A second farm with ties to Agriculture Minister George Webster has been fined by the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission for a violation under the Lands Protection Act. Webster Farms was operated by the minister and his family prior to his entry into the political arena in 2007. George Webster remains a shareholder of the company, with his shares being held in trust. Provincial Conflict of Interest Regulations require cabinet ministers to place all of their business holdings in a blind trust. His wife, Wendy, is listed as secretary treasurer of the company on the provincial corporate/business names registry, while ...

Eastside Holsteins is beginning 2012 building on the success the Frenchfort operation enjoyed in 2011. Stadacona Outside Abel, bred by Stadacona Holsteins, Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, Quebec and owned by Eastside and Lewisdale Holsteins in York is one of four finalists for the Holstein Canada Cow of the Year award.  She is the dam of Eastside Lewisdale Gold Missy and many other well known family members. This award is presented annually by Holstein Canada at the National Holstein Convention. Nominations were sought in late fall 2011 and the Cow of the Year Selection Committee recently chose four finalists who will vie for the title. ...

According to the latest Agriculture Business Barometer Index from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), agri-business confidence has rebounded to early 2011 levels and is ahead of the national average of 63.7.  The Index reveals optimism among its agricultural members increased 6.2 points to 64.5 in November 2011 from 58.3 in October. “For the first time in three years, we are seeing our farm members’ optimism levels above the national average for all sectors,” said Virginia Labbie, CFIB’s senior policy analyst for Agri-business. “It is also encouraging to see optimism levels on an upward trend from mid-2009 index levels ...

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) welcomes measures in the Border Action Plan announced recently  that will improve regulatory cooperation and reduce trade obstacles for Canada's agricultural sector. "The announcement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barak Obama includes positive initiatives to improve trade between Canada and the US. The CFA advised the government throughout this process on regulatory reform measures important to farmers, and the CFA is extremely pleased to see the key points raised for agriculture have been indentified and that agriculture is front and center in this proposal," said CFA President Ron Bonnett. He said agricultural trade fuels ...

One of main challenges Vermont livestock producers face is compaction in their  pasture land , and Dr. Heather Darby concentrates much of her research efforts on ways to extend the growing season. The associate professor of agronomy at the University of Vermont shared some of that effort with Island producers during a two day soil health and fertility workshop in December. With the cost of  feed and forage rising, Darby said extending the growing season can improve the bottom line. She said it is possible to extend  the season with a number of techniques including stockpiling forages.  It involves allowing cool-season ...

The Youth of Distinction Award is presented annually at the Jersey Canada annual meeting to a deserving youth involved with the Jersey breed in Canada.  Youth with strong leadership skills and involvement in agriculture, the community, and the Jersey breed are encouraged to apply. Youth aged 18-25 years are eligible. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, January 31, 2012.  Please include a reference letter written by someone other than a family member stating why the nominee is worthy of receiving a Youth of Distinction Award. The application should describe  the nominee’s involvement in Jersey breed activities, events, awards and accomplishments; ...

Football great Michael “Pinball” Clements and mountain climber Jamie Clarke will headline the 2012 regional forum sponsored by Farm Credit Canada. The Maritime forum will be held March 9 at the Moncton Wesleyan Church starting at 10 a.m.  Clarke, who is an author and inspirational speaker, will apply the life lessons he learned from climbing Mount Everest to help producers meet their own goals. Clements will focus on using teamwork to tackle challenges and wins, often against seemingly impossible odds. Dr. John Fast, the president of Family Enterprise Solutions, will explore the importance of creating a blueprint for the long-term success of ...

After a long career at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, David MacSwain   has taken little time to experience retirement. MacSwain recently joined Potatoes Canada as export development co-odinator.  Potatoes Canada was rejuvenated a couple of years ago as part of a joint industry-government effort to help find new markets for Canadian spuds around the world. He has a long involvement with the Island’s number one cash crop and his new duties will see him focus on developing relationships with exporters, CFIA and potential customers around the world. He will be responsible for developing the plans for incoming and outgoing missions, variety trials ...

“Connecting with Markets” is the theme for the annual meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture planned for February 21-24 in Gatineau, Quebec. The opening day will be allocated to committee meetings on such topics as Business Risk Management/ Rural Policy, Environment & Science, Food Safety, Grains & Oilseeds, National Food Strategy and trade. The meeting gets under way February 22 with addresses from President Ron Bonnett, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Gerry Ritz and Greg Stewart, president and CEO of Farm Credit Canada. The business meeting will be held in the afternoon with a reception that evening. On Thursday, there will be ...