The Grower Calling: Recent Episodes
The Grower
As growers plan their fungicide programs with resistance management in mind, here’s a reminder of how to use the Group M fungicide Folpan 80 WDG. It’s a preventative multi-site fungicide that’s used across a wide variety of crops, from grapes and apples to cucurbits and strawberries.
Crop protection company ADAMA is launching a new thinning product for crop load management in apples and pears in 2026. Besides a new mode of action, the company is supplying a BreviSmart app that guides growers on best timing for application. Sponsored by ADAMA.
Trade patterns are shifting as the threat of U.S. tariffs continue to destabilize the produce industry. Greg Palmer, vice-president, trade and market development for the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, travels often to Mexico visiting with exporters and importers. When he puts on his tourist cap, he also frequents food markets. He shares his observations on the ramped-up trade missions from Canada and the opportunities for specific Canadian commodities.
A new pear variety will be entering the marketplace in 2026, thanks to a years-long breeding effort by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Vineland Growers’ Cooperative is licensed to sell the Happi pear which has a red blush and a sweet and tangy taste. Matt Ecker, vice president of sales, reports that the cooperative is expanding its controlled atmosphere storage space at Virgil, Ontario.
Hailing from an agricultural community, Jennifer Best brings an empathetic background to her role as director of growth services for Bradford West Gwillimbury. The municipality straddles the Holland Marsh along with King Township. She’s working with an ad hoc committee to harmonize land zoning bylaws that would ease pressure on the day-to-day lives of growers while protecting the land for future farming generations.
Thanks to Finnish technology, greenhouse-grown lettuce is taking off in Canada. The Grower is Digging Deeper and speaking with Jay Willmot, CEO, Haven Greens. Jay has built a five-acre facility at King City, Ontario with plans to double the footprint. Launched in April 2025, the state-of-the-art operation integrates water, energy and nutrition expertise with the result that 10,000 pounds of leafy greens are harvested every day. This model of sustainability has attracted retailers and foodservice providers alike, who are now selling red and green lettuce, and blends with arugula and mustards.
The footprint of artificial intelligence is getting bigger in horticulture. The most recent example is the Ecorobotix sprayer that’s now in use in Québec and Ontario vegetable farms. Algorithms have been developed for specific crops ranging from carrots to broccoli. And most recently, the technology can thin lettuce. This means that growers are better able to spray targeted weeds, while saving on manual weeding.
The annual meeting of federal-provincial-territorial agriculture ministers will be a reset in mid-July 2025 with a new federal minister in Heath MacDonald and five new provincial ministers. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the July 2025 cover story and speaking with Ontario’s Hon. Trevor Jones. Jones is one of the new faces, vowing to build consensus on infrastructure needs and to improve business risk management programs. Extreme weather patterns and trade volatility will, perhaps, spur faster movement on agricultural files in tandem with the national agenda.
So far, 2025 has been a roller-coaster for growers who export to the U.S. With the exception of a few days in early March, tariffs have not been applied on produce under the CUSMA deal. But every commodity association must look at the current trading environment for clues to the future. One example is Maritime-grown wild blueberries. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the June 2025 cover story and speaking with Benny Nabuurs, president of the Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Growers. Benny explains concerns about the current industry structure and processing capacity that spans the Canadian border into Maine.
As chair of the Ontario Apple Growers, Chris Hedges shares an overview of the provincial apple industry – its investments in high-density orchards, desirable apple varieties, controlled atmosphere storages and modern packing lines. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the May 2025 cover story titled 'Wind’s up and the weather is rising for Canadian apple growers' and checking in with Chris. Representing 200 growers, Hedges says they are ready to meet the moment with consumers looking for locally-grown produce in the face of U.S. tariff threats. With favourable spring conditions, he’s looking forward to a “fantastic” crop.
As general manager of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, Richard Lee is in close touch with his growers and many stakeholders. With 85 per cent of production destined to the U.S., Trump’s tariffs of 25% hit growers hard for three days in early March 2025. In this Digging Deeper podcast, Richard explains how the $6 million hit may be a forecast of things to come depending on the level of tariffs announced on April 2. It’s a time of monumental change, with new ministers of agriculture at the federal and provincial level. And a federal election set for April 28.
Bill Zylmans, chair of the Canadian Potato Council and a grower from Delta, British Columbia, says the threatened 25% U.S. tariffs are unprecedented in his career. President Trump insists they are scheduled to start March 4. In this Digging Deeper podcast Zylmans claims that no side is a winner in this war. Seed growers will be first to feel the pain shipping to the U.S. for spring planting. But processors will be a close second with French fries moving across the border to multiple customers. It won’t be long before added costs hit consumers.
2025 is shaping up to be a year of uncertainty. New technology costs are soaring. Climate change is on the radar. And the threat of U.S. tariffs is looming large. The Royal Bank of Canada has a large loan portfolio to agriculture of which eight per cent is horticulture. In this Digging Deeper podcast, The Grower speaks with Lorna McKercher, national director of agriculture. Lorna shares her perspective on how growers might consider managing the risks.
