The agriculture sector uses a lot of plastic products, from bale wrap and silage bags to plant pots, greenhouse plant clips and semen straws. How to recycle, reuse or otherwise safely and responsibly dispose of these types of products is an ongoing challenge, but the industry is tackling the search for solutions from various sides. […] Read more
Searching for sustainable agricultural plastic solutions
Projects in Northern Ontario and the University of Guelph tackle logistical challenges and biodegradable options
Supporting food innovation beyond the farm gate
Canadian Food Innovation Network encourages collaboration across the country
The agriculture sector is familiar with research and innovation from the field to the farm gate. Less well known is the need for innovation beyond the farm gate. That’s where the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) has been filling a gap. CFIN was launched about 18 months ago with the goal of funding innovation and […] Read more
Passion for soil health drives Ontario innovator
On-farm innovation award winner has developed not one but two useful systems to help farmers
Jake Kraayenbrink is passionate about soil health — so much so that he’s spent the better part of the past 15 years developing an innovative tire deflation system that helps farmers reduce soil compaction risks from heavy equipment. It’s on the market today in Canada, Europe, the U.K. and New Zealand under the AgriBrink brand. […] Read more
Ontario colleges serve as ‘surrogate R&D departments’ for agriculture industry
While universities are significant research partners, many colleges provide specialized services
Universities are well-known as centres for research and innovation, attracting both faculty and students based on the depth, breadth and qualities of their research enterprises. In Ontario, the University of Guelph is a particularly significant research partner for the agriculture sector. Less well-known is that many of Ontario’s 24 colleges are also home to centres […] Read more
Biological nitrogen voted among most investable clean tech ventures
Farment BioSolutions one of eight agriculture tech companies selected for Foresight 50
A B.C.-based start-up that combines nitrogen-fixing bacteria and fermentation to create biological nitrogen has been named as one of Canada’s most investable cleantech ventures. Farment BioSolutions Ltd. is one of eight agriculture-focused technology companies included on the 2022 Foresight 50 list. The list is compiled annually by Canadian cleantech accelerator Foresight and is designed to […] Read more
Ontario technology lets farmers produce their own inputs
Waterloo-based company producing green ammonia using water, air and electricity
Clean, economical, and practical – those are the foundational building blocks of a technology that will let farmers produce their own inputs on the farm. Using water, air and electricity, a containerized production system by Waterloo-based FuelPositive will produce ammonia for a variety of uses including agricultural fertilizer or fuel for grain drying and internal […] Read more
Using the science of light to reduce food waste, improve meat quality
Waterloo start-up receives expansion support
An Ontario company has just received a funding boost from the federal government for its smart visioning technology. P&P Optica of Waterloo has developed a system that harnesses the power of light to measure chemistry to improve meat quality and safety. The new funding will help promote its automated inspection system to meat processors. Using […] Read more
Low cost, real-time soil carbon quantification could be a game changer
Two start-ups combine forces to provide farmers with better decision making on soil carbon
A new partnership between two companies with technologies rooted in artificial intelligence is making carbon quantification more accessible, profitable and scalable for farmers and landowners. Quebec-based ChrysaLabs is an agtech startup that uses cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning for precision soil sampling in real time. It has teamed up with EarthOptics, a soil […] Read more
Local data useful for better crop management decisions
Engineering graduates develop technology that helps vineyards and orchards manage fungal and pest pressures
A Niagara-region start-up is offering field-specific, real-time weather data and spore collection to help farmers with smart fungicide scheduling for orchards and vineyards. Founded by three University of Waterloo mechatronics engineering graduates, Maesos Technologies Inc. uses a two-part approach of climate sensors and airborne fungal spore samplers to help growers make decisions on when and […] Read more
Digital biosecurity software attracts local, international attention
Ontario-based Farm Health Guardian improving communication for farmers during disease outbreaks
Disease prevention and responding quickly in case of an outbreak are two critical components to keeping livestock healthy, borders open and food on grocery store shelves. An Ontario company has developed a series of tools to help the agriculture sector do just that, and their innovations are turning heads on both sides of the Atlantic. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
