corner NEWS Contents…………. With Spring just around the corner, everyone will be itching to get on the fields. Even in the last days of Coordinator’s Corner 2 February, I can’t ever remember seeing no snow around Member Profile 3-4 the fence rows. Even if we do get a few flurries, it Executive Rosters 5 shouldn’t take too long for it to disappear. For most of us in this area, 2017 was extremely wet and 2016 was Growing Forward 2 5 extremely dry, so one would expect the perfect year in Workshop Info 2018. At least that’s the way many farmers would Provincial Director’s Report 6 optimistically think. Well friends – we’ll know better in News from the Georgian 6-8 October!!!! Central Region Counties I trust everyone is now busy preparing for the upcoming planting season, and I Upcoming Events 9 hope that you are able to consider and implement some of the tips you picked up Sponsor Recognition Back at meetings this past winter. It has been a busy winter, and we have seen better Cover participation in the various agriculture programs and courses than we have seen in Please enjoy OSCIA News recent times. It’s great to see so many more young producers getting involved and Crop Talk and taking an active role in our industry. The next issue of Georgian Soil Having attended the OSCIA Annual Meeting in London this year and hearing the four inspiring finalists in the Ontario Forage Masters Competition, I would & Crop News encourage you to participate in the 2018 program. Each one of them commented will be the Summer Report that the competition was a great experience and that contrary to some initial 2018 thoughts, it was not an intimidating experience. Perhaps a little “tweaking” will make the competition even better. Forages are still by far the largest single crop For comments or inquiries, grown in Ontario and across Canada, so I encourage you to check this competition call 519-986-3756 or out. Email: [email protected] Many County Soil & Crop Improvement Associations are planning a number of summer activities and events, so please consider participating and be a part of the Georgian Soil and Crop News is innovative movement. This can be a great experience!!! Contact your County Soil a quarterly newsletter & Crop Directors for more information on how you can get involved. representing one of 11 If you have not yet renewed your County Soil & Crop membership for 2018, you Regional Newsletters produced are encouraged to do so and submit it to the appropriate County. You are also encouraged to invite your neighbor to join, and yes, perhaps you may even invite 4 times a year in conjunction them to go to some events with you. Nothing like a personal invitation!!!! with the Provincial Newsletter I trust you will all have a good planting season this spring, and always be and OMAFRA Crop Talk. conscious of safety around the farm.

Ray Robertson, P.Ag., Communications Co-ordinator, Georgian Central Region SCIA

Have you done something innovative on your farm? In coming issues, we would like to highlight what our members are doing on their farms with respect to new ideas in agricultural practices and technologies. No idea is too large or small! Perhaps you have done something to improve productivity; refined management approaches; or introduced https://tinyurl.com/ya7lvht4 new crops/production techniques. Please email your ideas to [email protected]. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Page 2 Spring 2018 the mix.

Carla, is originally from Alberta. In the summers, she would often visit family that lived in the Bradford area. Eventually she moved to Ontario, and that is how she met Jim. She is now an integral part of the day to day operations of the farm, and she manages the bookkeeping side of the business. She also volunteers her time doing the financials for the oldest son’s hockey team and is the local secretary for the South Simcoe 4-H Association.

Farm Operation

Between the three farm families, the farm operation presently

A Beautiful Setting for the Williams’ Farmstead consists of about 1300 acres of owned and rented land. The

It is a pleasure to feature the Williams family of Simcoe rough breakdown of acres is as follows; 400ac of corn, 500ac County in this Spring issue of Soil & Crop News. Jim and of soybeans, 2-300ac of wheat, 40ac of barley for feed, and Carla, along with their two sons Jace (14) and Jordan (11), the remainder is in forages. Most of their land is heavy clay operate a cash crop farm just outside of Bradford. with random tile drainage. They are dabbling with no-till; “all of the wheat is no-tilled” explained Jim. The heavy clay History land poses a bit of a challenge, so they are mainly practising Jim’s great grandfather was originally from Pennsylvania. conservation tillage at this point. In efforts to reduce tillage, When he came to Canada, he settled in Colgan first, and then they are using a chopping corn head which has greatly 112 years ago, he settled on Highway 88 in the Bradford area. reduced the need for as much tillage. Cover crops, such as The original homestead was a mixed farming operation, double cut red clover, has always had a place alongside their raising beef, and hogs. The farm evolved over the years, but wheat crop. Jim describes this as “the original cover crop”, the main change was when Jim’s dad began shipping cream. compared to the cover crop species and cocktail mixes He noted that the dairy farms in the area always looked to be utilized today. They have experimented with tillage radish doing better. He decided to start shipping cream in hopes that and hope to do more trials with it in the future. it would convert to selling milk some day. When Jim’s

brother went off to study Agriculture at Guelph, Jim’s dad purchased quota. Another farm was purchased in the 60’s to raise the replacement heifers.

