Selling genetically-modified purple tomato seeds to home gardeners could raise the risk of contamination of organic vegetable varieties and hamper farmers’ ability to save their own seed, say a group of advocates.
Tag Archives organic
Selling GMO tomato seeds to Canadian gardeners ‘reckless’ say advocates
Using nematodes to control crop pests
Alberta research and U.S. commercialization suggest soil-dwelling nematodes could become a practical option for Prairie pest control
Alberta research and U.S. commercialization suggest soil-dwelling nematodes could become a practical option for Prairie pest control.
Could trap crops help fend off lygus in faba beans?
A study explores how bracketing crops such as safflower or sunflower could help manage lygus in faba fields
The idea under study here is simple: plant something even more attractive than faba beans along the field edge, draw lygus in and hit them with an insecticide before they move on.
Prairie farmers have mixed views of sustainable agriculture push
Suggesting that producers change their practices when the status quo is working for them can be a reach
If governments, corporations and environmental groups want to achieve change on the landscape, education and incentives are both needed, and preferably farmer-to-farmer education.
Trade, competitiveness, investment among organic sector’s election priorities
Amidst trade tensions, the Canadian organic sector has opportunities to expand into many markets but needs support and investment from the federal government to be competitive, say industry representatives.
Most organic commodity prices remain firm heading into the holidays
Organic grain prices held steady in December, as industry participants reflected on the past year and considered what a new administration in the United States could mean for the North American markets in 2025. “(Prices) are in a holding pattern until we know what’s going to happen with the U.S. situation,” commented Harro Wehrmann of […] Read more
Science Brief: Plants adapt genes to farming methods
Farming practices can trigger genetic adaptions in plants, according to research at the University of Bonn. The 23-year project started in the late 1990s, when a research group led by Jens Léon started an experiment into how farming conditions affect plant genetic material. Researchers first increased genetic variation by crossing high-yield barley with a wild […] Read more
DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman
Outstanding Young Farmers: How they put diversity in their rotations, cropping systems, equipment use — and growing regions
Watching for and developing diversification opportunities is certainly an important part of how partners DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman built their farm businesses in Ontario. Growing up on their respective farms in southwestern Ontario, they both started farm businesses at an early age. DJ grew up on a beef operation and started a custom farming […] Read more
Tristan and Aubyn Banwell
Outstanding Young Farmers 2024: How this ranch moved from traditional commercial channels into direct organic meat marketing
Spray Creek Ranch in southwestern B.C. has the land, the livestock, a well-established market and even a new abattoir built on the farm. Now it just needs a butcher. The organic direct-to-consumer meat business that Tristan and Aubyn Banwell have built over the past 10 years on their ranch, near Lillooet, is still flourishing as […] Read more
Feds fund organic development groups
MacAulay pledged up to nearly $$1,175,841 for the Canadian Organic Trade Association (COTA) over three years via the AgriMarketing program and up to $985,985 over three years to the Prairie Organic Development Fund via the AgriCompetativeness program.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
