Robot weeder is on the way Monday, December 3, 2012 It started out as a robot that would cut the grass in urban parks. Somebody thought that spinning blades were a bad idea with kids and dogs on leashes around, and so the idea evolved into an automated lettuce weeder, according to The Economist magazine.The electric-powered Lettuce 'Bot, brainchild of Stanford University-trained engineers Jorge Heraud and Lee Redden, takes pictures of passing lettuce plants, compares them to a database of more than one million images of lettuce taken from all possible angles and instantly decides if they should live or die. A shot of concentrated fertilizer out the back end kills weeds and the remaining lettuce gets a growth blast as well. A version of the machine, currently under development, aimed at organic lettuce producers, favours those old spinning blades.The makers promise that the robots will be cost-competitive with hand weeding. BF Phosphorus levels in our lakes: Is no-till the culprit? Are urban farms too big?
Canada Urges Action Against EU Grain Trade Barriers Wednesday, January 28, 2026 The Canada Grains Council has released a new white paper urging stronger Canadian leadership to address emerging trade barriers linked to agricultural innovation in the European Union. These barriers, the council warns, could reduce the competitiveness of Canada’s grain exports and limit... Read this article online
Ag Minister Launches National Consultations to Shape the Next Agricultural Policy Framework Wednesday, January 28, 2026 As Canada begins charting its next decade of agricultural policy, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri Food, officially launched national consultations on the development of the Next Policy Framework (NPF)—the federal, provincial, and territorial agreement that... Read this article online
OFA responds to time-of-use electricity pricing proposal Tuesday, January 27, 2026 The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) provided an agricultural perspective on a proposed new electricity pricing plan. This new plan from the provincial government for Class B customers “would potentially establish a fixed (Global Adjustment) price for each period of the day (i.e.,... Read this article online
CLAAS earns two AE50 Awards for advancing forage harvesting technology Monday, January 26, 2026 CLAAS of America has been recognized with two from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), highlighting the company’s continued leadership in forage harvesting innovation. The awards honor the newly introduced series self-propelled forage harvesters... Read this article online
Québec names Lori Anne Berthiaume and Steeve Nadeau as 2026 Outstanding Young Farmers Monday, January 26, 2026 Berthiaume’s leadership at Ferme Porc SB Inc. and her team-centred approach helped drive major productivity gains and earned recognition from Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers. Québec’s Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) program has named Lori Anne Berthiaume and Steeve Nadeau as the... Read this article online