Jim’s brother and their family live at the original homestead, managing the dairy operation. The dairy facility is in an older

style bank barn equipped with 43 stalls, and 2 silos; one for corn silage, one for haylage. Jim and his family live where the replacement heifers are housed. The AI breeding is done there, and the heifers are sent to the dairy farm just prior to calving. Today, the two brothers and father all work together, but all run separate businesses. They share equipment back and forth, which spreads the equipment cost out across everyone. They also use a ‘back and forth’ barter system. For example, the corn silage may be grown on Jim’s land, but Jordan, Jace, Carla and Jim Williams in return, he may receive manure. This type of arrangement helps the overall crop rotation to have forages and manure in

Page 3 Spring 2018 Member Profile continued

stress of figuring out the best time to sell, which has proven quite beneficial for them.

Future and Challenges

The future weighs heavy on Jim and Carla, as they see urban development rapidly encroaching around their farms. Jace and Jordan go to the same school that Jim attended. Jim commented that “when I was attending that school, it was out in the middle of nowhere! Now it is completely surrounded by housing.” It is a huge challenge living close Modern Equipment is a Must in Today’s Fast Paced Harvesting to an urban setting. Firstly, Jim comments, “traffic is becoming a bigger problem every year”. They have to The Williams family has recently switched to a 12 row barricade field entrances to prevent damage, and to avoid Case IH planter, which is an interplant unit. This allows dumping. Rental agreements with land owned by them to plant corn on 30” rows, and beans on 15” rows. investors, causes additional complications. They specify They use factory Trimble GPS components in a Case IH that the Williams can’t grow a hay crop or cereal because tractor and planter. They sell small square and round hay they do not want to promote a Species at Risk being spotted bales to the local hay market through contracts that they on site. This results in limited rotation on these farms, have acquired over the years. They also market small straw which affects fertility. bales to the horse trade and the construction market. Jim and Carla both see a positive outlook for the industry The Williams are excited that a Roof Top Solar project has as a whole, but are encouraging both boys to have a trade to been installed this year through a Fit 4 Project, which is a back them up. The boys have an interest in farm life, and 100kw system on 3 buildings; the bank barn, the hay are contributing more and more to driving equipment. Jace storage and the lean-to addition. They are glad to see it loves anything with wheels, and Jordan has more of a finally up and running. passion for the animals. In talking with Jim and Carla, their passion for the farm was obvious. They see the farm as a Like most successful farms, a side business connected to great place to raise a family, and it helps their kids learn the the farm is common. Jim’s dad has operated a seed meaning of responsibility and commitment. cleaning business for many years. They have combined and cleaned red clover seed. Also, since the mid ‘90s, Jim has It has been a real pleasure to meet with Jim and Carla, and had a farm dealership for NK and Maizex seeds. He has share some of the history of their operation. It has been learned a lot from being a seed dealer and has found it very interesting to learn about the change in their community in rewarding. He finds that it is a good opportunity to get what we would consider a relatively short time frame. away from the farm, but he is also learning and networking We want to thank Jim and Carla for taking time out of their with other farmers. It also allows him to keep abreast of busy schedule to meet with us to share their story. We also what is happening and remain current. Jim commented on extend a big thank you to South Simcoe County Soil & how selling seed “allows you to take part in seed dealer Crop for selecting the Williams family to be featured in this meetings and training programs”. edition. In 2007, they purchased a grain dryer in Indiana, and added grain bins for storage. These expansions have allowed them to dry their own crop at harvest time, and also enables them to store most of their harvest on-farm. This initiative has come with a steep learning curve. Jim and Carla have been working with a marketing coach to help alleviate the Always a Proud Moment to See the Results of Your Labour

Page 4 Spring 2018 Georgian Central Region Soil and Crop Executive

Steph Kowalski President 85 Wellington St W., Alliston, ON L9R 1J2 705-309-3774 [email protected]

