Happy Canada's Agriculture Day! And other Food & Farming news across the Golden Horseshoe

Food and Farming across the Golden Horseshoe

Today, February 13th, is Canada's Agriculture Day!

Show some love for all the hardworking people in our agriculture industry, and engage in food and ag conversations online with the hashtag #CdnAgDay.

Learn more about Canada's Ag Day

Business Spotlight

Is vertical farming winter’s answer to the high cost of imported produce in Canada? That’s the question posed by a recent Globe and Mail article, and companies like Vision Greens believe the answer is yes!

“Our current 4,000-square-feet growing footprint produces an amount of food equal to what you could grow on 12 and a half acres,” says Lenny Louis, chief executive officer of Vision Greens in Welland, Ontario.

The article explains that vertical farming proponents say these farms can supply greens all year to Canadians at prices that compete favourably with foreign-grown products, all while using less land and water.

And Vision Greens aren't the only vertical farm in Ontario excited about 'growing up'.

“We have been building one of the largest vertical farm operations in the world, quietly, right here in Canada,” says Barry Murchie, president and CEO of GoodLeaf Farms in Guelph. Read the full article here.

A Win-Win for Farmland Protection and Succession

Farms at Work has launched an exciting new online tool, FindFarmland.ca!

The free, searchable online “bulletin board” will connect farmland owners across the province with growers seeking land. Landowners are able to post the availability of all or part of their farm.

Visit the website here and be sure to share it across your networks.

The Future of Ontario Farmland

On Thursday, March 21st, the Ontario Farmland Trust invites you to join planners, farmers, conservation organizations and others from across the country to discuss the most pressing issues in farmland protection at their 2024 Farmland Forum.

Forum attendees will explore the importance of strong policy for farmland and environmental protection, succession planning for Ontario's food system, how municipalities and non-profits can support land access, and more.

Early bird pricing is available until March 1st. Visit the Ontario Farmland Trust website for more information and to register!

Free Soil Health Program

The Greenbelt Foundation and soil scientists at the Soil Health Institute are working together with Ontario agricultural partners to develop an interpretable, scalable, locally relevant method for evaluating and monitoring soil health.

They are sampling 300-500 grain and oilseed farms across the Golden Horseshoe region, and all soil health testing, education, and support services are offered free to farmers.

If you're interested in learning more or signing up, visit the Greenbelt Foundation website here.

Grants for Green Spaces

Scotts Canada’s Gro for Good grants are currently accepting applications!

The program provides grants to communities, schools and non-profit organizations seeking to develop sustainable community gardens and green spaces. The grants are valued at $2,500 CAD (cash plus in-kind product donation) and will be awarded to selected projects across Canada based on community impact, youth involvement and sustainability.

Applications will be accepted until February 29, 2024. Learn more here.

Doubling Investment in Grow Ontario Market Initiative

The governments of Canada and Ontario have announced that they are investing an additional $6 million in the Grow Ontario Market Initiative to help agri-food businesses and industry organizations expand their sales and grow their markets.

The Initiative was launched in 2023 to provide primary producers, food processors and industry organizations with cost-share funding to help them increase sales in domestic and foreign markets through market analysis and planning, new product development and marketing. Read more.

Ag-Tech Dialogues

The Arrell Food Institute has been working on an Ag-Tech Dialogue Initiative to explore how new and novel innovations offer us tools to produce more food on less land with fewer inputs, enhancing the productivity and sustainability of the agricultural sector.

They have published an interim “what we heard” report based on interviews and focus groups during the first half of 2023. Check it out here.

Some more food news to chew on...

Food Processing Skills Canada says that over 140,000 new workers will be needed for Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing industry by 2030.

After 30 consecutive years of growth, Canadian farmland values increased again in 2023 and are forecast to rise in 2024, says an expert at Farm Credit Canada.

The Circular Innovation Council has launched a new initiative to reduce single-use plastic waste in collaboration with grocery retailers Metro, Sobeys and Walmart Canada.

A new partnership will see Sobeys promote Cookin to its customers both in-store and online.

According to a Dalhousie University survey, four in five Canadians are expecting the price of food to continue to increase in 2024.

Sucro Can Sourcing plans to build Canada’s largest sugar refinery in Hamilton, which is expected to have an annual refining capacity of 1 million metric tonnes.

Scientists are trying to bring flavour back to the tomatoes sold in grocery stores — but how should they taste?

Did you know yoga is gaining ground in agriculture? Read about it here.

This team of scientists and private sector partners is aiming to revolutionize strawberry production in Canada.

Finland's health forests are helping patients reap the mental health benefits of being in nature.

Retailers in Canada are investing more in halal products to meet the growing demand.

A farm machinery maker has hired SpaceX’s Starlink service to provide satellite internet connections for tractors, harvesters and crop sprayers in remote areas.

Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance

www.FoodandFarming.ca