The Greenbelt, an over 800,000-hectare ecologically sensitive zone around the Greater Golden Horseshoe, was created in 2005. It provides environmental protection and specifies where development should not occur.
The proposed amendments would allow affected livestock producers to defer this compensation over a prescribed schedule from 2026 to 2030, providing them with greater flexibility to manage their incomes and sustain their operations as they rebuild their herds.
Ontario will consolidate its 36 conservation authorities into nine across the province. Environment Minister Todd McCarthy says there will be no job losses as a result. He says the province listened to feedback after several town halls and 14,000 comments on its plan, which initially proposed having seven conservation authorities.
If we did that today, it would be a hundred percent, because right now, without question, 2026 is riskier than 2025. So farmers really [face significant challenges]. The war in Iran continues and it works back to the world of agriculture. It's had an impact on fertiliser and diesel prices and commodity markets, as well as currency.
The CRSB Certified Producer Incentive will provide a $400 payment in 2026 to eligible beef producers who maintain active certification by June 30, 2026, or who were certified at any point between January 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Producers must hold a valid certificate from a CRSB-approved certification body and meet all qualifying cattle requirements to receive the payment.
I think that you just got to do it and you've got to do it because nobody else is lined up to do it for you. Working hard has its rewards... and also to give back to the community because the farming community just does that.
"If Canada wants generational change in agricultural innovation, we need to transform our policy around how we fund plant breeding," he says. The current system, heavily reliant on public funding and check-off dollars, is increasingly under pressure. Reinheimer points to signs that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is shrinking its breeding footprint-especially in wheat, where AAFC varieties still account for about 80 per cent of acres. The problem? There's no updated funding model to match that shift.
Canadian livestock producers deserve risk management programs that reflect the realities of their operations. Adding pasture-related feed costs as an allowable expense ensures fairer support for those who rely on rented pastureland. Our government is committed to supporting producers with effective, responsive programs to protect farming operations.
Across Ontario, producers are building healthier soils and improving their operations through everyday decisions - ones that shape productivity today and influence the legacy left for the next generation. The Ontario On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) supports this work by providing cost-share funding to support the implementation of nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing projects. Many operations are already putting these beneficial management practices (BMPs) to work.
Broadcasting from Calgary, Alberta, your host Shaun Haney is joined by Tyler McCann, managing director of CAPI, and Saskatchewan farmer Daryl Fransoo to talk about profitability in ag and the role of the biofuel industry from a Canadian agriculture perspective. Thoughts on something we talked about on the show? Connect with host Shaun Haney via [email protected], on X/Twitter by using the hashtag #RealAgRadio, or give us a shout or text on the response line, 1-855-776-6147.
As previously reported, AAFC staff were notified in late January about plans to eliminate around 665 positions and close seven research facilities - three research and development centres at Guelph (ON), Quebec City (QC), and Lacombe (AB), and four satellite research farms at Nappan (NS), Scott (SK), Indian Head (SK) and Portage la Prairie (MB). The committee is planning to hold at least four meetings to learn more about the cuts.
According to the job posting, the successful candidate will serve as the lead provincial specialist for edible beans and edible oilseeds, including Identity Preserved (IP) soybeans, spring and winter canola, flaxseed, and sunflower. The role centres on technology transfer - developing and implementing strategies, policies, and programs - while coordinating projects that assess new and existing practices for their suitability under Ontario conditions. The specialist will also prepare and deliver educational tools, act as a liaison between the research community and industry, support policy and program development, and manage high-priority or contentious issues in the sector.
My career as an agronomist required me to take scientific research and apply that knowledge, to assist farmers by helping them solve problems and increase their farms profitability. The ag industry relies on research to continue to solve the ever-changing problems that farmers face. Today my farm business employs management practices that have come directly from the Lacombe Research and Development Centre, this has improved my farms resilience and profitability.
Most recently, she served as the executive director of the South Central Ontario Regional (SCOR) Economic Development Commission, a regional organization representing the counties of Brant, Elgin, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Oxford. In this role, she oversaw strategic planning, board governance, stakeholder engagement, and the execution of high impact initiatives. In addition to her executive leadership, Earls teaches part-time at Fanshawe College and holds a Master of Public Administration from Western University.
Central to this window is the delivery of colostrum, which provides essential antibodies and energy. To ensure success, she recommends following a "two by four" rule. "...getting colostrum in within those first four hours is really critical to getting the best absorption," says Fowler, specifying that calves should receive two litres by four hours of age and an additional two litres by 12 hours. She points out that failure of passive transfer can lead to a 10-kilogram decrease in weaning weight.
Cattle markets are holding firm through what is typically a quieter stretch of the year, underscoring just how tight North American beef supplies remain. In this mid-February Beef Market Update, Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock Exchange joined Shaun Haney to break down pricing trends following CattleCon last week in Nashville. As the industry looks ahead to the second quarter-when supplies are expected to be at their smallest-Wasko says the seasonal outlook could still support stronger prices.
Forty U.S. farm and agricultural groups have launched the Agricultural Coalition for the United-States-Mexico-Canda Agreement, underscoring the accord's vital role as an economic engine for the U.S. farm economy and calling for its renewal with targeted improvements. The group calls the USMCA (CUSMA in Canada) one of "(U.S.) President Trump's signature achievements and one that has significantly propelled the ag economy," according to Bryan Goodman, a spokesperson for the new group.