Andy van Niekerk Past President 2035 Cty. Rd 42, Box 1554, Stayner, ON L0M 1S0 705-446-5080 [email protected] H: 519-367-2785 Les Nicholson Provincial Director 273 Conc. 12, RR 1, Formosa, ON N0G 1W0 [email protected] C: 519-881-6489 Ray Robertson Secretary/Treasurer Box 463, Markdale, ON N0C 1H0 519-986-3756 [email protected] Regional Ray Robertson Box 463, Markdale, ON N0C 1H0 519-986-3756 [email protected] Co-ordinator County Executives Within the Georgian Central Region Bruce County Soil & Crop Improvement Association

Paul Legge President 426 Conc. 6, RR 2, Chesley, ON N0G 1L0 226-668-1071 [email protected] Adam Ireland Secretary 4565 Bruce Rd 4, RR 2, Teeswater, ON N0G 2S0 519-357-8898 [email protected] Tim Borho Secretary RR1, Formosa, ON N0G 1W0 519-392-6062 [email protected] Harrison Todd Treasurer 111285 Grey Road 3, RR 2, Ayton, ON N0G 1C0 226-668-6476 [email protected] Dufferin County Soil & Crop Improvement Association

David Orr President 362-107 Con 8-9, Grand Valley, ON L9W 0Y1 C: 519-216-4198 [email protected] Brandi McCabe Secretary 555567 Mono Amaranth Townline, Mono, ON L9V 0Z1 519-940-6679 [email protected] Lacey Dunford Treasurer 4356 Adjala Tecumseth Townline, Alliston, ON L9R 1V4 705-241-5813 [email protected] Grey County Soil & Crop Improvement Association

Brandon Gillies President 064382 SR 3, RR 1, Bognor, ON N0G 1E0 519-379-2930 [email protected]

Ken Mitchell Treasurer 264162 SR24, RR 1, Annan, ON N0H 1B0 519-376-6506 [email protected] Ray Robertson Secretary Box 463, Markdale, ON N0C 1H0 519-986-3756 [email protected] North Simcoe County Soil & Crop Improvement Association

Ralph Giffen President 3329 George Johnston Rd, Springwater, ON L9X 1V1 705-737-1134 [email protected] [email protected] Ed Pridham Secretary/Treasurer 11242 County Road 10, Stayner, ON L0M 1S0 705-428-5582 [email protected] South Simcoe County Soil & Crop Improvement Association

Paul Lynch President 5312 Cty. Rd.10, Alliston, ON L9R 1V5 705-435-8662 [email protected]

Steph Kowalski Secretary/Treasurer 85 Wellington St W, Alliston, ON L9R 1J2 705-309-3774 [email protected] Workshop Dates and Locations Near the Georgian Central Region Most of the workshop locations will be determined closer to the workshop dates and the registered producers will be notified of the location. If you can gather 8 producers together and would like an EFP in that specific area—please let Lois know and she will do her best to accommodate. At least 12 producers are required for a GYFP workshop. Lois Sinclair—Regional Program Lead 519-955-3139 email: [email protected]. All Workshops are from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Growing Your Farm Profits (GYFP) and Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) Workshops are available. Register Online at www.ontariosoilcrop.org. These Workshops are Free EFP: Creemore - April 6 & 13 Clinton - April 12 & 19 Mount Forest - April 18 & 25 Markdale - May 1 & 8 Linwood - May 17 & 24 Orangeville - June 5 & 12 Mitchell - June 13 & 20 Paisley - June 22 & 29 GYFP: Creemore - April 10, 17, & 24 Brodhagen - April 16, 23, & 30 Wingham - May 3, 10, & 17 Markdale - May 11, 17, & 25 Orangeville - June 14, 21, & 28 Chesley - June 18, 25, & July 5 Biosecurity: Generic Livestock - Wingham - March 19 Elora - June 11

Info sessions about the new CAP Program: April 9, St. Jacobs Lions Hall, 2 pm April 11, Brodhagen Community Centre, 7 pm, Bornholme April 13, Mount Forest Legion, 2 pm

