Guelph lands two Lacombe researchers

The University of Guelph has landed two pork industry researchers from the Lacombe, Alberta, research station the federal agriculture department is closing.

Óscar López-Campos and Nuria Prieto will join the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) for two-year terms. The news release did not say when they begin work in Guelph.

Prieto’s research has focused on determining points of product differentiation without increasing costs in the meat sector.

López-Campos examined carcass merit, post-mortem muscle metabolism and strategies to enhance meat quality and yield.

 

“Their expertise is vital to Canada’s agri-food system, and I am very much looking forward to having them on campus and seeing the impact of their work for producers, processors and consumers across the country,” said OAC dean John Cranfield in the release.

The Ontario Agricultural College is currently working on developing a protein research initiative.

AAFC Lacombe has been a major site for cow-calf forage and grazing research, meat science, grading and food safety research.

Rare farm for sale

A rare farm on Salt Spring Island that produces extra virgin olive oil is up for auction on Aug. 12.

Bidding will start at $2.9 million each for two parcels of land totaling 74 acres.

After years of research showed the only climate in Canada mild and dry enough to support a commercial olive farm was in Salt Spring Island's Fulford Valley, Sheri Braun and her late husband George Braun, looked for years in numerous locations before settling here, planted olive trees and set up a processing facility. 

Today, the farm and its 750 trees produce a highly prized extra virgin olive oil used by chefs nationwide that retails for $625 per litre, said a company news release

Popcorn a hit at fireworks

Ron and Jean Nugent and son Thomas set up shop at the annual fireworks display at the river between Windsor and Detroit to cater to thousands who turn out to watch-

The fireworks have been a joint-cities event since 1959.

The Nugents have owned Popper’s Kettle Corn of Harrow, Onr., for six and a half years.

Everything they sell is grown or made in Ontario, including the popcorn bags.

Canada tariffs veggie imports

In a highly unusual move, the federal Finance Department announced a 10 per cent tariff on low-priced processed vegetables from a limited number of countries.

It will not apply to products from the United States, Mexico, Israel, Chile and developing countries.

It is classified as a safeguarding measure which has only been used once in the last 20 years.

The safeguarding inquiry was launched at the request of the Canadian Association of Vegetable Growers and Processors.

It is opposed by the Retail Council of Canada which speaks for the dominant supermarket chains.

The tariff will last a maximum of 20 days while the inquiry continues.

There have been substantial increases in imports from Thailand (179 per cent), Turkey (159 per cent) and Peru (85 per cent).

They may have come to Canada because the United States hit them with higher tariffs.

Nortera Foods Inc. of Quebec has in recent months made plans to close two plants, citing concerns about import competition. It announced the closure of its Lethbridge, Alta., plant in March, and its Saint-Césaire, Que., plant in October. 

Sharman appointed to development board

Danielle Sharman of Rockwood has been appointed to a three-year term on the province’s Rural Economic Development Advisory Panel.

She is a senior policy advisor at the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, specializing in agriculture and rural economic development.

She is a board director on the Greenbelt Foundation and sits on various committees for the Economic Developers’ Council of Ontario.

She is a certified economic developer with a master’s degree in local economic development.

She, her husband and three children live on a grain farm in Rockwood.

Wow! What great qualifications for this job!

Yet another lawyer appointed

The province has appointed Harouna Sidibe Saley Sidibe to a two-year term on the Animal Care Review Board.

He joins a board whose membership is already mostly lawyers. 

They deal with appeals from farmers and other animal owners who have been accused of animal abuse.

Twenty-six of the 29 members are lawyers or are employed in legal administrate systems. Their qualifications outlined in the provincial appointments registry show no experience with livestock or poultry.

Sidibe holds master’s degrees in international law and business law and a doctorate in law. 

He is currently completing a Master of Laws at Osgoode Hall Law School and holds a Certificate in Law from Queen’s University. 

He has more than 10 years of professional experience in real estate law, insolvency law, medical liability law, and insurance law, including experience with French law firms and insurance groups. He is able to work in delivers services in French and English and has basic knowledge of Spanish.

Drone spraying gets ok

 

The federal health department is granting permission to use drones to spray fields.

The permission applies to pesticides and crops already approved for aerial applications.

The permission came in the form of a letter Health Canada issued to the Canadian Agricultural Drone Association.

Health Canada – i.e. the Pest Management Review Agency – said this is an interim measure.

“Previously there were no agricultural pesticides approved by PMRA to apply by drone at all, so there was literally nothing that could be applied legally,” said Markus Weber, president of the Canadian Agricultural Drone Association.