AgSights scaling bioLinks platform

AgSights scaling bioLinks platform

Company says software suits producers selling at farmers’ markets as well and small to medium-sized businesses

AgSight’s bioLinks platform is now ready to take on new clients after being successfully trialled by users such as Chatham-area Buis Beef.

Ontario leads in consumer-direct business.

Ontario leads in on-farm direct to consumer sales

Farmer use of direct sales varies, but it adds value for both the farm and customer

J&E Farm Store and Butcher Shop is a Cinderella story for direct-to-consumer farm marketing. “We were in the right place at the right time. But it wasn’t all based on luck,” said Emma Butler, who operates the business with her husband, Josh. The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for their business expansion and the number […] Read more

People tour the farm at Valley Bio during a recent information day on bringing value to sustainable farming practices.

Farmers show success in marketing sustainability

Making sure consumers understand the language around farming improvements is key

Farmers and the food industry have roles to play as greater emphasis is placed on sustainable farming practices. Representatives from across the food supply chain recently discussed the producer/industry relationship at Valley Bio Farms near Cobden, hosted by Foodbridge’s Beth Hunter and Valley Bio owner Reuben Stone. Valley Bio produces, cleans and sells seeds for […] Read more

golspie dairy

On-farm processing seen as key to small-farm succession

Golspie Dairy adds value to the farm by offering a milk vending machine and British-style cheeses made on site

Every farm transferred from one generation to the next charts its own path based on its unique challenges and opportunities. For the dairy-farming Marshall family northwest of Woodstock, a lengthy assessment of those challenges and opportunities pointed the way to a soon-to-open on-farm processing facility and store. Golspie Dairy recently gained mainstream media attention thanks […] Read more

Direct-to-consumer sales are increasingly popular, and G’Day wants to support that.

New platform launched for direct-to-consumer sales

Website makes it easier for consumers to find local products

G’Day is a new online platform that aims to better connect consumers with producers.  Launched July 8, the platform is devoted to connecting community members with direct-to-consumer farm sales and allows all transactions to happen directly between the purchaser and the seller. The platform is simple. Consumers visit the website, search within their location for […] Read more


Amy Kitchen stands at the door to a greenhouse at Sideroad Farm.

An enviable problem

Direct-to-consumer farm marketers learn to manage businesses that have grown much quicker than they expected

Farmtario talked to Amy Kitchen and Emma Butler early in the pandemic. We went back to see how they are managing the rapid growth in their direct-to-market farm businesses a year later. Nestled in the colourfully chaotic flower garden encompassing Sideroad Farm, Amy Kitchen’s sun-browned face flits between appreciation and concern.  Sixteen months past the […] Read more

Cattle are finished on corn at the Higginson farm near Meaford.

COVID-19 spurs direct marketing growth

Consumer desire to source local food a cash-cow for on-farm direct marketing businesses

Consumers took a more active role in sourcing locally produce protein when COVID-19 exposed challenges in the food supply chain. Why it matters: The pandemic has accelerated the interest in local food, creating opportunities for farmers. Mike Dougherty, along with his mom Suzy and brother Doug had been steadily growing their 50-acre grass-fed and finished […] Read more

Wendy Hogarth, Murray Johnston and their four sons own and operate Muskoka Lakes farm and winery.

Farm market becomes all-season tourist destination

Family behind farm market award says authenticity is key to differentiating their farm

Wendy Hogarth and Murray Johnston have turned their cranberry farm market into a destination. Muskoka Lakes farm and winery, located in Bala, Ont. won the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association’s 2019 Farm Market of the Year is Muskoka Lakes farm and winery. Hogarth talked about their farms’s transition at the 2020 Ontario Fruit and Vegetable […] Read more


Tamaran and Matt Mousseau raise Longhorns and Herefords on their farm near Hillsburgh.

Young farmers jump into direct marketing with on-farm stores

Ontario producers see the benefit of events and local food networks, and their hard work is paying off

Some young farmers are making direct-to-consumer sales an important part of their farm business plan. They’re using creative thinking on events and bringing new skills to the expansion of their businesses. Why it matters: Direct to consumer marketing can be an effective way for farmers to get more of the food dollar. But they have […] Read more