Some areas of New Zealand have optimal climatic and geologic conditions for growing big wheat crops. For Eric Watson, a grain and vegetable farmer from the country’s Canterbury region, leveraging those conditions with specific seeding and input strategies has brought record-breaking yields. Why it matters: While conditions in Ontario differ, adopting some of Watson’s agronomic […] Read more
Bumping up wheat production
What record-breaking New Zealand growers do, and what might work here in Ontario
Land prices continue upward trend
Low interest rates, good commodity prices, and non-farm buyers push land values higher across the province
The pandemic might have slowed the economy in 2020, but it didn’t slow the growth in land values. In fact, the ongoing global viral calamity is, in its own way, another factor contributing to per-acre purchase costs. In his annual “Southwestern Ontario Land Values” report, Ryan Parker, partner with London area real estate appraiser Valco, […] Read more
What if I don’t have the right data?
How to manage – and prevent – crop data gaps
So you forgot to charge the iPad. Or perhaps the power switch never drew your attention. Maybe you’re stuck with older, computer-free equipment. Either way, you’re at the end of the field and the data you could have otherwise used (or hoped to gather) isn’t available. What do you do? Can you still make decisions […] Read more
Getting answers directly from your plants
More growers investigate exactly what their plants absorb from the field through tissue samples
Growers of high-value crops have long used plant tissue sampling to improve fertility and other agronomic factors. In recent years, however, the popularity of tissue sampling among grain and oilseed producers has sharply increased. According to those offering tissue analysis services, the driving factors have been a growing interest in more specific reasons for variations […] Read more
Demand surges for processing tomatoes
Ontario producers will need to grow more tomatoes to meet 2021 demand
As people were forced to cook at home, many reached for the tomato sauce. Demand for processed tomato products jumped globally in 2020, lowering product inventories and peaking interest from both growers and processors. Whether higher demands will outlast the pandemic remains uncertain. But in the meantime, Ontario’s processing tomato sector is gearing up for […] Read more
What does Responsible Grain mean in Ontario?
GFO believes sustainability parameters should be voluntary and clear to producers and the general public
The voluntary Responsible Grain national code of practice can be used by grain growers in Ontario, but it hasn’t resulted in the debate it has in Western Canada. Responsible Grain, a national code of practice for grain production, is currently being developed by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops (CRSC). The initiative is intended to […] Read more
Good crop yields all around in 2020: Agricorp
2020 corn and soybean yields were a welcome change across most of Ontario
The 2020 growing season was an overall good year for Ontario’s corn and soybean growers, according to Agricorp numbers. Published Jan. 15, statistics from growers who subscribe to production insurance with Agricorp show the province saw slightly above average yields. As described on its website, the provincial average for corn yields was 177 bushels per […] Read more
Startups compete for Canadian Thrive challenge
Seafood traceability software takes top spot
A seafood traceability company took top spot in a recent challenge organized by Thrive, a Silicon Valley agricultural technology investor. Nine Canadian agriculture and food startups competed as finalists, with British Columbia seafood traceability company ThisFish taking the top spot. Why it matters: As the agriculture and food sectors shift towards digitization and precision tools, […] Read more
Genetic technologies rooted and ready to sprout
How RNAi and gene editing could impact farms
Biotechnology advancements are promising to reshape agriculture as the full potential of tools such as RNAi and gene editing gain acceptance. The full potential of mRNA to speed up vaccine development leapt to the forefront during the fight to contain the pandemic, but it’s biotechnological cousin RNAi has been quietly gaining momentum in food and […] Read more
Trucks roll forward into the digital age
New regulations, but also drive for data create new options for trucks
As new federal driving-log policies for commercial vehicles are poised to take effect in June, some say there is an opportunity for digital monitoring tools to be expanded to the rest of the truck. Why it matters: Rigorous, readily accessible digital records can be more efficient and reliable than paper records. They can also be […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