Bok choy. Rapini. Fennel. These are examples of the specialty produce that Ontario growers are bringing to market based on signals from brokers and retailer buyers. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the December 2024 cover story and speaking with Shawn Brenn, potato grower. Shawn lists the opportunities but also the risks for these niche markets. He developed a specialty potato with great taste that retailers sold for awhile then delisted.
Price-look up stickers, for the most part, are plastic. They are the size of a thumbprint, yet they “gum up” the composting process when it comes to separating them from organic food waste. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) has noted that Europe is moving towards a certified compostable PLU by 2028. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the November 2024 cover story and speaking with Dan Duguay, CPMA sustainability specialist. Dan explains that it’s opportune to make the European standard a global standard.
Climate change and global competition are challenging growers of processing vegetables in Ontario and Québec. Unseasonal rains damaged the Québec crop in 2023. Imports from European countries led North American processors to cut contracts in 2024. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the October 2024 cover story and speaking with Pascal Forest, president of the Producteurs de légumes de transformation du Québec. Pascal offers insight into the current crop.
Verdant Technologies Inc. has figured out how to use 1-MCP, an ethylene inhibitor, to keep broccoli fresh from field to fork. The new technology – a sheet placed in each box in the field -- is extending shelf life for a fragile commodity to seven to 10 days. How quickly the innovation is adopted depends on acceptance through the entire value chain. That’s where Sobeys is testing the practicalities from broccoli grower through its distribution centre in Boucherville, Québec to the grocery store. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the September 2024 cover story and speaking with Matt Aronson, Verdant Technologies and Tom Pierce, Sobeys, in Laval, Québec.
Cumulative catastrophic weather events over the last four years have left many Okanagan fruit growers with little to no fruit to sell in the summer of 2024. Government response, at the British Columbia and federal levels, has been tepid at best. The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada continue to advocate for more rapid monetary support but president Marcus Janzen fears that injections will be too late. In this Digging Deeper podcast, Marcus explains how climate policy and food security must be linked to prevent a generation of farmers from “quiet quitting.”
Responsible for human resources at Sandy Shore Farms, Amanda Doughty has embraced not only the work ethic but the community ethic at this asparagus, bell pepper and onion operation near Port Burwell, Ontario. She is focused on the physical and mental welfare of the 200-plus temporary foreign workers from Mexico and the Caribbean. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the June 2024 cover story and speaking with Amanda. She shares how the two-month asparagus season is intense, but she and her team, including a Spanish-speaking Guatemalan HR assistant, do everything possible to smooth communications and improve productivity in the field.
University of Guelph pomology professor Dr. John Cline has spent his research career in not only apples, but tree fruit. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the May 2024 cover story and speaking with Dr. Cline. He shares information on his most recent trials with a plant growth regulator for peaches and nectarines, that could shave 40 to 50 per cent off the time required to hand thin. That’s new technology eagerly awaited by Canadian growers with 8,600 acres of tree fruit.
The Ontario greenhouse vegetable sector, now valued at close to $2 billion in farmgate value, is facing regulatory burdens on several fronts. The federal carbon tax is one, but Chatham-Kent’s municipal development charges for water and wastewater will escalate from $179,000 per acre in 2024 to $366,000 per acre by 2029. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the April 2024 cover story and speaking with Richard Lee, Executive Director of The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers. He shares how these policies are impeding continued investment in Canada as some growers are choosing to expand in the U.S. Advocacy efforts are a priority as close to 4,000 acres of production of fresh tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers contribute to Canada’s food security.
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is registering dozens of biopesticides but the uptake by growers hasn’t been as robust. These new products offer suppression, not total control of insects and disease. That means a management shift in how to integrate them with conventional chemistry. There’s also a mind shift – how much faith do growers have in their management abilities to scout more often and react in a dynamic environment. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the March cover story and speaking with Brian Rideout, tender fruit and apple farmer and Crop Protection Section Chair, OFVGA. He shares his personal experiences with integrating biologicals on his farm.
As managing director of the Canadian Agrifood Policy Institute, Tyler McCann sees a need for more investment if agriculture is to meet its superpower goals in food production. That means more foresight amongst both public and private institutions and ambition to build the infrastructure that’s needed for a climate-resilient sector. In this Digging Deeper podcast, Tyler explains that the future of automation -- adopting AI and robotics -- depends on more than just financing.
Many farmers -- and farm leaders -- are on the cusp of retirement. The Grape Growers of Ontario is planning for the future by sponsoring a Next-Generation Committee. About 15 to 30 growers, chaired by Jessica Solanki, is much more than a social group. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the January 2024 cover story and speaking with Jessica. She shares how they are developing leadership skills, advocating for ag careers and communicating about impacts of government policy on their generation.
Soil health and climate change are linked. That’s one of the emerging themes from a Senate of Canada study into the state of the nation’s soils, the building block of the agri-food industry. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the December 2023 cover story and speaking with Senator Robert Black. After a year of criss-crossing the country, talking to farmers and experts, Senator Black says that a report on soil health is expected in 2024. He’s chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.
FERME Québec, a non-profit agency, was responsible for bringing more than 16,000 temporary foreign workers from Guatemala to the province in 2023. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the November 2023 cover story titled 'Guatemalan workers bridge the labour gap for Québec growers'. We are speaking with FERME Québec executive director Fernando Borja. He explains that a pilot program has worked well with El Salvador. And that more efforts are underway with the French-speaking African country of Madagascar.
