Listowel farmer, milk board at odds over direct payment policy Wednesday, October 16, 2013 by SUSAN MANN Dairy Farmers of Ontario and a Listowel area dairy farmer have made little headway concerning a conflict over organization’s switch to direct deposit banking more than a year ago to pay farmers for their milk. Don Verner, 74, is the only Ontario dairy farmer who hasn’t signed up to have the twice-monthly milk payments deposited directly into his account. And the organization won’t provide the money to him by any other means. “All producers should be treated the same,” explains Graham Lloyd, general counsel and communications director for Dairy Farmers. Verner is now owed nearly $300,000 in milk payments. Lloyd says they want to pay Verner and haven’t refused to pay him. “I am in regular contact and have reached out on several occasions over the last two months.” Verner, a milk producer for nearly 60 years who milks about 30 cows and holds 22 kilograms of quota, says: “I don’t like to be blackmailed into having it (the milk payments) put into my account.” He’s critical of the supply-managed commodity organization. “It (the milk board) wasn’t brought in to help the farmer. It was brought in to take control.” Dairy Farmers switched to direct deposit in 2012. Before that farmers received their milk payments once a month by cheque mailed to them from the organization. Verner continues to milk his cows and the milk is still being picked up. Asked how he is getting by without his milk payment income, Verner says he was taught how get along “with what we have without having machinery. We were taught never to owe a man one cent, only for a mortgage.” BF Ontario Cattlemen's Association now Beef Farmers of Ontario Buchanan takes the reins
Take a virtual reality tour of Ontario’s egg and sheep farms Saturday, December 21, 2024 Canadians now have the opportunity to explore new virtual farm tours on www.FarmFood360.ca, thanks to Farm & Food Care Ontario (FFCO), is a coalition of farmers, agriculture and food partners proactively working together to grow public trust and confidence in food and farming. The... Read this article online
Snow Begone: The RapidTrak Series Friday, December 20, 2024 BYLINE: Zahra Sadiq Winter is upon us, and with it comes thick layers of snow, making everything just a little more difficult. But it doesn’t have to be that way, thanks to the RapidTrak Snow Blowers by Ariens. This company’s story starts in 1933 when Henry Ariens took his sons... Read this article online
AEM partners with Euro counterpart to enhance global alignment on key ag manufacturer issues Friday, December 20, 2024 The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the European Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA) have signed a () to enhance advocacy efforts for the agricultural equipment industry. The agreement seeks to create a positive legislative and regulatory environment across... Read this article online
The 2024 Topigs Norsvin Canada Awards Banquet Thursday, December 19, 2024 Topigs Norsvin Canada Inc.—headquartered in Oak Bluff, Manitoba—is a global leader in swine genetics, and recently held its in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Stratford, Ontario, via two events for its producers. The banquets blended recognition for outstanding production achievements and... Read this article online
Premier equipment strengthens reach with new acquisition Wednesday, December 18, 2024 Premier Equipment, a John Deere dealership in southwestern Ontario, has reached an agreement to acquire Hutchinson Farm Supply, effective January 31, 2025. Hutchinson, which has been in business for 60 years, has served agriculture and rural property owners in York and Durham... Read this article online