News/Events - March 2015
26
2015
Kawartha Lakes Farmer Has Ontarioʼs Most Profitable Acre
Farms at Work would like to congratulate Kurtis Peeters of Kawartha Lakes for his success as the winner of AMI's Most Profitable Acre Challenge!
Challenge tests business skills, measures profitability of corn and soybean crop
Guelph ON, March 10, 2015 - Kurtis Peeters, an organic corn grower from Kawartha Lakes is the winner of the Most Profitable Acre Challenge, a competition organized by the Agri-food Management Institute and presented in partnership with Grain Farmers of Ontario. The business skills competition looks at input costs, production practices, yield, marketing tactics, and business management practices to determine the farmer with the most profitable acre harvested in corn or soybean production in Ontario.
Partly attributing his success to high organic crop prices in 2014, Peeters says knowing his cost of production and utilizing best business management techniques has influenced his bottom line year after year. To expedite efficiency and profitability, Peeters tracks his input costs, has a written marketing plan, is a member of a business management club, has a written business plan, and sees a farm advisor on a regular basis.
Mathieu Lauzon, an organic soybean grower from North Glengarry placed second in the Most Profitable Acre Challenge, and Jim Denys, an IP soybean grower from Huron County placed third. Nineteen farmers entered the competition.
The winners will receive their awards at the Grain Farmers of Ontario March Classic in London, Ontario on March 24. For more information, please contact Carolyn Dowling, AMI Project Coordinator at 519-822-6618 or Carolyn@takeanewapproach.ca.
To read the full article, visit: http://www.takeanewapproach.ca/News.htm
25
2015
Successful 3rd Peterborough Food & Farming Summit
Yesterday, the Food & Farming Working Group of Sustainable Peterborough hosted the 3rd Peterborough Food & Farming Summit. The collaborative event was well-attended with over 40 participants representing a wide range of organizations on the food system spectrum! Farmers, municipal officials, non-profits, health professionals, academics, business owners, land-use planners and more came together to hear updates from the Working Group and its members, and to brainstorm the future priorities of building our community's local food system.
Many thanks to all who participated, and for those who were unable to attend, proceedings from the event will be available on the Sustainable Peterborough website in the coming weeks.
23
2015
Lindsay Seedy Saturday
The Lindsay & District Master Gardeners invite you to join them at the Lindsay Seedy Saturday Garden Show and Sale on Saturday March 28th, 2015!
20
2015
Last Chance to Register for OFT's Farmland Forum!
Ontario Farmland Trust's 11th Annual Farmland Forum
Good news! There are still a few seats left for the 11th annual Ontario Farmland Forum! After 10 successful years in Guelph, this year the Forum will be held in east central Ontario, and will be much easier to reach from the eastern edges of the province. Farms at Work is pleased to be supporting this event as OFT’s local partner. We sure hope to see you there!
CLICK HERE to reserve your seat today!
Forum Details:
Date: Friday, March 27, 2015
Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Place: Durham Banquet Hall & Convention Centre, Oshawa
Cost: $90 early-bird (includes lunch & dinner)
This year's event will include presentations on:
- Tools for communicating the value of ON farmland,
- Policy that enables vibrant local farm economies,
- Agriculture in the new Rouge National Park,
- Development offsetting for farmland protection in California, and
- Pennsylvania's model farmland protection program
Who should attend?
- Land Conservation Enthusiasts
- Farmers
- Land Use Planners
- Researchers
- Provincial Policy Makers
- Municipal Councillors
Join the discussion and help shape the future of farmland protection in Ontario!
CLICK HERE to view the forum program and registration details.
18
2015
Interested in Sheep, Bees, Pasture, or Maple Syrup?
Good news! There are still a few spaces left in our 2015 mentorship programs!
Along with our popular Beekeeping and Sheep Farming Mentorships, FAW is proudly launching two brand new programs this year in Pasture Management, and Maple Syrup Production. Each has been designed by long-time producers with beginners in mind, and will feature plenty of hands-on learning, complemented by one-on-one mentor support.
Beginning in April, the Pasture Management Mentorship will focus on thought-intensive management systems by exploring design opportunities and important plant-grazer interactions. And in October, the Maple Syrup Production Mentorship will expose participants to forest management, woodlot and production facilities, as well as successful marketing strategies and value-added production.
In each of the four mentorships, mentees attend field days on the farms of our experienced mentors, to participate in projects and field work relevant to the production season. By keeping class sizes small, all of our programs are focussed on group learning and collaboration, with the goal of building strong ties to the broader farming community.
If you are interested in developing your skills and confidence under the guidance of an experienced mentor, Farms at Work’s On-Farm Mentorship Programs may be for you. There are still a few spots available for the 2015 season, so please visit our Mentorships Program page and submit your application today!