Page 5 Spring 2018 Provincial Director’s Report Grey County

Welcome to the 2018 crop year! As I write What a weird winter. We finish combining corn on November 28th this in early March, we have very little snow under sunny skies with unfavourable wet field conditions. Within cover left and thoughts of an early spring!! days it started snowing and turned cold. The field work ended very Time will tell!! quickly, having no fall tillage done on silage or grain corn ground accomplished; and with manure storage not as empty as it should I would certainly like to congratulate all the have been. In the second half of December we experienced Georgian Central Region Soil & Crop extremely cold temperatures which made daily chores not very Associations on an excellent winter season of enjoyable. I remember that it was -26 degrees on New Year's Eve AGM’s, Seed Fairs, and Grower meetings. at 5pm. These events all provided excellent learning opportunities to the membership. Friends and neighbours and I have snowmobiles, and we enjoy trail riding when we have time. Last winter it was terrible for getting The OSCIA AGM was held in London on Feb. 13 & 14 with out due to lack of snow, and we hoped for a better year this year. It excellent attendance and lots of informative speakers and has turned out to be a worse year after we had the major thaw in presentations. Peter McLaren of the Ottawa Rideau region is the January. On the other hand, it has been excellent conditions for 2018 OSCIA president. I moved up to 1st Vice-President. tilling some fields; no mud or compaction during installation. At the end of February we did some soil testing. The soil wasn't really It was great to see that two of the four finalists for the Forage that damp, and we could basically walk any where in the fields Master competition were from Georgian Central – Harold Zettler with work boots. & Grant Cowan. All did excellent presentations on their forage production systems. Forage Master winner for 2018 was Doug Friday, December 15, we had the Seed and Feed Show. This was Johnston from Heartland Region. In all, a very informative and the first year in a new venue in Flesherton at the Kinplex building successful AGM. You also may want to note that the 2019 OSCIA due to the closure of Chatsworth arena and hall. Lois Sinclair gave AGM will be held on Feb. 5 & 6 in Kingston. an update on OSCIA programs. Byron Bothwell from Bluewater Drainage presented an interactive power point presentation on The new CAP (Canadian Agricultural Program) program has also "Tile Drainage– It Doesn't Cost it Pays". He explained and been officially announced. This is the replacement for the GFII documented the economic benefits with current commodity values. programs. Details are still not available, but they are suggesting a The slide show covered the history of different types of drainage fairly seamless transfer to this program from the previous program. dating back hundreds of years. He also showed how they design Do check the OSCIA website for more details on CAP and other the systems using GPS units attached to ATV, collecting data like new programs as they become available. elevation levels and distance during surveying. Deb Campbell’s talk was on "Getting the Excitement Back into Canola" Deb’s I look forward to attending the many Soil & Crop events, plots, etc. presentation covered yield trials, different spray programs, being planned by all the Georgian Central county associations over fertilizer, and soil health. A producer panel on “In Season the coming months. Nitrogen Management” was an interesting session. They explained how their different application equipment worked, and how and With the busy spring season approaching I certainly ask everyone when they add nitrogen to corn field mid summer. to work safely and wish everyone a productive and profitable 2018 crop year. Rob Kirkconnel and I attended the OSCIA AGM in London at Lamplighters Inn. There are always excellent speakers, and you get well fed. The Forage Masters Finals was interesting. We received Les Nichols, each of the four finalists’ presentations and then we had to vote to OSCIA Director decide the winner. Out of the 4 finalists, 3 of them gave their presentation live on stage, and one producer couldn't make it to London, so he gave his presentation via Skype. During the panel, "Success Stories of Women in Agriculture", 3 women shared how they got where they are in the agriculture business. They talked about the good and the bad times, and how it worked out for them. The program was very interesting and they had many questions from the audience.

It feels like spring is going to be early, but the weather can change not in our favour quickly. I hope everyone can get their equipment ready, start thinking about fertilizer programs, and have seed in place. Have a happy and safe spring.

Brandon Gillies, President, Grey SCIA OSCIA Annual Conference 2018

Page 6 Spring 2018 Bruce County

As I write this and look out my office window we have essentially lost all the snow. Along with the snow melt, the heavy rains are certainly testing the limits of rivers, creeks and municipal ditches. It certainly doesn’t feel like mid-February in Bruce County. It’s these extreme weather events that make us look around and reflect on choices we have made with our farm land and cropping systems. This morning the waterways, running dark with soil and nutrients, are telling us we have room for improvement. During our summer bus trip we spent the day on Lake Erie with Ohio State University’s Island Campus, Stone Labs, and it was a real eye opener for me as a crop producer. We saw first-hand the affects that our soil and nutrient run-off has to the wildlife in the lakes and rivers. Experimenting on farm with new ideas and techniques are certainly not always easy, but it’s important to set some goals for improvement!

