Ag Business Centre Opens in Ridgetown
Farmers and rural organizations gained a valuable resource when the Ag Business Centre, located in the Mitton House at Ridgetown College, officially opened its door in late June. The Ag Business Centre is a partnership between Agri Development Kent, Ridgetown College and the Kent Federation of Agriculture. Kathy Delanghe of KFA is "excited about the opportunity for farm and rural groups to work closer together and create a more efficient communication process."

The Centre will act as a focal point for local agricultural and rural organizations. It is hoped that it will become a clearinghouse for agricultural business and economic development ideas and initiatives. “We hope to cultivate partnerships within the rural community and increase economic value for them,” says Sue McLarty, project manager.

The centre plans to conduct research into the feasibility of developing niche markets and new processing opportunities to expand agricultural markets. Other objectives include training, promoting and increasing agricultural awareness, identifying partnership opportunities, and providing project administration.

Two new initiatives are already in the works: FarmLink is a pilot project to study the feasibility of establishing a next generation marketing cooperative, and AGRIFocus provides an opportunity for high school students to consider career options in the agri-foods, agri-sciences and agri-business fields.

New EnviroStation
In late August, UPI Inc. launched its first EnviroStation, a new concept in providing a greater protection for the environment. The FS gas bar houses its fuel storage tanks aboveground in a containment building, which includes all of the piping and systems equipment, to ensure early detection of any leakage and the ability to move any problem tank out quickly by truck. The portable tanks provide improved environmental protection and easy, safe replacement.

UPI Inc. is a leader in the retailing of environmentally beneficial products in Ontario, including ethanol-blended fuel, a cleaner burning fuel which reduces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases and other harmful pollutants from vehicle emissions.

Second Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight
The second Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight will take place from November 3-5, 2001 at the Ottawa Congress Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. The workshop will be comprised of four sessions encompassing:
• breeding, nurseries and genetic resources
• epidemiology, pathology and control strategies
• markets, ESTs and transgenics
• toxicology, quality and the impact on industry.

In addition, there will be a technical workshop on Fusarium identification, poster sessions, social events and networking. The workshop is sponsored by the Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

New Corn Disease Website
A comprehensive new website that gives descriptions, photographs and suggested solutions for the 19 most common corn diseases in Canada is now up and running.

The website was developed by researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre in Ottawa after they completed an extensive survey of corn pests at more than 180 sites in Ontario and Quebec over the past two years. Once they discovered there was little information available that focused solely on Canadian corn diseases, the idea for the new site was born.

The bilingual website, at http://res2.agr.ca/ecorc/section1/corn/diseases.htm, outlines each disease with the common and scientific name, information on the symptoms, occurrence and recommended controls. A colour photograph can be enlarged and printed on a colour printer to carry to the field for easy reference.

The site looks at bacterial diseases, such as Stewart’s Bacterial Wilt, such fungal diseases as Common Smut and Fusarium Stalk Rot, and such viral diseases as Maise Dwarf Mosaic.

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