Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Couple operates what may be Ontario's northernmost farm

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Jack Pine Acres is located near Pickle Lake

By Diego Flammini Assistant Editor, North American Content Farms.com

A couple is running what they believe is the northernmost farm in Ontario.

Jeremy and Liana Millar, with their business partner Hans Orav, operate Jack Pine Acres, a 200-acre property located in about 15 minutes away from Pickle Lake, Ontario – or about 530km away from Thunder Bay.

Pickle Lake is considered the province’s most northern community with year-round road access.

Jack Pine Acres raises pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys and cows. The operators use generators for electricity, fences made of wood pallets and repurposed trailers as barns.

image

A pig at Jack Pine Acres farm.
Photo: Ron Desmoulins/CBC

 

Temperatures can fall below 30 degrees Celsius in the winter, but that hasn’t stopped the animals from being healthy.

“(My feed supplier was) actually surprised at how big and fast the turkeys grew up here,” Jeremy told CBC.

“Our Holstein cows wintered last year very well,” he said. They wouldn’t even go in the barn. They wouldn’t leave the hay bale.”

“We’ve had no problems with disease, or lice, or mites or any of those infestations that you find in warmer climate farms,” Liana told CBC. “They can’t survive here.”

However, being in such a remote location, farmers need to start from scratch. “You need to start from ground zero. You need to clear the land, pick the rocks and grow the fields,” Liana said. “You need to really want to do it.”

Currently, the Millars call their operation a hobby farm, but hope to go beyond that in the future by offering fresh, local meat to local communities. “We’ve had a lot of support and people agree that it would be a good idea,” Liana told CBC. “We’ve got the land, there’s no reason not to use it.”

Current Issue

September 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Sunflower farming in Ontario

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

While Manitoba dominates sunflower production in Canada—accounting for about 90 percent of the national output (https://oggardenonline.com/where-in-canada-are-sunflowers-grown.html)—Ontario is home to a growing number of sunflower farms. These farms are often smaller in scale and... Read this article online

2025 Livestock Tax Deferral Regions Announced

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has published the initial list of prescribed regions eligible for the 2025 Livestock Tax Deferral provision, a key support measure for Canadian livestock producers grappling with the impacts of extreme weather. “As we continue to see the very... Read this article online

Better Soil Health Improves Rain Absorption

Monday, August 18, 2025

The OMAFA Fieldcropnews.com team recently held demonstrations regarding how soil management can greatly affect the amount of rainfall absorbed into the soil for crop use. This is especially important for corn, soybean, and wheat growers facing dry spells or intense summer storms. In early... Read this article online

Farm ponds and the trouble with algae

Monday, August 18, 2025

Farm ponds are more than just tranquil features on rural landscapes—they’re essential tools for water management, livestock care, irrigation, and biodiversity—especially in North America. They are also considered to be a key agricultural asset outside North America, especially in... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top