Open Farm Day
Sunday, September 18th!
The PEI Agriculture Awareness Committee is pleased to present Open Farm Day on Sunday, September 18th. Islanders are encouraged to get out and visit some of the 30 participating farms that will be opening their barn doors. Information on each farm along with maps can be found HERE
Local, Regional, Canadian News
Barn at York Point Farms in Cornwall destroyed by fire
No injuries to people or animals after fire in Cornwall early Thursday morning MORE
Charlottetown food bank gets big beef donation
Atlantic Beef Products beginning to deliver on Burger Love pledge MORE
Canadian farm balance sheets strong
FCC says the industry is doing well, but there are potential headwinds looming MORE
Anderson named federal Tories’ ag critic in shuffle
Longtime CWB critic and Prairie farmer to handle ag file MORE
2016 Future of Dairy Scholarship Program
Deadline is October 1st!
Lely North America (Lely NA) is proud to announce the new 2016 Future of Dairy Scholarship Program that will be awarded annually. Five qualified students residing in Canada will be awarded a one-year, $1,000 scholarship. Students must be at least 18 years old and currently enrolled at an accredited junior college, college, university, or graduate school. The student must also be registered in a program that can equip them to contribute to the dairy industry and be current or previous members of the 4-H. MORE
Farm apprenticeships for 2017
Just a reminder that farms interested in hosting volunteer apprentices from an agricultural college in France in the summer of 2017 have until the beginning of October to let us know. They would like to send 3 or 4 of their students for 2 months or more and they do have a working knowledge of English. Please check the news release for more details or contact Noella at 902-854-3439 ext. 222. MORE
P.E.I Farm Technician Apprenticeship 2017 Training Block
Monday, January 9 – Friday, February 10, 2016 at the Farm Centre, 420 University Avenue, Charlottetown P.E.I.
Developed in consultation with the PEI Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, this one-of-a-kind, free two-year registered apprenticeship program combines classroom learning with on-farm experience, earning students a Certificate of Qualification in Farm Technician by the PEI Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning.
Apprentices work throughout the year gaining skills on-farm with a farm mentor in addition to participating in five weeks of in-class training delivered by Extended Learning, Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture, on PEI. This unique program was developed to address the demand for a skilled, sustainable, agricultural workforce on P.E.I.
Those interested in starting the journey to become a Blue Seal Certified Farm Technician must first register with;
P.E.I. Agriculture Sector Council at 902- 892-1091, 1-866-892-1091 (toll free) or email: info@peiagsc.ca
Livestock
Deadly cattle condition called fog fever returns to the Prairies
Cases of fog fever, a type of pneumonia that causes severe cattle mortality, have been recently diagnosed in Alberta MORE
U.S. livestock: Bargain-buying lifts CME lean hogs
Live cattle extend gains, feeder cattle end higher MORE
CME: Iowa State University Hog Returns Dropped in August
Returns for producers of hogs and cattle are being pressured by lower animal prices. In recent months, lower feedstuff costs have helped reduce production costs, but in many cases not enough to maintain margins. Today, we will discuss monthly farrow-to-finish hog producer returns as calculated by Dr Lee Schulz at Iowa State University (ISU), write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner. MORE
EU Pig Prices: Quotations Are Going Up
The European pig slaughter market is starting to move. MORE
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report – Thursday, September 15 HERE
Potatoes
Michigan Potato Report – September 14 HERE
New Technique Controls Wireworms
Wireworm damage cost potato growers in Canada’s Price Edward Island around $6 million in 2014. Decades ago, the click beetle larvae were successfully controlled with chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides. Those agents were banned in the 1970s and ’80s because of their toxicity to animals and their tendency to build up in the soil. MORE
Ontario potato variety trial results
Selecting suitable varieties is the first step in any successful potato operation. Not only must varieties suit the intended market, but they must also be well adapted to local growing conditions. Potato breeders are continuously releasing new varieties, but varieties that perform well in one region may not do well in neighbouring areas. Thus, new varieties must be evaluated to determine local adaptation. MORE
Potato variety ‘Qingshu 9’ a success story in China and beyond
In their efforts to improve the food security and livelihoods of farmers around the world, potato breeders at the International Potato Center (CIP) strive to develop marketable, resilient varieties with resistance to viruses and late blight that can be grown in an array of environments. MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American Grains/Oilseed Review: Canola dips on technicals
THE ICE Futures Canada canola market ended slightly lower on Thursday, weighed down by action in the Canadian currency and chart-based trading. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Thursday: Canola futures prices lower, barley lower HERE
AM markets: wheat prices ease, awaiting Egypt tender result HERE
U.S. grains: Soy up on rebound after three-day slide
Wheat off, led by corn; trade awaits Egypt tender results MORE
Cocktail of concerns dogs start to Brazil’s soy sowing season
Brazil’s soybean sowing season looks set to begin with a whimper, thanks to a triple setback from price, tight credit and dryness – and with some worries about seed quality on top. MORE
Light frost but little to no soybean damage
Good growing conditions allowed the crop to escape damage, but it underlines the importance of the right variety MORE
PEI Grain Elevator Prices – September 15 HERE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Tragedy brings out the best in farm community
Within hours of learning their 76-year-old neighbour had been killed in a car accident, farm neighbours began organizing to help harvest the family’s crops MORE
Cutting crop waste will boost African ag faster than growing yields
The Ethiopia Commodity Exchange has succeeded, where countless other commodity exchanges in the African continent failed, because of a focus on securing reliable supply chains, according to Edward George. MORE
The next big step?
As their opportunities get bigger and better, more farmers are likely to hire marketing agencies MORE
Regular Updates
StatsCan – Exports of grains by final destination, July 2016 HERE
Rayglen Market Comments – September 4 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Thursday, September 15 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
2 Day Standard First Aid and CPR Courses
(Membership discounted rate of $70)
September 24th-25th– Stratford September 27th-28th– Stratford
*First aid and CPR course are also available at your farm for a minimum of 8 participants. Please contact Charlotte at 902-368-7289 for more details.
Open Farm Day
Sunday, September 18th!
The PEI Agriculture Awareness Committee is pleased to present Open Farm Day on Sunday, September 18th. Islanders are encouraged to get out and visit some of the 30 participating farms that will be opening their barn doors. Information on each farm along with maps can be found HERE
National Organic Week – Sept 17 – 25, 2016
Canada’s National Organic Week is the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming and products across the country. MORE
PEI COPC 13th Annual Organic Harvest Meal & Celebration
September 25, 2016 6:00 PM at Confederation Centre of the Arts. MORE
Namaste Lamb Event
September 25 – Featuring Celebrity Chef Vikram Vij
A newly branded signature event this year on the Fall Flavours calendar and it will be held on September 24th at 6:00 pm. The event will be held at Rodd Crowbush Resort. Tickets are $90 per person and can be purchased online or by phone at 1-866-960-9912 MORE
Canadian Agricultural Safety Association Annual Conference and AGM
Rodd Charlottetown Hotel – 75 Kent St. – October 4th-6th
This year’s theme is “Empowering the AgSafe Family – keeping kids safe”. The conference will bring together farmers, safety professionals, equipment manufacturers and researchers to probe the reality and discuss new approaches to improve the safety and health of children, youth, their families and young workers in Canada’s ag community. Conference details and registration information can be found HERE
World Food Day – October 16 MORE