Community Meeting on Amalgamation – options for municipal reform
Thursday, July 28 – 7:00pm – Bites Café – Hampton – 19566 Trans Canada Highway
With MLA Peter Bevan-Baker – All Welcome – Light refreshments will be served
For more info call 902-620-3977
Local, Regional, Canadian News
Crossing for ATVs, dirt bikes on Confederation Trail officially opens
First crossing for ATVs, says P.E.I. ATV Federation MORE
Peter Bevan-Baker to hold meeting on amalgamation
‘There are concerns about loss of identity or change of identity’ MORE
With natural capital and trust, Canada can become an agrifood powerhouse
What would you guess is the single most important ingredient in modern food production? Good seeds? Rainfall? Fertilizer? The surprising answer is that around the world, the scarcest and most precious resource for producing food is trust. Luckily, Canada has natural advantages that could allow the people of the world to view us as their most trusted food source – if we make smart decisions. MORE
#Farmers4FoodBanks: Canadian egg farmers are committed to supporting Food Banks Canada
This summer alone more than 950,000 Canadians will turn to a food bank for help. There is a growing need to support community food banks, and for this reason, egg farmers are a proud partner of Food Banks Canada. For more than two decades, egg farmers have donated more than a million eggs a year to community food banks across the country. MORE
Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2016 Canadian Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award. Nominations are open until August 12, 2016. More and Nomination form HERE
Canadian Embassy to promote organic companies
The Canadian Embassy is exhibiting at Riga Food 2016, the annual Baltics Food Industry Fair, September 7-10. Interested in promoting your products? MORE
Livestock
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures plunge to five-year low on supply worries
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Thursday slumped to a five-year low in anticipation of increased supplies that could further pressure wholesale beef prices, traders said. MORE
CME: Cattle on Feed Figures Expected Above Last Year’s Levels
UDSA-NASS will release the July Cattle on Feed report tomorrow, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner. MORE
Quality Based Pork Grading System Would Benefit Canada’s Pork Market
Canada Pork International says creation of a pork quality based grading system, modeled after what already exists in the beef industry, will ensure the right product is selected for right market and give Canadian pork an edge with international buyers, writes Bruce Cochrane. MORE
Campbell Soup wants antibiotic-free chicken
Campbell Soup Co. says it will be transitioning to buying chickens that have been raised without using antibiotics. It has also said it will eliminate artificial colours and flavours from its products. It says the changes are to make its products “real food”. MORE
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association Market Report – Thursday, July 21 HERE
Potatoes
StatsCan – Canadian potato production, 2016 (planted area)
Potato farmers planted 342,602 acres (138 647 hectares) of potatoes in 2016, down 1.8% from 2015, continuing the overall downward trend of the past 12 years. Seeded area decreased in all provinces, except Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. Prince Edward Island accounted for 26% of total potato planted area in 2016, while Manitoba accounted for 19%. MORE
LATE BLIGHT DETECTED IN WESTERN MANITOBA POTATO CROP
Manitoba’s first case of late blight for the year was found in a western Manitoba field over the weekend. MORE
Nicaragua: Lack of potato imports unleashes smuggling
Despite the government’s authorization for free imports of potatoes for a month, a measure taken because of the scarcity of potatoes in the country, Nicaragua won’t be able to import said product. MORE
American sweet potato consumption on the rise
Since 2002, sweet potato consumption has doubled in the United States, from 3.7 pounds per consumer at that time, to 7.5 pounds in 2015, according to USDA data. Although, Americans still eat far more white potatoes, demand is slowing; consumption of white potatoes fell from 125.4 pounds per person a decade ago to 113.7 pounds last year. MORE
