Ontario is investing $6 million over the next six years to assist provincial craft cideries spur growth through product marketing. “The Ontario Craft Cider Marketing Fund (CCMF) is the single most impactful development for the Ontario craft and cider industry in over a decade,” said Jenifer Dean, Ontario Craft Cider Association (OCCA) chair. “The industry […] Read more
Tag Archives apples
Provincial funding adds sparkle to Ontario’s craft cider marketing
Apple and tender fruit growers receive $1.2 million
Funding aimed at developing resilient varieties, sustainable practices for growers
Ontario’s apple and tender fruit growers will receive nearly $1.1 million from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to fund initiatives that include development of climate-resilient fruit varieties. Projects include collecting data on the climate impact of apple and tender fruit farming, developing a carbon calculator to reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions and developing superior, resilient […] Read more
Wild horses face unruly storms as Fiona nears East Coast
Damages feared to buildings, utilities, crops
Ottawa | Reuters — Shaggy, long-maned wild horses grazing freely on the sandy grasslands of the crescent-shaped Sable Island in the North Atlantic are expected to come under the swipe of a powerful storm forecast to hit Eastern Canada this weekend. Hurricane Fiona, tracking northward after carving a destructive path through the Dominican Republic and […] Read more
Using innovation to save declining species
Appleflats harvests and processes crab apples, creating its own technology to make it work
Glen and Alex Smyth have ambitious plans for a once commonplace fruit that many Canadians are no longer familiar with. Billed as North America’s only crab apple orchard, Appleflats Foods near Wellesley is on a mission to save a species and grow a new industry in the process. The young co-founders didn’t set out to […] Read more
Taking the guess work out of estimating apple yield
Machine uses spectral imaging to collect data and provide early detection of pests, diseases, and more
An Ontario start-up is working on a vision system technology its founders say will ultimately help apple growers produce more food. Vivid Machines is developing the Vivid X system that will automate predicting and managing apple yield and quality, and eventually provide early detection of pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies. Why it matters: Precisely monitoring […] Read more
New fungicide treats sugar beets
Nufarm, in partnership with Valent Canada, recently released Excalia, a new horticulture fungicide registered for the control of scab and powdery mildew in apples and suppression of rhizoctonia crown and root rot in sugar beets. Excalia delivers locally systemic and translaminar action for complete leaf tissue uptake and distribution across the entire leaf surface. It […] Read more
Vineland refines test for apple quality
New measurement standards may be necessary for adoption
Measuring friction might be the best way to determine apple quality, says a new project from the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Tribology, the science of wear, friction, and lubrication, is commonly used in food processing for semi-solid products like yogurt and spreads. The institution says new research shows it’s also effective enough to replace […] Read more
Canadian, U.S. farms face crop losses on foreign worker delays
Winnipeg/Chicago | Reuters — Mandatory coronavirus quarantines of seasonal foreign workers in Canada could hurt that country’s fruit and vegetable output this year, and travel problems related to the pandemic could also leave U.S. farmers with fewer workers than usual. Foreign labour is critical to farm production in both countries, where domestic workers shun the […] Read more
EU to ban Bayer’s Calypso insecticide
Brussels | Reuters — European Union governments on Tuesday widened the EU ban on neonicotinoid pesticides after deciding not to renew their approval for Bayer’s thiacloprid. Farmers will not be allowed to use the neonic insecticide, sold under the brands Calypso and Biscaya, after April 30, 2020, when its current approval expires. A majority of […] 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