This winter has been full of excellent meetings and learning opportunities. Our AGM in December was a great success. Mark Richards from Dresden gave us some insight into the processing tomato and sugar beet business. On behalf of BSCIA I would like to thank Adam Devisser for all his dedication as president and a big thanks to Andy Dales for all his hard work over the years as a director. Andy spent countless hours organizing many BSCIA events and would always lend a helping hand to anyone that needed it. We appreciate everything you have done especially being the main lead on the summer car tour every year! Although we are sad to see Andy go, we are excited to welcome Tori Waugh to the team!

We had another excellent Grey Bruce Farmers Week. Thanks to Grey Ag Services and all the volunteers for the hard work they put into the event to make it successful! We welcomed Mike Dorion from Western Canada to speak for Eco and Crops day. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to soil health and compost. Mike will be back in Ontario in July, so keep posted for the possibility of a summer workshop or meeting while he is in the area!

Two Bruce County delegates attended another informative OSCIA AGM. As always, there’s lots of networking and valuable information to learn from other counties in Ontario. Some things to note from the meeting was the new Forage Masters presentations. Although the new format may seem a little daunting, it’s a great process to go through to find room for improvement. Harold Zettler, a BSCIA member, did an excellent presentation and certainly was a front runner in the competition! I challenge some other BSCIA members to give it a try!

As spring seeding quickly approaches I hope that everyone has a wonderful and prosperous year ahead. BSCIA looks forward to a busy year of learning with all of the BSCIA members. Paul Legge, BSCIA President Summary of Events in Bruce County Careers in Ag: April 11th from 10am – 2:30 pm at the Chesley Agri Fair. Students in Grey and Bruce counties are encouraged to attend and learn about career options in agriculture. We look forward to some talented young speakers that are a part of OSCIA. Roots of Bruce: April 19th and 20th for Grades 5 and 6 students. BSCIA looks after combine setup and plant science for the students. Forage Masters: We would like to encourage some Bruce members to participate in the forage masters. Summer Mystery Car Tour: July 3rd we will meet at the Paisley Community Centre at 9:30 am. This year we have OMAFRA rep Meghan Moran and Real Agriculture’s Peter Johnson to do our trouble shooting. This is a do not miss event to improve our crop diagnostic skills. Field Trials: BSCIA are in the planning stages of a couple projects. Of note we will be doing “Water Infiltration Testing” in conjunction with soil type to better evaluate acceptable infiltration rates in Bruce County. We are looking for farms to test infiltration, so please contact Tori Waugh at [email protected] with locations. Another large project in the works is a compaction trial of spring manure application (funding dependent). This will be replicated on tilled, no-tilled and land in cover crops. Annual Meeting: Dec 6th at Paisley Community Centre. We will keep you posted as more details are available.

Page 7 Spring 2018 Dufferin County

2018 has started off on the right foot for Dufferin County Soil and Crop Improvement Association. On January 18th, local Dufferin county agricultural producers boarded a full bus to venture to the city. The first destination was to Parish and Heimbecker in Hamilton. P&H is a family owned business involved in many different areas of agriculture from grain merchandising, milling, food processing, and animal nutrition programs. In Hamilton they focus on grain merchandising, and new to this location, milling. The grain terminal is able to store up to 60,000 tonnes of corn, soybeans, or wheat. They export internationally by filling large cargo ships from their new and improved receiving leg, which allows for storage, and dust free ship loading. The mill is very impressive as well. With the demand of milling in the area increasing, P&H decided this was the perfect location for an updated flour mill. The new mill is able to mill and blend 500 tonnes of wheat 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, to meet the need of their bulk customers. From the Hamilton terminal, the group toured over to Forty Creek Distillery, located in Grimsby. The group toured the distillery, and tasted the final product of whiskies that were founded by John K Hall back in 1992. Without the help of our sponsors this trip would not have been such a success. A big thank you goes to Woodrill Ltd, Holmes Agro, FCC, and Dufferin Federation of Agriculture.

