Photo: Ed White

Ag in Motion Innovation Awards handed out

The competition was made up of five categories, each including three contestants. Their innovations ranged from a giant manure bio-gas tank-trailer to a simple plastic calf castration card, from analytical management systems to hand-held leaf-scanning apps.

Dr. David Huyben and M.Sc. student Junyu Zhang at the Ontario Aquaculture Research Centre.

Innovative agri-food research gets $7.2 million boost

A $7.2 million investment in Ontario-led research and innovation will increase agriculture and food sector competitiveness. The funding is through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaborative effort between the province, Agriculture Research and Innovation Ontario (ARIO) and the University of Guelph. “Through this investment, we are helping to create an environment where farmers and […] Read more

Darren Wolchyn (at right), founder and CEO of Smart Paddock, receives the Innovation Award from Kevin Chung, director of innovation investments and programs at Innovation Saskatchewan, at the Canadian Animal Ag Tech Awards. (Lisa Guenther photo)

At Agribition: Livestock tech companies earn new spotlight

Canadian Animal Ag Tech Awards presented

Three companies were crowned winners at the first annual Canadian Animal Ag Tech Awards on Thursday during Canadian Western Agribition in Regina. The event spotlighted companies creating technology for the livestock industry, with products ranging from water sensors to artificial intelligence-powered monitoring systems. Australia’s Smart Paddock received the Innovation Award. The company’s GPS ear tags […] Read more

Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, left, and Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announce $25 million in Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding for projects that improve production capacity and energy efficiency within the agriculture and food sector.

$25 million program aims to boost agri-food innovation in Ontario

The program’s first intake starts on Feb. 15, 2024 and will pay up to $100,00 per project

The Agri-Tech Innovation Initiative will disperse $25 million of Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding to drive agriculture and food sector production capacity and energy efficiency. “These investments will allow established and emerging businesses to speed up efforts to optimize their operations and help in achieving the ambitious goals we have set out for the agriculture […] Read more


The Agriculture Enlightened conference, held Oct. 26 in Winnipeg and hosted by EMILI, is trying to help Canada become a leader in digital and precision agriculture. (John Deere photo)

Robots may help grain farmers diversify

Tech could support labour-intensive higher-value crops

Chuck Baresich, who owns an agricultural robotics business in Ontario, says controlling weeds with robots is probably best suited for high-value, horticultural crops in Canada. However, large-scale grain farmers could also use the technology if they think about it differently. “Let’s say my brother and me are growing 1,500 acres of corn,” said Baresich, who […] Read more

Sjenk Van Soelen of DeLaval explained the company's new behaviour analysis tool for monitoring in-barn cow behaviour and herd health.

New dairy innovations featured at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show

Dairy business leaders’ perception of what consumers expect of Canadian farmers is driving information technology innovation in the sector.  The DeLaval dairy equipment company used the 2023 Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show to officially launch in Canada and the U.S. its DeLaval Plus Behavior Analysis tool for monitoring in-barn cow behaviour and herd health. The company’s […] Read more

Innovations Program winners announced

Innovations Program winners announced

Winners of the Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show Innovations Program were announced last night in Woodstock. The innovation program was presented by Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and the Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada (AMC), with support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). This program is a reflection of the exciting growth that […] Read more


cooking ideas

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

At AgriTech North's vertical farming facility in Dryden, the light in the grow room is pink when the plants are in their grow cycle, and off during the day when they are in their sleep cycle.

Improving food security in northern Ontario

Finalists named for Northern Ontario Innovation Challenge

Seven agri-food entrepreneurs from across northern Ontario have been chosen as finalists in the Northern Ontario Innovation Challenge run by Bioenterprise Canada, a national accelerator known as Canada’s food and agri-tech engine. The seven agri-businesses will showcase their innovations at a public demonstration day in September with short pitch presentations to a panel of judges […] Read more