The pandemic tested the logistics and marketing acumen of farmers’ markets like never before. As executive director of Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia, Justin Cantafio led a remarkable drive that resulted in the growth of provincial markets from 36 to 45. In this Digging Deeper podcast, he shares a perspective on the economic and social impact of the public square.
As founder of a greenhouse building company and then as a grower himself, Peter Quiring has witnessed lots of growth over 30 years. Nature Fresh Farms is headquartered in Leamington, Ontario. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the September 2023 cover story and speaking with him about his ambition to grow blackberries, raspberries and leafy greens under glass. He explains how a group of world-class specialists is helping to make that vision a reality.
The Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation is a hub of expertise that touches most aspects of produce trade in Canada. If you’re a grower/shipper, broker or freight contractor, then you know how produce gets moved every day. And with perishable products, sometimes things go wrong. Jaime Bustamante, Director of Trading Assistance at FVDRC is here to help.
Ontario’s processing vegetable sector is valued at more than $100 million. Hand-harvested field cucumbers make up $16 million, a niche that’s often forgotten. Many tons go to American processors to be made into a variety of pickles. The stubby ends, known as nubs and crooks, are used to make relish.
The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the August 2023 cover story and speaking with Dan Froese, field cucumber grower from Vienna, Ontario. Dan shares his insights on the future of the Ontario processing cucumber industry.
British Columbia’s $160 million cherry sector has grown substantially in recent years thanks to new markets in China, Japan and more recently South Korea. The 400-member BC Cherry Association is now raising awareness of their stone fruit domestically.
The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the July 2023 cover story and speaking with Sukhpaul Bal and Richard Issacs. They are sharing information on the first Canadian Cherry Month, running between July 15-August 15.
Shipping and logistics are still the crux of getting fresh produce to consumers. Ron Lemaire, president of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, shares both a global perspective and domestic context of the pain points that need to be addressed to protect the cold chain. These challenges are near-term to ensure Canadian food security.
The trend to hard ciders is not abating. The challenge is to grow apple varieties that will adapt to a fruiting wall and mature to a size that’s economical to pick. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind May 2023 cover story and speaking with Doug Balsillie. Doug and his wife Leslie Huffman have committed two acres of The Fruit Wagon’s 35 acres to this venture near Harrow, Ontario.
Crop protection decisions are harder than ever this spring as tree fruit growers seek alternatives to group M fungicides, the ones with multi-site modes of action. Government regulators have restricted their use as well as other products such as mancozeb and captan. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind March's cover story and speaking with Brian Rideout, apple and tender fruit grower in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Brian is crop protection section chair for the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association.
The ICL-Group is a global manufacturer of specialty minerals with experience in countries as diverse as Brazil, India and the U.S. In this Grower Calling podcast, Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, speaks with Jason Haegele. Jason explains what this specialty plant nutrition company is offering to Canada.
Meyers Fruit Farms, a tree fruit and floral greenhouse business near Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, has invested in five new units that will accommodate up to 40 temporary foreign workers. Planning the design has been mindful of worker comfort and privacy. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, is Digging Deeper behind the February 2023 cover story and speaking with Aron Hoff. Hoff explains key things to consider when building new housing for farm workers.
There is no season harder than succession. That’s why alignment of needs and goals is so important for farm families looking to transition roles and assets. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the January 2023 cover story titled 'Farm transfers are about more than land and legacy.' Editor, Karen Davidson, speaks with Elaine Froese, Canada’s farm whisperer as she offers some sage advice on maintaining harmony during this process.
Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer Competition will spotlight seven regional winners at its final event in Saskatoon, November 23-27, 2022. Three out of seven competitors are from horticulture. One of those couples is David and Jenn VanDeVelde, berry growers and on-farm retailers from Delhi, Ontario. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the December 2022 cover and speaking with David and Jenn. They say the competition has been a healthy exercise at mid-point in their farming careers.Sponsored by UPL.
Israel Chemicals Limited, or the ICL-Group, is a global manufacturer of specialty minerals. The delivery of these products are through controlled release fertilizers, foliar fertilizers and fertigation fertilizers, just to name a few. Jason Haegele, North American agronomy lead explains how these products are used in the horticultural sector.
The journey from commodities to brands is traced by the chief marketing officer, a 15-year veteran of the greenhouse industry. The branding of greenhouse vegetables has reached such sophistication that a kitchen was built inside the new marketing quarters of the Leamington, Ontario operation. It serves as the hub for creating recipes and content for an omni-channel universe.
The Grower is 'Digging Deeper' into the September cover story and speaking with Chris Veillon about the strategy behind marketing Pure Flavor produce.
Jenny Lemieux, co-founder and CEO of this Toronto start-up, is conducting trials with nine apple growers to solve a common problem: crop load management. One of those growers, Kirk Kemp, Algoma Orchards, Newcastle, Ontario, is excited that computer vision technology can count blossoms and fruitlets with more accuracy than he can.
The Grower is 'Digging Deeper' behind the August 2022 cover story and speaking with Jenny and Kirk. They describe how the ATV-mounted camera can scan the high-density rows and offer real-time numbers about quantity and quality of apples.