On February 14th, Dufferin hosted our annual Seed and Feed show at the Amaranth Town Hall. With a full house of members and suppliers, the day was packed with an excellent group of guest speakers, who delivered very informative information. Lois Sinclair, from Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, gave program and workshops updates. Beck Landman, a local garden and bakery entrepreneur, spoke about her passion and the importance of connecting food back to agriculture. Anne Verhallen, cover crop specialist with OMAFRA, shared her knowledge about the importance of cover crops. Mark Robinson, from The Weather Network, delivered stories about storm chasing. He also gave an insight into the 2018 forecast, predicting normal temperatures and rain fall, with a slow start to spring. A panel discussion from Deb Campbell, Daryl Burnett and David Orr shared their thoughts about the importance of nitrogen management. Peter Archer, of Maizeing Acres, gave a market update. He emphasized the importance of having a marketing strategy prior to harvesting season or even before. Jen and Sharron, from the Grand River Conservation, spoke in regards to the new Dufferin Rural and Water Quality Programs and their benefits to members. Bruce Kelly, from Ontario Farm and Food Care, spoke on how producers can speak up and help spread a positive message in the agriculture industry. The way consumers see food being produced is changing, and they don’t understand all of the changes. Bruce also spoke on other resources Ontario Farm and Food Care provide. Susan McCutcheon, from BDO, spoke on the new tax implication that seems to be changing on a regular occurrence. The day was wrapped up with our annual meeting with nothing large to report, but welcoming a new director Krys Bryan. With what we hope to be spring around the corner, we are getting excited for the 2018 season to be on its way with new adventures and learning opportunities. Happy Spring! Brandi McCabe, Secretary, Dufferin SCIA

Page 8 Spring 2018 July 2018

12 FarmSmart Expo  Elora Research Station  6182 2nd Line, Ariss, ON April 2018  www.farmsmartconference.com TBD Forage Expo 4-5 Canadian Dairy XPO  For more information, call -1 877-892-8663 or  Stratford Rotary Complex email [email protected]  www.dairyxpo.ca 10 Georgian Soil and Crop Annual Meeting An Industry with Vision  Meet for lunch at Steven’s Restaurant at 11:45 A quick look at just a few of Agriculture and Agri-Food  Meeting starts at 1:15 Canada's most recent innovative agricultural stories, from coast  Grey Ag Services, Markdale to coast: 11 Farm and Food Care Ontario AGM and Conference  Country Heritage Park Atlantic Canada – Magic Beans  Gambrel Barn - 8560 Tremaine Rd., Milton New trade opportunities are being created by developing more varieties of value-added crops, such as short-season soybeans.  www.farmfoodcare.org These new varieties could increase farm revenues by an 10-11 Midwestern Agri-Fair estimated $100 million.  Check their facebook page for more details Quebec – Getting Proactive on Probiotics 12 CAFA Farm Women’s Update, London  9:00 am - 4 pm Probiotics are a hot topic in disease prevention right now, but their high sensitivity to temperature, pH levels, digestive juices  www.cafanet.ca/farm-women-london2018 and oxygen makes their qualities difficult to harness. To deliver 15-18 Grown in Grey probiotics' full health benefits, researchers are currently working  Desboro Community Centre on a protective coating that can survive the harsh conditions of  136205 Grey Rd. 40, Chatsworth human digestion.

Roots of Bruce 19-20 Ontario – Thinking Outside the Beehive  9:45 am - 2:15 pm AAFC is partnering with universities to create a process called  Walkerton Agricultural Buildings "vectoring," which sees bumblebees deliver a microbial agent 23-24 Agriculture Institute of Canada’s Conference directly to greenhouse plants during pollination to control pests.  University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON The biopesticide is harmless to bees, plants and people.  Theme is Education in Agricultural Sciences and Technology - Ready for the Future? Prairies – Turning Straw into Gold The paper-making business is tearing up convention. Investments  www.aic.ca/aic2018 in innovation are working to put a new paper on the market that will be made from wheat and flax straw. The innovation would June 2018 provide farmers with income from a byproduct that would otherwise be considered waste. 3-5 Ontario Dairy Convention  The Westin, Ottawa, ON British Columbia – Breaking New Ground  www.ontariodairies.ca Field and laboratory studies are helping to minimize the CAFA’s Farm Management Update environmental impact of nitrates in surface and ground water. 19 This ground breaking research aids the environment while  Ottawa maintaining optimum crop production.  www.cafanet.ca The North – Cold Climate Cultivation July 2018 Work is underway to identify the challenges of producing food in the North with traits that can thrive in northern climates while also helping to create new economic opportunities. 4 Grey Dufferin Community Pasture Farm Twilight Modern agriculture is based on innovative, sustainable and Meeting competitive farming practices.  126522 Southgate Rd. 12, West of Grey 8  More details to come http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/about-us/publications/we-grow-a-lot-more- than-you-may-think/?id=1251899760841 4-5 Southwestern Ontario Crop Diagnostic Days  Ridgetown Campus, University of Guelph

Page 9 Spring 2018 Thank You To Our Sponsors

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