A weekly press release prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. If you require further information, regarding this press release, please call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 5:00pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA Website: www.omafra.gov.on.ca
SOIL & WATER MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 – Bradford area, Simcoe County; 9:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
For more information on this and other OMAFRA Programs call the: Agricultural Information Contact Centre 1-877-424-1300 or email ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
Nutrients, Soil and Water! Challenges and Opportunities!
DIGGING BENEATH THE SURFACE HANDS-ON FIELD DIAGNOSIS CHALLENGES PLAN TO GET DIRTY!
Join the OMAFRA Soil Team as we explore by bus soil, nutrient and water management issues in Simcoe county.
While still featuring soil pits and loads of hands-on, in field activities, the workshop has been revised to offer new information and opportunities for repeat soil workshop participants.
Subject Areas Planned:
1) soil erosion; 2) phosphorous — and why we should care; 3) soil water and drainage; 4) nutrients — composts and manures; and 5) soil texture and structure.
The program will feature a series of farm/infield stops with additional learning opportunities on the bus. Cost: $80.00 or $60.00 for Ontario Soil and Crop Members. Registration includes: lunch, refreshments, reference materials. A confirmation letter and a map to the meeting location will be sent by email/fax to all registrants. Dress appropriately – i.e. work boots, hat, bug spray & sunscreen. Bring your own – knife or soil trowel.
For more information: Contact the Woodstock OMAFRA Resource Centre at 519-537-6621.
Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) Continuing Education Credits applied for (SWQ/NM).
GROWING YOUR FARM PROFITS
by John C. Benham
We are accepting names for the waiting list for the fully signed up GYFP workshop on Friday, June 17th and Friday, June 24th in the Elora OMAFRA meeting room.
The next two day GYFP workshop is planned for Friday, September 9th to be completed Friday, September 16th and if that doesn’t work for you – Thursday, November 3rd and Thursday, November 10th are the next dates. The location is the Elora OMAFRA meeting room. Lunch and refreshments are supplied. No costs to you! Keep in mind financial assistance is available for Farm Financial Assistance, Agricultural Skills Development, Advanced Business Planning and Business Plan Implementation after you have attended the GYFP workshop and completed the workbook which is similar to the EFP workbook. We keep hearing good comments about this program. If you have questions or wish to sign up, call John Benham at 519-846-3394.
NEW AND YOUNG WORKERS STAY SAFE ON THE JOB
The Ministry of Labour has a number of resources on their website for new and young workers, parents of workers and for employers.
For more information, go to: www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/atwork/youngworkers.php.
DAME’S ROCKET and BUTTERCUP
by John C. Benham, Weed Inspector
I have been getting calls about the beautiful purple flowers that are showing up along roadsides and fence bottoms. They are not “Purple Loosestrife”! They are “Dame’s-rocket”, a member of the mustard family. It could be confused with “Flox” which has five (5) petal flowers, but Dame’s-rocket has four (4) petals.
It came from Europe as an ornamental, but, has escaped from the farmsteads and is proliferating in undisturbed areas at a surprising rate. It flowers from May to August. When the flower opens it is almost purple and slowly fades to mauve to pink to white. The seedpods are typical of the mustard family. It is a perennial and spreads by seeds forming large patches in a few years. It grows from 3 to 4 feet tall with hairy stems and lance shaped leaves. If a weed is a plant where you don’t want it, then you decide whether it is a weed or a flower. It is not on the noxious weed list.
Another weed I see around quite a lot now is “Buttercup”. I am assuming everyone knows Buttercup but do you know it is listed with the plants poisonous to livestock?
I quote, “Buttercups have a bitter acrid juice which causes severe pain and inflammation and may be poisonous when grazed by livestock.” Normally livestock avoids grazing buttercup but may be tempted if proper feed is scarce. There are several members of the Buttercup family, but, the two most common are “Tall Buttercup” and “Creeping Buttercup” both of which are a menace to livestock.
COMING EVENTS:
June 21-22 – 38th Annual Ontario Pork Congress. Place – Stratford Agricultural and Recreational Complex. Website – http://www.porkcongress.on.ca/
June 26 Guelph Wellington Local Food Fest – celebration of local food with workshops, guided farm tours, children’s activities and more. Visit www.guelphwellingtonlocalfood.ca.
July 6 & 7 SouthWest Crop Diagnostic Days – University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus.
July 13 Ontario Forage Expo, Elora Research Station. Watch for details at http://www.ontarioforagecouncil.com/.
July 14 Farm$mart Expo, Elora Research Station. Details will be available at http://www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart/index.html.
July 15 FarmSmart Expo 4H/Youth Day at the Elora Research Station. Check website for details http://www.uoguelph.ca/farmsmart/index.html.
Aug. 24 Herb Demonstration Day – OMAFRA Simcoe Research Station, Simcoe.
