Beef Improvement Ontario sells lab Wednesday, March 2, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFFGuelph-based Beef Improvement Ontario has sold Agri-Food Laboratories. The price is not being disclosed and the buyer is not being revealed at this time, pending clearance from lawyers. BIO general manager Mike McMorris says the soil-testing lab, purchased from private owner Dale Cowan in 2006, has been a revenue generator for the producer-owned and governed genetic evaluation organization. Hanging onto the laboratory was not an option, he says, in the face of a well-financed competitor determined to enter the Ontario market. Updating equipment to compete would drain resources from BIO’s core businesses.The value of the laboratory is at an all-time high, says a document distributed at the BIO annual meeting last week. McMorris says BIO’s revenue will be reduced but the organization will get by. The buyer approached BIO in February of 2010. A committee of directors, the general manager and a consultant considered the offer and other options.According to the document, “The return on investment has been tremendous. The sale will yield a return on investment of approximately 70 per cent per year.”BIO revenue last year exceeded $4 million and profit was $330,000 after “significant development in bioTrack development, according to BIO’s financial report.BIO manages pedigrees on cattle, performance and management records for breeders and evaluates bulls, and beef cattle genetics in general. BF Good news for solar project Egg case sealed
Farmer Planting Decisions for 2025 Taking Shape Wednesday, March 19, 2025 As farmers across Canada prepare for the 2025 crop year, Statistics Canada says their planting decisions reflect a complex mix of factors including moisture conditions, crop rotation considerations, and market prices. Nationally, farmers are expected to plant more wheat, corn for... Read this article online
Trevor Jones appointed ag minister in Premier Ford’s cabinet Wednesday, March 19, 2025 There’s a new face overseeing the agriculture portfolio in Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet. Trevor Jones, the MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, is the new minister of agriculture, food and agribusiness, the premier announced on March 19. Jones previously served as the associate... Read this article online
It’s been a while… Wednesday, March 19, 2025 The () is coming to the Niagara Region this fall, providing a unique opportunity to showcase the community’s agricultural diversity and natural beauty. The annual event is hosted in a different community each year, with this year’s edition the first time in almost 100 years that... Read this article online
Winners announced for the 2024 Nutrien Ag Solutions Hometown Yield Challenge Wednesday, March 19, 2025 Nutrien Ag Solutions has announced the winners of its first Hometown Yield Challenge, a program available to growers in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The top two yielding farming operations were each able to choose a community organization to receive $20,000. Three runners-up were also... Read this article online
Lambton Cattlemen’s Association preparing community pastures presentation Tuesday, March 18, 2025 A local Ontario livestock organization will be making its case for a community pasture next month. The Lambton Cattlemen’s Association will make a presentation to the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority on April 17 about turning about 200 of 600 available acres into a community... Read this article online