'Healthy pork' worth $100,000 Wednesday, April 6, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFF A couple who produce Omega-3 enriched pork are this year’s recipients of a $100,000 provincial award that recognizes innovation in agriculture. Three years ago Paul and Rosie Hill shifted from commodity pork production to marketing what Paul describes in a recent presentation at the London Swine Conference as “healthy” pork. The product is DHA/EPA or fish oil based Omega-3 pork. Their product is the only one on the market in the world “that is able to make a health claim,” Paul Hill writes in a paper accompanying his presentation. The pork also contains Selenium, a trace mineral studied by researchers for its potential as an anti-cancer agent. The couple had anticipated the health benefits of their product would easily generate a large demand. “Were we ever wrong,” Paul says, describing the process of marketing the product as a huge challenge. However, interest is growing and Paul says he hopes to eventually scale up production. The Hills received their Premier’s Award for Agri-food Innovation Excellence on Monday in Toronto. Also on hand for the awards ceremony were Arie and Lisa Duizer of Burford, Oxford Brant County. The couple received the $50,000 Minister's Award for the innovative design of their robotic dairy barn. Arie Duizer says it’s exciting to receive the award. “We hope that we make dairy farming attractive for the next generation by being innovative.” Duizer says what makes the barn innovative is that the robotic milkers occupy its centre and feed alleys run along the edge. The cows – the Duizers have 220 stock in total and 120 cows currently milking – occupy the area in between. “It’s nice and easy handling for me for the cattle,” Arie says, noting he can automatically separate cows. “The whole barn is set up that everything can be done by one person.” The innovation has made their lifestyle more flexible, he says. “With a young family that’s nice.” A provincial news release notes that 55 regional winners will be recognized at ceremonies throughout the province this spring. BF Jeffray begins third term at Ontario Pork with new challenges Now is the time for young farmers to join the industry
Minister MacDonald’s record in the House Tuesday, June 30, 2026 With Parliament on its summer recess, Farms.com is summarizing the involvement of Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and his counterparts during the first session of the 45th Parliament. For context, this session started on May 26, 2025, and Prime Minister Carney appointed MacDonald as... Read this article online
Rogers Sugar Secures Long-Term Labour Deal at Taber Refinery Until 2032 Monday, June 29, 2026 Rogers Sugar Inc. has announced a significant long-term labour agreement that strengthens stability across Canada’s sugar beet sector, with unionized workers at its Taber, Alberta refinery ratifying an extension of their collective agreement through March 2032. The agreement, reached... Read this article online
CFIA Food Fraud Crackdown Protects Canadian Farmers and Food Integrity Monday, June 29, 2026 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has released its latest , revealing how enforcement actions that kept more than 150,000 kilograms of misrepresented food out of the marketplace are also playing a critical role in protecting Canada’s agriculture sector. While the report... Read this article online
Strong Demand and Heat Boost Grain Outlook Monday, June 29, 2026 On the weekly titled, “Weather + Acres + Chinese Demand = Fund Short Covering rally in Grains” for the week ending June 26, 2026, Farms.com Risk Management Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal agreed that grain markets may see a strong... Read this article online
- Derecho climatology (Gaustini/Bosart): a corridor through the northern Plains/upper Midwest carries a >65% annual chance of a derecho-strength MCS, driven by northwest flow on the ridge's periphery. We must watch this region over the next 60 days. More on this below... - Cold North Atlantic: Years with the current North Atlantic cold-tongue pattern favor western troughs + heat pushing into the Midwest. Caveat: rapid warming on the south side of the cold plume means the simple composite likely understates the evolving pattern. Plus the Gulf of Alaska has been warming which could negate these impacts. See this part of the video for a deeper dive. - Modeling caution: During Summer, global models like the ECMWF and GFS are at their weakest due to coarse resolution and their inability to res Monday, June 29, 2026 A dangerous early July heat wave is expected to test U.S. corn and soybean crops -- as if they have not already been tested enough -- as the growing season moves into a critical period for yield development. Nutrien agricultural meteorologist Eric Snodgrass says the next two weeks... Read this article online