The Grower Calling

The Ontario greenhouse vegetable sector, now valued at close to $2 billion in farmgate value, is facing regulatory burdens on several fronts. The federal carbon tax is one, but Chatham-Kent’s municipal development charges for water and wastewater will escalate from $179,000 per acre in 2024 to $366,000 per acre by 2029.

The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the April 2024 cover story and speaking with Richard Lee, Executive Director of The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers. He shares how these policies are impeding continued investment in Canada as some growers are choosing to expand in the U.S. Advocacy efforts are a priority as close to 4,000 acres of production of fresh tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers contribute to Canada’s food security.

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is registering dozens of biopesticides but the uptake by growers hasn’t been as robust. These new products offer suppression, not total control of insects and disease. That means a management shift in how to integrate them with conventional chemistry. There’s also a mind shift – how much faith do growers have in their management abilities to scout more often and react in a dynamic environment.

The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the March cover story and speaking with Brian Rideout, tender fruit and apple farmer and Crop Protection Section Chair, OFVGA. He shares his personal experiences with integrating biologicals on his farm.

As managing director of the Canadian Agrifood Policy Institute, Tyler McCann sees a need for more investment if agriculture is to meet its superpower goals in food production. That means more foresight amongst both public and private institutions and ambition to build the infrastructure that’s needed for a climate-resilient sector.

In this Digging Deeper podcast, Tyler explains that the future of automation -- adopting AI and robotics -- depends on more than just financing.

Many farmers -- and farm leaders -- are on the cusp of retirement. The Grape Growers of Ontario is planning for the future by sponsoring a Next-Generation Committee. About 15 to 30 growers, chaired by Jessica Solanki, is much more than a social group.

The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the January 2024 cover story and speaking with Jessica. She shares how they are developing leadership skills, advocating for ag careers and communicating about impacts of government policy on their generation.

Soil health and climate change are linked. That’s one of the emerging themes from a Senate of Canada study into the state of the nation’s soils, the building block of the agri-food industry.

The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the December 2023 cover story and speaking with Senator Robert Black. After a year of criss-crossing the country, talking to farmers and experts, Senator Black says that a report on soil health is expected in 2024. He’s chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.

FERME Québec, a non-profit agency, was responsible for bringing more than 16,000 temporary foreign workers from Guatemala to the province in 2023.

The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the November 2023 cover story titled 'Guatemalan workers bridge the labour gap for Québec growers'. We are speaking with FERME Québec executive director Fernando Borja. He explains that a pilot program has worked well with El Salvador. And that more efforts are underway with the French-speaking African country of Madagascar.

The pandemic tested the logistics and marketing acumen of farmers’ markets like never before. As executive director of Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia, Justin Cantafio led a remarkable drive that resulted in the growth of provincial markets from 36 to 45. In this Digging Deeper podcast, he shares a perspective on the economic and social impact of the public square.

As founder of a greenhouse building company and then as a grower himself, Peter Quiring has witnessed lots of growth over 30 years. Nature Fresh Farms is headquartered in Leamington, Ontario.

The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the September 2023 cover story and speaking with him about his ambition to grow blackberries, raspberries and leafy greens under glass. He explains how a group of world-class specialists is helping to make that vision a reality.

The Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation is a hub of expertise that touches most aspects of produce trade in Canada. If you’re a grower/shipper, broker or freight contractor, then you know how produce gets moved every day. And with perishable products, sometimes things go wrong. Jaime Bustamante, Director of Trading Assistance at FVDRC is here to help.

Ontario’s processing vegetable sector is valued at more than $100 million. Hand-harvested field cucumbers make up $16 million, a niche that’s often forgotten. Many tons go to American processors to be made into a variety of pickles. The stubby ends, known as nubs and crooks, are used to make relish.

The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the August 2023 cover story and speaking with Dan Froese, field cucumber grower from Vienna, Ontario. Dan shares his insights on the future of the Ontario processing cucumber industry.