Animal-rights activists are attacking our right to choose what we eat
Just over a month ago, I wrote an article about how farmers should stop inviting the public into their livestock barns, especially as a response to animal-rights activists’ demands to see how farming is done. I stated that these activists will never be satisfied, and will only use the information…
When do farmers stop asking for approval, when they are doing nothing wrong?
Last week (Feb. 1, 2019), TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin aired a show about Ontario’s animal welfare standards for livestock, featuring Bonnie Den Haan, a dairy farmer, and Camille Labchuk, a lawyer and Director of Animal Justice Canada (an animal rights advocacy group). While Ms. Den Haan did an…
DFO will slit its own throat with its draft “Animal Abuse Policies”
Dairy Farmers of Ontario [DFO] has produced its draft “Animal Abuse Policies” in response to the Dairy Processors Association of Canada [DPAC] policy statement, which followed a similar policy statement created by Saputo Inc. in the wake of the Chilliwack dairy farm case. In a nutshell, DPAC wants provincial milk-marketing…
Can you pass on farm property to your kids without losing it if they get divorced?
No parent wants to think about the possibility that their child’s marriage might fail. However, it may be necessary to think about it to avoid having much of the family’s farm legacy lost in a messy divorce. A pre-nuptial agreement may be the first thing that comes to mind to…
Supply Management is a Critical Component to a Robust Animal Welfare Regime
Protection of Canada’s supply management system has been the subject of great debate throughout recent NAFTA talks. The merits of the system have been argued by the various Canadian livestock sectors and government in an effort to defend and hopefully protect the system. One beneficial element of the system that…
There is no such thing as free labour on the farm – even within family
Doing chores on the farm without any financial compensation may still be a time-honoured tradition in Ontario, but the courts do not necessarily see it that way. This is especially true when it involves an adult-labourer working for free or being insufficiently paid on a farm. It makes no difference…
What are Agricultural Tenants’ /Landlords’ Rights?
Many believe that agricultural tenants have little or no rights. This is simply not true. It is true that agricultural tenants do not enjoy the same rights as residential tenants, who are afforded a comprehensive package of rights through the Residential Tenancies Act, but this does not mean that agricultural…
Is a Promise to Pass on the Family Farm a Legally Binding Contract?
Depending on the circumstances, the short answer is “yes”. If mom or dad promises to pass on the family farm to his or her son or daughter in exchange for dedication and years of labour on the farm, it may be deemed a binding and enforceable contract. As a result,…
Report it – activists are breaking the law
So-called “investigations” by radical animal rights organizations have been well publicized by major media outlets over the past few years. I am reluctant to use the term “investigation” to describe such activities, however, because it almost lends a degree of legitimacy to the practice. Their activities are illegal and, given…
Brown-baggers beware: Seed Companies Appear Poised to Enforce Plant Breeders’ Rights
It has been almost four years since we successfully argued at the Federal Court of Appeal to limit the scope of damages available in two post-Schmeiser seed patent cases. While admitting infringement and offering to pay damages, four farmers stood up to Monsanto and proved that they only owed money…
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