The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well as growers become marketers who encourage consumers to “eat the seasons.”
The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the July 2022 cover story and speaking with Davina Komienski, owner of Sam's Place Farm Market. Davina shares how fresh produce grown at Komienski Farms is supplemented with other fruits and vegetables and value-added products from Norfolk County, Ontario’s garden. Podcast sponsored by Cohort Wholesale.
Westmoreland Topline Farms is the first in Canada to launch greenhouse-grown, plastic-free English cucumbers in June 2022.
The Grower speaks with Dino DiLaudo about the edible coating, developed by Apeel Sciences, made from the seeds and skins of other fruits and veggies. A major Canadian retailer is partnering on the initiative with consumer messaging about sustainability. Sponsored by UPL.
As growers, marketers and distributors of produce, the Oppenheimer Group knows the challenges first-hand. Stewart Lapage is steering through multiple crises as executive director of operations and logistics based in Calgary, Alberta.
The Grower is Digging Deeper behind our May 2022 cover story and speaking with Stewart. We discuss how the pandemic, a flood in BC’s Fraser Valley, port congestion and now a war in Ukraine are piled on top of climate change and carbon taxes. He shares his perspective on the strains in the food chain.
The drive for more homegrown produce is intensifying as global events shake up norms and supply chains. The Star Group’s foray into strawberries is one example of extending its greenhouse vegetable expertise at BC Hothouse.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, is Digging Deeper into April 2022 cover story and speaking with Colin Chapdelaine.
As a grape and tree fruit crop consultant in the Niagara peninsula, Ryan Brewster is counselling his clients how to move away from some pesticides that are harsh on beneficial insects. One cultural method is to spray summer oils. Another is to plant late-flowering-cover crops between the rows to attract beneficial insects that eat bad bugs.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower is "Digging Deeper' in to the March 2020 cover story and speaking with Ryan. His counsel includes how to integrate these methods for both insects and disease.
Enthusiasts of precision agriculture are now looking to robots to alleviate labour shortages. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, is 'Digging Deeper' in the February 2022 cover story and speaking with Chuck Baresich, general manager of Haggerty Creek Inc.
Chuck is demonstrating robotic weeders for various crops in different soil types to see how they perform in Ontario. It’s the first step in finetuning the practical aspects.
The chair of the Prince Edward Island Potato Board is confident in the 20-year long-term management plan for potato wart, a fungal disease that’s been rarely seen by lifetime growers. He’s seeking answers from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on why the border is closed to PEI exports of seed and fresh potatoes to the United States. And why the agency suggests it might take a year to process the soil tests to satisfy requirements of the USDA.
The Grower is Digging Deeper in to the January cover story and speaking with John Visser.
This podcast has been sponsored by Cohort Wholesale.
Apple grower Kyle Oakley and his family have transitioned to market gardeners in the last decade with the help of high tunnels. With the purchase of Goldsmith’s Farm Market & Bakery in Thornbury, Ontario, they are confident enough to expand with two greenhouses to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and flowers. It’s an example of the trend to more protected and controlled environments.
The pandemic has disrupted the supply chain in potatoes with some sectors experiencing a boom, and others suffering from a dip in demand.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the November 2021 cover story and speaks with Kevin MacIsaac, general manager of the United Potato Growers of Canada. They discuss how the entire North American trade is adjusting to tectonic shifts in consumer demand, shifts in climate and shifts in seed sources. Surprisingly, some growers are responding by building more capacity.
Two Ontario vegetable growers share different perspectives – one is contracting celery to an American food processor, another is worried about decreased plantings of field vegetables in his area.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the September cover story and speaks with Dr. Evan Fraser, director of the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute. Fraser comments on the competitive pressures within today’s food system. And shares his perspective on what’s needed for the next generation of farmers.
Amanda Dooney and her husband Hayden have bought a total of 80 acres of high-density apple orchards near Simcoe, Ontario since 2019. The arrival of the pandemic challenged strategic plans for Suncrest Orchards. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the August cover story and speaks with Amanda about how stable accommodations and accommodating change have kept temporary foreign workers happy and safe.
Strawberry propagator Dusty Zamecnik has tripled the size of his greenhouse in order to supply the growing demand for starter plants in the greenhouse sector. What used to be just 50 acres is now 120 acres of Ontario greenhouse-grown strawberries for year-round consumption.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the July 2021 cover story titled 'Riding the berry revolution' and speaks with Dusty. They discuss the new technologies that are driving the expansion, including global genetics for best flavour.
Potato growers welcome new products and label extensions that offer options for chemistry rotations. Bayer is launching Vayego insecticide. And Luna Tranquility fungicide, a mainstay of Bayer’s portfolio, offers protection against several leaf diseases that are associated with early dying complex.
In this podcast Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, speaks with Bill Moons, market development agronomist, Bayer CropScience, about their potato portfolio.
Trade protectionism is not going away. The U.S. government is reviewing the security and strength of its supply chains, spurred by the global pandemic, climate change and geopolitical shifts.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the May 2021 cover story and speaks with Al Mussell, research lead, Agri-Food Economic Systems.
