Rain on its way to Ontario

Aug 15, 2016

Special weather statement issued for much of Southern Ontario

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Thirsty crops in Ontario are in store for a big drink come Tuesday.

A special weather statement has been issued by Environment Canada for various parts of Southern Ontario.

“A significant widespread rainfall is expected beginning Tuesday morning or afternoon and ending Tuesday night,” the statement says. “Rainfall amounts will range from 25 to 40mm in most places. A few areas may see higher amounts up to 60mm.”

Many regions in Southern Ontario fall under the special weather warning, but some, including Grey-Bruce, Huron-Perth and Waterloo-Wellington, are under a rainfall warning.

Rain

The rainfall warning says anywhere between 40 to 60mm of rain is likely and a few thunderstorms are expected.

Despite the prospect of a good rain, it may be too late for some crops.

“I think that while it doesn’t hurt I don’t know how much it’s going to help for this year’s crop,” Barry Sneft, chief executive of Grain Farmers of Ontario told the London Free Press.

Sneft said that rain is great, but only to a certain extent. Especially as harvest season approaches.

“After that, it could affect the quality and timeliness of the harvest,” he told the London Free Press.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.