Ontario's farming community is mourning the loss of longtime agricultural writer Ralph Gordon Winfield of Glanworth, who passed away peacefully at St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital on Oct. 17, 2025, at the age of 85.
Ralph’s name has been closely tied to Better Farming since 1999. His popular “How It Works” column became a reader favourite across Ontario, celebrated for its engaging look at the mechanics and ingenuity of farm machinery — and for the fond memories it shared of farming life in years past.
“Ralph Winfield’s passing leaves a deep ache in the Better Farming family and among our readers across Ontario,” said Paul Nolan, publisher and editorial director. “For more than 26 years – since our very first issue – Ralph’s column has been a fixture of the magazine and a beloved voice in the province’s farm community."