Egg processor seeks appeal of latest ruling Friday, August 2, 2013 by BETTER FARMING STAFF An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that allegations in a long-running claim against several players in Ontario’s egg industry will remain intact for now. But Allison Webster, the lawyer for L.H. Gray and Son Limited, which had asked for some of the allegations to be removed, says the company plans to appeal the decision that was released in late July. The Strathroy company is among several industry players that Sweda Farms Ltd., once the province’s third largest egg grader, alleges conspired to put it, and related affiliates, out of business. Burnbrae Farms Limited and Egg Farmers of Ontario, the province’s supply-managed marketing board, are some of the others listed in Sweda’s claim. No allegations have been proven in court. In May, Webster asked Judge Carole Brown to grant a partial summary judgement to remove Sweda’s allegations that L.H. Gray had fraudulently manipulated egg grades, deliberately sold to market cracked and dirty eggs and conspired with others to do so. She, as well as Sweda’s lawyer, Donald Good, and his co-counsel, Robert Morrow, made most of their arguments concerning the motion behind closed doors in a Toronto courtroom because of the court-sealed documents under discussion. On Tuesday, Webster said that she had served notice of leave to appeal the decision on Good and other counsel. “We don’t feel that she (Judge Brown) properly applied the facts of the case to the law,” Webster said. “And so we feel there’s merit to seeking leave to appeal.” Describing the decision as “interlocutory” rather than a “final order,” Webster said the first step is to ask the court for permission to appeal. If leave is obtained, “we then have an opportunity to appeal the decision” before the Ontario Court of Appeal. Webster says Brown found that a full trial was required to determine the issues. “She wasn’t prepared to deal with the issues that were before her in a summary fashion.” Webster says a date for L.H. Gray’s motion to appeal Brown’s decision will be set in the next couple of weeks. “I don’t agree with the decision; I think it’s flawed but it will be up to a judge at some point to let us know whether or not he or she agrees that we have that ability to appeal,” she says. Good could not be reached for comment. BF Behind the Lines - August/September 2013 Families win a day at this year's IPM
Inflatable Wedges Make Lifting Large Objects a Breeze Friday, October 18, 2024 Byline: Zahra Sadiq The hardest part about moving farming equipment, tools, and other items on the farm is the initial lift off from the ground. The traditional wedge has been the go-to solution to solving problems like this; however, there is a new alternative that might just take... Read this article online
Calhoun super structure ranks among top growing Canadian companies Friday, October 18, 2024 Calhoun Super Structure Ltd. is proud to announce its ranking of No. 342 on The Globe and Mail’s 2024 Report on Business magazine's list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies. This achievement marks the third consecutive year that Calhoun has made this prestigious ranking, which... Read this article online
5.5% values rise in Canadian farmland - FCC Report Friday, October 11, 2024 FCC reports strong increase in Canadian farmland values According to Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Canadian cultivated farmland values experienced an average increase of 5.5% in the first half of 2024. Over the 12 months from July 2023 to June 2024, farmland values rose by 9.6%, although... Read this article online
OP-ED: Happy Agriculture Week from Minister Flack Thursday, October 10, 2024 Rob Flack, Ontario's minister of farming, agriculture and agribusiness, provided the following message to celebrate Ontario Agriculture Week: Happy Ontario Agriculture Week! Every year during the week before Thanksgiving Monday, we celebrate the 871,000 people across the food supply... Read this article online
Helping farmers become more resilient to extreme weather and climate change Thursday, October 10, 2024 Funding supports 213 projects for resilient agricultural landscapes The governments of Canada and Ontario have announced over $12.2 million in funding to support 213 agricultural projects across Ontario. These projects aim to make farmland more resilient to extreme weather and... Read this article online