Off-grid farm garners provincial nod Thursday, July 14, 2011 by SUSAN MANNMinimizing their fossil fuel energy footprint has earned the farm owners of Rainbow Heritage Garden in eastern Ontario a provincial innovation award.Kylah Dobson and her husband, Zach Loeks, picked up their regional Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Wednesday afternoon during a ceremony in Carlsbad Springs. They were excited and honoured to win.Dobson says the Premier’s award program is great for sharing innovations with other famers and learning about what other producers are doing on their farms. “It actually allows farmers to network and share innovations through the program.”On their five-acre organic vegetable farm near Cobden in Renfrew County, Dobson and Loeks grow 200 varieties of 30 different crops. Dobson says they’re working towards their organic certification. In addition, they grow as many heirloom crops as possible.Now in their fifth full year of production, Dobson and Loeks sell their crops at two farmers’ markets plus through the Ottawa Valley Food Co-Op. They also have 90 customers in the upper Ottawa Valley through their Community Supported Agriculture program. The entire farm is off the electrical grid. “Everything we do has to be rethought so that we’re using as little energy as possible,” she explains. They’re trying to keep their energy footprint small for themselves but also so they can pass the carbon savings on to their customers.“They know when they’re buying produce from us it has been produced with the least amount of fossil fuel energy possible,” Dobson says.One of the highlights of the farm is a mobile solar generator. Dobson says the whole system of solar panels is mounted on a wagon so it can be transported throughout the farm to wherever it’s needed. “It’s almost always in use, whether it’s pumping our water or charging a drill.” Dobson’s uncle was also a Premier’s award winner from the Cobden/Ottawa area. Grant Dobson and his wife, Dorothy, operate Connaught Nursery. The other winner was Greta’s Organic Gardens of Ottawa. BF Canada-wide milk pooling under discussion Spud packer moves
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