Cornerstone Farm in Cormack, on Newfoundland's west coast, is cutting nonessential work because diesel costs more, CBC reported on October 21. Michelle and Eric Spears run the dairy farm, with about 200 cows on 500 acres. Eric Spears said a year of higher fuel prices has greatly worsened the budget. Land clearing and other extras are no longer affordable, so the farm is sticking to basic jobs.
He estimates an extra $75,000 to $85,000 of fuel spending by the end of this year compared with the previous year. Diesel powers feeding, fertilizer, snow clearing, and moving hay. Michelle Spears said the cut in land clearing is frustrating after a hot, dry summer in 2025 left farmers short of hay. They are absorbing the bill and asked for a temporary fuel-tax reduction for small businesses. CBC linked the broader spike to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, tight supply, and a Russian diesel-export ban that has since been lifted. This week's regulated Newfoundland pump price was not stated.
Could this diesel bill change what this Newfoundland farm can afford to do? Yes. The owners have dropped extra work, including land clearing, and expect to spend $75,000 to $85,000 more on fuel this year than last year. No tax change was announced.