Podcast sponsored by BASF
The chair of the Ontario Tender Fruit Growers overcame initial resistance by his seasonal agricultural workers to get vaccinated. With a couple days to ruminate over printed flyers and face-to-face meetings, all of his 71-member crew from Niagara-on-the-Lake consented and were inoculated on March 22, 2021.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind The Scenes' of the April 2021 cover story titled 'VEXED BY THE VAX: ROLLING OUT WORKER INOCULATIONS' and speaks with Phil Tregunno.
The safety protocols around COVID-19 are restricting capacity at the Pest Management Centre to conduct toxicological trials needed to register crop protection products. A permanent funding structure would help meet future goals.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the March cover story and speaks with Charles Stevens, chair, crop protection section, OFVGA.
The arena of business risk management is complex with interconnected government, crop insurance and private insurance programs. Federal proposed changes for AgriStability, for example, are currently under review by the provinces.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, talks to Steve Funk, director of agriculture risk management resources for MNP, a leading national accounting agency, about how to approach this dynamic business environment.
Carbon taxes are going up. They are $50/tonne now but the federal government has announced incremental increases to reach $170/tonne by 2030. At the ground level, this policy will increase prices on fertilizer.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of The Grower's February 2021 cover story, and talks to Brian Gilroy, president of the Canadian Horticultural Council on lobby efforts to exempt Canadian agriculture from carbon taxes on all energy use.
For 25-plus years, Bob Tosh has been giving farm management advice, including how to retire with enough cash flow for two generations. Planning for a healthy retirement involves a whole-family discussion.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, talked to Bob Tosh, MNP, to find out how this accounting company offers more than tax planning and accounting.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of January’s cover story titled 'Wired for launch' and speaks with Scott Hodgins, manager, Cohort Wholesale. He’s been in the crop protection business for 20 years and shares his thoughts on the impacts of COVID-19 on research for horticulture.
Ontario’s greenhouse sector was at the epicentre of the COVID-19 crisis, under intense public scrutiny. Near Leamington, Ontario, Nature Fresh Farms was a leader in advocating for on-site testing, but then 199 of its asymptomatic workers tested positive. Local health authorities shut down the entire 160-acre facility on June 30, 2020. It took two weeks to be fully staffed again.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the December cover story titled Hardest Harvest to explore with John Ketler, vice-president, what Nature Fresh Farms did to protect its workers – and its reputation. This series is sponsored by BASF Agricultural Solutions.
Software developer Cliffe Hodgkinson has finetuned a web-based program called FarmHR that eases the load of record-keeping for temporary foreign workers. One of his British Columbia clients, a human resources manager, adopted the program in 2020 to manage the personnel files for 600 tree fruit workers. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, speaks with both Cliffe and Tricia about the benefits of using the software.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of November's cover story titled 'Growing live, virtually' and speaks with Travis Cranmer, Ontario vegetable crop specialist.
Travis describes Slido.com, a question-and-answer polling platform that allows participants to see photos and slides on technical subjects. Didn’t know the answer to that question? No one knows but you. But it’s a learning environment that gets results.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the October cover story titled GRAPE EXPECTATIONS: UP AND DOWN and speaks with the owner of Lakeview Vineyard Equipment, Joe Pillitteri.
Joe shares the roller-coaster of managing his Ontario company through a pandemic that’s resulted in cancelled field days and trade shows. He traces the fear of scrapped orders to the surprise of demand for more mechanization of grape vineyards.
Huge strides in artificial intelligence are being made in not only detecting but treating pests and diseases in real time in Canadian greenhouses. Using biological controls and UV disinfectants are part of the treatment.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind The Scenes' of the September 2020 cover story and speaks with Dr. Saber Miresmailli, CEO of Ecoation Innovative Solutions. Miresmailli predicts that this technology will migrate very soon to berry fields and vineyards.
Southwestern Ontario is more than corn, soybeans and wheat. It’s also a vegetable belt with a farmgate value at close to $l00 million.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes Behind the Scenes of the August cover story titled 'Big data drives the vegetable belt' and speaks with Ron Van Damme, processing tomato and field cucumber grower.
Ron is optimistic that the trends already underway – such as big data – will help the sector meet immediate demands for more canned and frozen products.
The Greenbelt Fund has published an optimistic report that sees room for the local strawberry sector to take more market share. Field growers such as Jeff Tigchelaar, Vineland, Ontario, agree that with more protected production systems, there can be a reliable source of fresh and flavourful product throughout the year.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes "Behind the Scenes" of the July cover story titled GREEN LIGHT FOR BERRY BRIGHT FUTURE (click title to read story) and speaks with Jeff Tigchelaar. He shares that given COVID-19, expansion is a longer term goal.
One farmer’s appeal represents the interests of Ontario’s Norfolk County agricultural sector which is at a competitive disadvantage with nearby growers. The local public health unit ruled that only three workers would be allowed per bunkhouse regardless of size, for the 14-day quarantine. With less guaranteed access to workers, growers have reduced their plantings and harvesting schedules.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the July cover story and speaks with Brett Schuyler. They discuss the challenges these rules create for this growing season.
