If you’re a farmer selling products directly to consumers, restaurants or retail locations, an Ontario company believes it can simplify your process with an online platform. Local Line is an online selling platform for local food suppliers designed to help automate and streamline order fulfillment, inventory management and delivery. It started as a match-making service […] Read more
Online platform simplifies the local food supply chain
Local Line connects food buyers and sellers and is now helping with transportation logistics
Locally designed mask offers better breathing on the farm
Farmers finding an Ontario-designed mask aimed at the Chinese market helpful
Agriculture wasn’t the target market when Peter Whitby and Richard Szasz first hit upon the idea of creating a better air filtration mask while on a trip to China. In fact, O2 Canada had it sights set firmly on Asia and its notoriously polluted air as the best place to make a difference in how […] Read more
Emerging potato varieties aim to put more pop into potato market
Federal government overhauling national potato research program to make it more responsive to industry
The latest potato varieties being evaluated for the Ontario market were on display at the University of Guelph’s Elora Research Station in late August for interested growers and industry representatives. The majority were from the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada potato breeding program in Fredericton, which annually provides cultivars with potential for Ontario’s climate and growing […] Read more
New tender fruit varieties are just peachy
Harvest window, flavour and climate hardiness among most sought-after characteristics
An early ripening, yellow-flesh peach will be moving into first stage commercialization next year. It’s among several promising new tender fruit varieties from the University of Guelph and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) breeding programs that are emerging as potential winners in research under way at Vineland Research Innovation Centre (Vineland) in conjunction with Ontario […] Read more
Cold climate apples and grapes put University of Minnesota on the map
The work on cold climate fruit will have an effect on cultivars grown in Ontario, including Honeycrisp apples
As we head into fall, the name Honeycrisp will be on many consumers’ minds. The highly sought-after apple is arguably the most popular among the 27 varieties released by the University of Minnesota apple breeding program since its inception 111 years ago. Less well known, but nonetheless starting to make an impact on tourism and […] Read more
Ontario’s first vertical farm produces local herbs
Herbs have proved more profitable for the company than growing salad greens
An unobtrusive warehouse in a commercial-industrial area of Burlington houses Ontario’s first year-round supplier of locally grown herbs. Back40growers is also Ontario’s first vertical farm. Vertical farming is an emerging production system – plants are grown entirely indoors without sunlight and everything from temperature and humidity to light, irrigation and nutrients is precisely controlled. Why […] Read more
Diversifying dairy
Small on-farm dairies are at forefront of introducing milk with more easily-digested proteins
An Ontario dairy farm and processor is the first to bring A2 milk to Ontario customers. Sheldon Creek Dairy at Loretto, Ont. launched its A2 milk venture earlier in 2019, becoming Ontario’s first and only the second dairy in Canada to sell this type of milk. Why it matters: A2 milk was identified decades ago […] Read more
Plant tissue culture growth system wins award
University of Guelph innovation simplifies plant propagation
A tissue culture growth system was recently awarded the People’s Choice Award at the first annual Gryphon’s LAAIR innovation showcase and pitch competition. We Vitro, a new company that evolved out of research at the University of Guelph’s Gosling Research Institute for Plant Preservation (GRIPP), received $5,000 to further commercialization efforts. Its growth system is […] Read more
DNA barcoding technology identifies pest species on the go
Sampling technology and new data network creates opportunity for better pest management
It has just become easier for farmers to access rapid pest identification thanks to an innovation with roots in research at the University of Guelph. The LifeScanner Species Identification Kit uses DNA barcoding technology to identify biological organisms like insects, food, plants or animal tissue using a sampling kit and a mobile app. “What we’ve […] Read more
Limiting abnormal chromosomes can mean more piglets per litter
University of Guelph-developed test identifies boars with abnormal chromosomes that affect fertility
Technology developed at the University of Guelph can help increase the number of piglets born by an average of three to four per litter. That’s due to Karyotekk, a Guelph start-up that can identify chromosomal abnormalities in boars that affect their fertility, resulting in fewer piglets per litter. The business is based on research by […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
