Canada has a growing nation-wide shortage of veterinarians, particularly in rural and remote areas. An Ontario start-up has launched a solution aimed to lessen the burden on struggling veterinary practices and make services available to more farmers. Colin Yates and his father, Glen, who has been a mixed practice veterinarian for more than 45 years, have launched VETSon, an artificial intelligence-powered virtual healthcare platform designed to let veterinarians service more clients and give more animal owners access to care. Why it matters: The shortage of food animal veterinarians, particula ..read more

Iowa-based Kinze Manufacturing in January announced the debut of its model 5670 line of pivot-fold, split-row planters, which it says offers more convenience and easy serviceability. The planters are available in 12/23-row and 16/31-row configurations that will work on both 15- and 30-inch row spacings. The pivot fold gives them a narrow width for road transport. “Our 5670 model planters are new from hitch pin to closing wheels,” said Kinze Manufacturing president Susanne Veatch, in a press release. “Building on the proven design of our 5900 and 5700 model planters, the 5670 is packed with sta ..read more

Launch of the first GPS yield monitors altered the world of on-farm data collection. That was followed by variable-rate technology, precision planting and aerial/satellite imaging. Most growers have now been accumulating data for 20 years or longer, and many have resolved to keep that data in the hopes of finding value from the gigabytes and terabytes of accumulated information in the form of increased on-farm efficiencies, cost reductions and improved yields. But how should growers and agronomists interpret this data? That’s the goal of a venture by agronomist Aaron Breimer. With his new busi ..read more

Suicide is not uncommon in farm country. Reducing the frequency of such tragedies is the goal of the Guardian Network, one of three farmer wellness programs offered by the Ontario chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Why it matters: The farming community consistently shows higher than average rates of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. A volunteer and peer-based initiative, the Guardian Network is comprised of individuals trained to identify people who are struggling with mental health or having thoughts of suicide. The idea is to engage them in constructive con ..read more

Scientists from Nagoya University have discovered a novel regulatory mechanism that controls the opening of stomata in plants, which is crucial for harnessing solar energy through photosynthesis. The team uncovered the role of phosphorylation at the 881st threonine residue of the plasma membrane proton pump in response to red and blue light. This research opens possibilities for manipulating plant physiology in specific ways, benefiting agriculture and the environment. The researchers reported their findings in Nature Communications. Lead researcher Toshinori Kinoshita said the ..read more

Nutrien Ag Solutions CEO Ken Seitz says Canadian farmers can be leaders in the global movement for agricultural sustainability. In a one-on one interview with Farmtario, he spoke about the company’s goals for sustainable agriculture in Canada. Why it matters: Private sector support can drive on-farm sustainability goals. Nutrien is the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and agricultural services, with around 400 crop consultants worldwide and 150 million acres that touch 500,000 grower accounts. Seitz assumed the role of CEO in 2022, after serving as head of the potash business. The compa ..read more

Rising farmland values and higher interest rates have swung the affordability pendulum in favour of renting, not buying, farmland. That’s according to a recent online article by Farm Credit Canada (FCC) that delved into the dollars and cents of the renting-or-buying decision. Generally, the cost to rent farmland is lower than financing a purchase, making renting a worthwhile option to explore, FCC said. It can support cash flow and minimize financial risk to the overall farm operation. The best way to analyze this decision is what’s known as the rent-to-price ratio, which is the cash rental ra ..read more

Glacier FarmMedia – Anyone who has spent days working in a commercial mechanical shop will almost certainly have used the first aid kit to bandage a cut — or worse. And more than a few have made an occasional trip to the emergency ward. A farm workshop is even more likely to be the scene of an injury. According to the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, farmers are five times more likely to be injured in the workplace than those in other industries. How can producers design and equip an efficient workshop to minimize the risk of injuries and deal with them if they happen? First, think ab ..read more

Glacier FarmMedia – The pendulum has swung too far in favour of production agriculture, says the U.S. agriculture secretary. Tom Vilsack said the landscape of U.S. agriculture forever changed in the 1970s when the federal government decided it no longer wanted to manage supply and instead let the market dictate what would happen. The government told farmers to “simply produce” and they responded with a massive increase in productivity. “In my lifetime, we’ve seen a tripling of productivity without really any significant increase in inputs,” he told delegates attending the United States Departm ..read more

Recent detection in the United States of a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza  virus in dairy cattle is the first instance of this strain in bovines.  The World Organization for Animal Health said the detections “have raised concerns since such infections of cattle could indicate an increased risk of H5N1 viruses becoming better adapted to mammals, and potentially spilling over to humans and other livestock.” So far, the virus has not been lethal to cattle and causes very different symptoms than it does in poultry.  For that reason, the American Association of Bovi ..read more