For the last six weeks, Jane Proctor, vp of policy and issues management, Canadian Produce Marketing Association, has been in the heart of Ottawa, stick handling the fallout from COVID-19.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes "Behind the Scenes" of the June 2020 cover story and speaks with Jane. How does she do it from home? She shares how strong relationships matter in a crisis.
Working with many ag leaders across the country, the Ottawa-based president of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association has been stick handling myriad issues. An early success is that the federal government will permit seasonal ag workers from Mexico and the Caribbean to fly to Canada in time for spring planting. While health authorities are finalizing self-isolation protocols, he says the next big step is to streamline the flow of products, domestically and internationally.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the April 2020 cover story and speaks with Ron Lemaire, president of CPMA.
Nutrients and micro-nutrients have a huge role to play in keeping potato plants healthy through the season. A strong plant is in a better position to ward off diseases and pests, and stand up to extreme weather conditions.
In this episode of The Grower Calling, Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, picks up the phone and calls Dr. Chris Trobacher at NutriAg. They discuss foliar and soil-applied nutrition in potatoes.
The state of Integrated Pest Management keeps evolving with new equipment and techniques for identifying diseases and pests. Methods for communicating the results are shared with growers so that reduced-risk pesticides or biopesticides can be employed at the right rate, right time.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes "Behind The Scenes" of the March cover story titled 'The future of IPM: something old, something new' and speaks with Dr. Mary Ruth McDonald, professor of plant agriculture, University of Guelph. McDonald shares her observations over a 20-year-plus career.
On-farm marketing requires hands-on management.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the February cover story titled 'How to tell and sell the origin story' and speaks with Kevin Howe, Howe Family Farm Market near Aylmer, Ontario. Kevin shares best tips from storage to signage. Specialty melons, sweeter than most, are star attractions.
Darci Vetter, former chief agricultural negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative has had a front-row seat to trade relations around the world. She offers a nuanced analysis of trade deals in December 2019 and potential risks and opportunities for horticulture moving forward into 2020.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes “Behind the Scenes” of the January 2020 cover story titled 'Showing face in the midst of trade wars' story and connects with Darci Vetter. She shares her view of the recent U.S.-China trade negotiations and looks ahead to the risks for international trade in 2020 and beyond.
Kyle Horlings, a fourth-generation carrot and onion grower, is boosting soil health. Since 2015, he’s been taking about 10 acres out of production to plant cover crops.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes Behind the Scenes of the December cover story titled “Soil fitness — just do it!” and chats with Kyle about why he started the practice and what benefits he’s seen in the last four years.
Oleen Smethurst, assistant vice-president, general merchandise manager for Costco Canada, flies all over the globe from Berlin to Bogotá to taste test fruits and vegetables. This year, she is also chairing the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA). The defining issues of her CPMA leadership are the importance of enhancing flavour and reducing plastics.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the November cover story titled 'Frequent flyer earns bonus points for good taste' and speaks with Oleen on everything from reducing our carbon footprint to packaging alternatives.
Sweet potatoes are not native to Canada, but for the VanBerlo family near Simcoe, Ontario, sweet potatoes have become second nature.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes "Behind the Scenes of the October cover story titled "Sweet Potatoes: the uber tuber are now shipped coast to coast" and speaks with Nick VanBerlo, director of sales and business development. Nick shares how his family has carved a niche to become Canada’s largest grower/packer/shipper of this superfood crop with 1,200 acres in two provinces.
The management team at Gwillimdale Farms took several trips to Europe to track down state-of-the-art cooling and storage equipment for root vegetables. They settled on French company Klim ‘Top Controls for a system that pulls air through the boxes.
Karen Davidson, goes "Behind the Scenes" of the September 2019 cover story titled "Cold comfort, the new standard in root vegetable storage" and speaks with Quinton Woods. He discusses the benefits of the system including better quality produce for longer storage periods with lower electricity bills.
The Tregunno family is grading peaches by the pixel with a new Spectrim vision system at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the August 2019 cover story titled "Grading peaches by the pixel" to speak with Ryan Tregunno.
Minimum wage rates keep going up and that’s a hit to horticulture. In some crops, labour rates add up to 60 per cent of the total cost of getting produce to market. That’s why growers are turning to labour-saving equipment.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes behind the scenes of the July 2019 cover titled 'On top of the latest labour-saving equipment' to talk with John Beardsley. He’s the crop specialist for Exeter Produce, Exeter, Ontario.
For the last two years, Rebecca Compton, based in Delhi, Ontario, has chaired the Asparagus Farmers of Ontario through a challenging marketing period.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the June 2019 cover story to speak with Rebecca about her background and leadership approach to tackling industry issues.
Apple grower Cathy McKay has converted her 27-acre orchard to new varieties and trellis systems to produce a great tasting experience for consumers.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the May cover story titled 'Breeding ‘local’ apples for multiple micro-climates'. Cathy shares her excitement about the potential for new varieties from the Canadian Apple Breeding Consortium.
Canada’s greenhouse vegetable sector is being buffeted by carbon taxes, high energy prices and repercussions from the last year’s sudden cannabis expansion.
The Grower goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the April 2019 cover story titled 'Cannabis clouds competitiveness of greenhouse vegetable sector' and speaks with pepper grower Duffy Kniaziew. Duffy shares his views on how these competitiveness issues affect his Leamington, Ontario business.