AAFC / InfoHort Potato Reports HERE
USDA – Daily National Potato and Onion Report HERE
Crops
North American Grains/Oilseed Review – Canola Dips, US Soy Mostly Unchanged
THE ICE Futures Canada canola market finished slightly lower Thursday due to technical selling. MORE
ICE Futures Canada Thursday: Canola futures prices lower, barley unchanged HERE
AM markets: relief over US weather trumps French wheat woes HERE
Hail damage claims skyrocket in Manitoba
The massive storms that have steamrolled through parts of Manitoba are causing significantly higher than average hail damage claims, according to the Canadian Crop Hail Association. MORE
Salvaging hail-damaged crops
Tests recommended to ensure there is no possibility of nitrate poisoning MORE
U.S. grains: U.S. corn extends losing streak on weak exports, good weather; soy firms
U.S. corn futures fell for the third day in a row on Thursday, with good weather for crop development in the U.S. Midwest and poor exports pushing prices to their lowest in nearly two years. MORE
A marketing strategy for stored grain
Is it worthwhile to store your grain on the farm while you wait for commodity prices to rise? MORE
Russia now world’s biggest wheat exporter
Russia has overtaken the United States as the top exporter of the grain and now is the leading supplier of wheat to Egypt. MORE
Grain Farmers of Ontario – Daily Commodity Report HERE
More Futures Prices HERE and HERE
General Interest
Vancouver aeroponics farm uses ‘space-age’ tech to grow food for local restaurants, markets
Harvest Urban Farms, one of North America’s only commercial aeroponics farms MORE
Why Family Farms Keep Growing
Western Idaho farmer Richard Durrant regrets not making two business decisions in the 1980s that would have paid handsomely. First, he wishes he had started buying his father’s share of Big D Ranch, the 1,500-acre family farm on 10 Mile Road betweenMeridian and Kuna. Second, Durrant wishes he had snapped up neighboring farmland for $3,000 an acre. It now commands more than $10,000 an acre. MORE
Only Half of Consumers Aware of Food Waste Problem
Even though American consumers throw away about 80 billion pounds of food a year, only about half are aware that food waste is a problem. MORE
Regular Updates
Rayglen Market Comments – July 20 HERE
Ontario Farm Market Summary – Thursday, July 21 HERE
AgWeather Atlantic HERE
Today’s Local Weather – HERE
Meetings and Events
PEI Potato Blossom Festival – July 18th – 24th
Farmers Banquet – July 22nd – Community Sports Centre – O’Leary
Catered by The Sizzler – tickets $25.00 – Option of chicken or pork.
Purchase ticket at festival office in the Future Tech Building or phone 902-726-3300 MORE
Community Meeting on Amalgamation – options for municipal reform
Thursday, July 28 – 7:00pm – Bites Café – Hampton – 19566 Trans Canada Highway
With MLA Peter Bevan-Baker – All Welcome – Light refreshments will be served
For more info call 902-620-3977
Weed Wiping – Pesticide Training Session for Blueberry and Cranberry Growers
July 28 – Registration at 6:30 p.m, Course from 7 to 9 p.m.
Rodd Royalty Hotel – Trans Canada Hwy – Charlottetown
You are asked to pre-register by noon, July 27, 2016 by calling 902-368-4880 or 902-368-4145 MORE
Silage Management Workshop
Aug 04 – 10:30 am – 1:30 pm – Crasdale Farms, South Rustico
Topics will include Bunk Management, New Alfalfa technology, Inoculant – is it worth the money, New Seed treatment: Lumivia. Lunch provided. RSVP by July 28th to Cameron MacDonald at 902-892-1275 MORE
East Coast Style 2016 – Dairy Sale & Show
Aug 11 – 13 – Eastside Holsteins, Frenchfort MORE
Farmers Helping Farmers Annual Beef Barbecue
Saturday August 13th from 4:00-6:30pm at the Harrington Research Station, 1200 Brackley Point Road.
Tickets are $30 each for adults, $10 for children under 12, and take-out is available. You can get your tickets by emailing farmershelpingfarmerspei@gmail.com or dropping by the PEIFA Office in the Farm Centre, 420 University Avenue.
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
