Beef Farmers of Ontario Congratulates Minister Lisa Thompson on her Return to Agriculture and Food

Jun 28, 2022

Guelph, Ont. – The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) extends a warm congratulations and welcome back to Minister Lisa Thompson who will resume her role as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, as announced today by Premier Ford during the unveiling of his new cabinet. As a resident and Member of Provincial Parliament of the Huron-Bruce area, Minister Thompson has a deep connectionto farm and rural issues, and is well positioned to continue to address the needs of Ontario’s 19,000 beef
farmers.

“We have established a good rapport with Minister Thompson over the past twelve months as we worked together on a number of issues, most notably our efforts to address drought conditions in northwestern Ontario and improvements made to Ontario’s Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program. Minister Thompson has been an ally for Ontario’s food and agriculture sectors long before her career in politics began. We value her affinity for farmers and look forward to getting things done with a specific focus on support for Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP) and all business risk management programming available to beef farmers,” says Jack Chaffe, BFO President.

Click here to see more...

Video: Genetics Behind Swine Resilience - Dr. Jenelle Dunkelberger

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Jenelle Dunkelberger, geneticist at Topigs Norsvin, explains how genetics can improve disease resilience in pigs. She explores how resilience differs from resistance, the role of genetic variation, and how breeding strategies can enhance health and performance under disease pressure. Dr. Dunkelberger also covers practical applications and future implications for swine production. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Controlled experimental trials confirm that differences in mortality and performance under disease pressure are linked to genetic background, even when environmental conditions remain consistent."

Meet the guest: Dr. Jenelle Dunkelberger / jenelle-dunkelberger-9200ab86 is a geneticist at Topigs Norsvin, where she leads the Global Health and Behavior Research Platform. She earned her PhD from Iowa State University, focusing on host genetics and disease response in pigs. Her work centers on improving swine health and performance through genetic selection for resilience and behavior traits.