The Grower goes "Behind the Scenes" of the March 2019 cover story “Intellectual property: unearthing the gold beneath your feet.” Editor Karen Davidson talks with Shawn Brenn, Brenn-B Farms, Waterdown, Ontario about on-farm research and how that’s led to marketing and packaging a specific potato variety called Goldenheart.
Based near downtown Toronto, the Ontario Food Terminal is a central hub for food distribution in the province and beyond. The Ontario government is currently looking at changes to the network.
The Grower goes "Behind The Scenes" of the February cover story titled 'Taking the pulse of the Ontario Food Terminal' and interviews MPP Randy Pettapiece, chair of the agricultural advisory group as well as Steve Bamford, CEO of Fresh Advancements, a major tenant of the terminal.
Not yet 30. Tom Heeman is chair of the Berry Growers of Ontario and the North American Strawberry Growers Association.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the January cover story titled 'The changing context of leadership' and speaks with Tom Heeman. Tom shares his insights on agricultural leadership today, involving more women on boards of directors and reaching out to the value chain.
Ontario’s ginseng industry has a $250M farmgate value. If the future is to be secured, the issue of replant disease must be solved. Or 160 growers will simply run out of land. A multi-disciplinary research team is working hard to find the answers. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes "Behind the Scenes" of the December cover story and talks with Carl Atkinson, ginseng grower, about replant disease.
Vegetable processors such as Bonduelle and Whytes Foods are investing in plant upgrades in several Ontario communities. Cathy Lennon, general manager, Ontario Vegetable Processors Association, offers a fresh look at this $100 million sector.
Canadian horticulture would be crippled without the efforts of seasonal agricultural workers from Mexico and the Caribbean.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower goes "Behind the Scenes" of the October 2018 cover story titled 'Hand it to 30,000+ seasonal workers who bring produce to market.' In the podcast, Ken Forth, president of FARMS, offers context and history on the 52-year-old Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program.
Aphids are just one of many insects that can damage an apple crop. Hank Markgraf, head of field services for BC Tree Fruits, points to aphids as an example of how challenging an integrated pest management program is now and into the future.
Peter Quiring, founder and president of NatureFreshFarms, Leamington, Ontario has spent 20 years building and operating the most innovative vegetable greenhouses in North America. With 2.5 acres dedicated to research, he shares how the Discovery Center has been ground zero for the launch of the Tomberry, the world’s smallest tomato.
Cleanfarms is a non-profit environmental organization that offers a wide range of recycling programs for farmers across Canada, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island with ways to address agricultural waste management and resources. Their systems offer a way to address agricultural waste management and resources in the ag community.
Shane Hedderson of Cleanfarms talks about the company’s cross-Canada recycling programs for farmers.
Some good things are growing deep in Essex County's agricultural belt, namely sweet Athena cantaloupes. Wrightland Farms is known for its apples, asparagus - and cantaloupes. It's thanks to dedicated farmers like Keith Wright who send their produce on a four-hour trip one way from Harrow, Ontario just to get their product to the Ontario Food Terminal. Our latest podcast goes behind the scenes of The Grower's August 2018 cover story.
Installing Point of Sale (POS) management software to process transactions more quickly at on-farm markets adds definite value to small business operators and growers are seeing a lot of value in automation. Heemans has been using such software for several years with continued success in their garden centre. The Grower discusses relieving pain points at the on-farm market with Will Heeman.
Canada’s sweet cherry harvest will soon be starting in British Columbia and Ontario. That's good news for cherry lovers, but growers are concerned that not enough workers will be available for hand harvesting due to Service Canada's delays in processing seasonal agricultural workers. The Grower goes Behind the Scenes of the July cover story titled 'Short-handed for hand harvesting' with David Geen of Jealous Fruits for a discussion on labour shortages.
Oppy Transport falls under the umbrella of well-known company The Oppenheimer Group. With transport offices in Calgary, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Newark and Tampa Bay, shipping and logistics issues aren’t just limited to one country. With the changes in USA legislation, increases in traffic congestion and more companies wanting to consolidate their storage, Oppy is working around these issues on a national scale. Let’s explore some of these topics further.
Jackie and Jim Rowe are a grower-marketing duo inspiring a value-added garlic industry in Ontario. With a number of key relationships with other growers and food processors, they are methodically building a dependable supply of garlic products year-round. It starts with garlic scapes harvested in mid-June at Hensall, Ontario. This podcast goes "Behind the Scenes" with Jackie Rowe for a more in depth discussion on marketing to retailers. Read the full story at http://thegrower.org/news/fresh-garlic-market
Trinidadian Sooruj Bhoolai came to Canada in 1992 as a seasonal agricultural worker. Now that he’s the owner of the celery farm near Bradford, Ontario, he faces new hurdles with a 28 per cent increase in the minimum wage. He shares his tips on teamwork.
Canada’s greenhouse vegetable industry is undergoing massive change this year. Tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers have been standard fare for many years, but now there are new crops under the lights. Mucci Farms in Kingsville, Ontario is one of the operators who has invested in strawberries. In a very short time, they have become the largest indoor grower in North America.
Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes behind the scenes of the April 2018 cover story to talk to Danny Mucci, president of Mucci Farms.
Jason Deveau, OMAFRA application technology specialist, reveals the motivation for a new video, Micron Woman. It’s the best educational tool yet to see how a droplet of pesticide behaves once it leaves the spray nozzle.
Drones. Are they toys or tools? Social media has given lots of publicity to these unmanned aerial vehicles. The images are stunning. And the promises have been over the moon on how they will revolutionize farming. Let’s ask potato farmer Kate Vander Zaag from Alliston, Ontario what her experience has been. Podcast is sponsored by BASF - We Create Chemistry.
Ontario’s craft beer industry is a media darling, but local growers have remained almost anonymous. Kyle Wynette is one young grower expanding a six-acre hopyard. His Tavistock Hop Company along with Upper Thames Brewing are entered into the Great Ontario-Hopped Craft Beer Competition to be held February 21. In this podcast we discuss production, pelleting and selling hops to craft brewers.
Access to Labour is one of the key issues for 2018. Growers are worried about access to seasonal workers, but also resourcing technical skills and managerial skills.
The Grower Calling – the official podcast channel for The Grower goes "Behind the Scenes" of the February cover story titled “Born to farm in Canada.” We call Kirk Kemp, president of Algoma Orchards near Newcastle Ontario to find out how his operation is transitioning.
This podcast is proudly sponsored by BASF Canada.
The Grower Calling – the official podcast channel for The Grower is pleased to release its eleventh-podcast episode with guest Jason Smith, a 4th generation B.C. blueberry grower, past chair of the BC Blueberry Council and current member of the crop protection advisory committee for the Canadian Horticultural Council to talk about Spotted Wing Drosophila. This podcast is proudly sponsored by Solida.
The Grower Calling – the official podcast channel for The Grower is pleased to release its tenth-podcast episode with guest Bill George an Ontario grape grower to discuss producing ice wine.
www.thegrower.org
The Grower Calling – the official podcast channel for The Grower is pleased to release its ninth-podcast episode with guest Sue-Ann Staff. Podcast host Amanda Brodhagen speaks with Sue-Anne to get a “Behind the Scenes” perspective based on our January cover story called “As the grape industry ages, future trends emerge.” This podcast series is proudly sponsored by “BASF Canada.” www.thegrower.org
The Grower Calling – the official podcast channel for The Grower is pleased to release its eighth-podcast episode with guest Dave VanSegbrook to get a behind the scenes perspective based on our December cover story called “Brussels sprouts: a vegetable crop competing in a global marketplace”.
www.thegrower.org
The Grower Calling – the official podcast channel for The Grower is pleased to release its seventh podcast episode with guest Chris Mullet Koop, an egg and grape farmer from Jordan, Ontario.
The Grower is pleased to release its sixth podcast episode with guest Rich Feenstra, an apple grower from Beamsville, Ontario.
Feenstra has been farming for about 15 years and shares his story about getting involved with the Ontario Apple Growers. He talks about the importance of getting involved at the board level and offers some advice for young growers. From there we discuss the changes that he has made on his farm in order to stay competitive, including investments like an apple picking platform. We conclude our conversation by talking about the importance of staying positive through difficult growing seasons.
This podcast focuses on on-farm potato variety trials. The Grower cought up with potato grower, Shawn Brenn of Brenn-B Farms to talk about the research trials that he is conducting along with potato researcher, Eugenia Banks.
Kevin is part of a multi-generational farming family. In fact, he and his brothers represent the 5th generation. His family business is called Howe Family Farm Market located in Aylmer, Ontario. There they grow large acreage of strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelons, squash, pumpkins and beans. The majority of what they produce is sold to large grocery store chains.
Given that Halloween is just around the corner, we will be chatting with Kevin about growing pumpkins. We will learn about his no-till approach to growing pumpkins, as well as the many different varieties that his family grows. From there we will talk about the importance of water conservation and drip irrigation. As a leader in the industry, we will talk about the exciting changes happening with the Ontario Berry Growers Association. We will end our discussion talking the changes to Ontario’s minimum wage laws. Kevin will offer his perspective and share how you can speak up for your farm!
The podcast covers a wide variety of topics relating to Pure Flavor’s marketing initiatives. We discuss marketing trends in greenhouse grown production, the company’s new facility being built in Georgia, as well as NAFTA re-negotiations and what elements in a new agreement are important to the greenhouse sector.
The podcast covers a wide variety of topics relating to pears, from growing pears in a high-density orchard, to different pear varieties including, the Cold Snap and Asian pear. Other topics covered will include, innovation, how the proposed minimum wage laws will affect the industry, along with advice to new or beginning farmers.
We could not have picked a better first guest. Dusty Zamecnik is a fourth-generation farmer in his 20s at EZ Grow Farms located in Frogmore, Ontario. On his family’s farm, they grow highbush blueberries as well as propagate strawberry plants for berry growers around the world.
Zamecnik shares insights into the strawberry propagation process, growing and packaging blueberries, what it is like to build a greenhouse that opens up like a convertible car, and also what it takes to brew beer – growing hops and using blueberries to make a fruity old world saison.