Feds throw money into Vineland Station's crop projects Thursday, July 31, 2014 by SUSAN MANN The Vineland Research and Innovation Centre’s work to study growing Asian and round Indian eggplant in greenhouses received a boost this week after the federal government announced funding of more than $1.1 million for its world crops work. The grant money will be used for research in four vegetables – okra, sweet potatoes plus two kinds of eggplant, Asian and round Indian. Centre CEO Jim Brandle says eggplant “is a crop that we already grow in the greenhouse.” But Indian and Asian eggplant are totally new varieties that aren’t necessarily adapted for greenhouse production “so we have to go through that whole process of building a production system.” MP Pierre Lemieux, parliamentary secretary to federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, and Niagara West-Glanbrook MP Dean Allison announced the funding for the centre’s research Wednesday during an open house. They also announced funding of more than $1.4 million for the centre to modernize its rose breeding program. Brandle says for sweet potatoes, the research will focus on breeding and improving shorter season varieties “that have more consistent sizing and are better for processing into things like chips and French fries.” The other crop work will include variety evaluation plus on-farm trials. The market for the four vegetable crops is “pretty strong” based on current consumption trends, he says. “Every year we get a quarter of a million new immigrants into the country and 80 per cent come from south Asia. Those particular vegetables fit into their food traditions quite nicely.” Ontario farmers are growing a few hundred acres of the four crops now. But there’s the potential need for a few thousand acres of those four crops to be grown, especially if a year-round supply of eggplant can be established. The funding for Vineland’s research comes from the federal industry-led Research and Development stream of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriInnovation program. It’s a five-year fund with up to $698 million available and is part of Growing Forward 2, the national agricultural policy framework. BF Consumers bite back on high meat prices U.S. appeal court rejects injunction to block COOL
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Friday, July 4, 2025 The was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium. Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded $60,000 to further his... Read this article online
Grape Growers 40th Annual Celebrity Luncheon has Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser Friday, July 4, 2025 The Grape Growers of Ontario’s marks the opening of the by showcasing Canadian personalities and celebrating the annual grape harvest. This year, in partnership with Meridian Credit Union, Ontario’s largest credit union and the third largest in Canada, the Grape Growers of Ontario... Read this article online
Ontario crops respond to summer heat Wednesday, July 2, 2025 According to the OMAFA Field Crop News team, Ontario field crops are showing rapid development as summer-like temperatures have dominated late June early July. The warm spell has accelerated growth and helped reduce the heat unit deficit from a cool spring. Corn fields have seen a burst... Read this article online
Canada’s Place in Global Food System Resilience Wednesday, July 2, 2025 Canada’s food system is facing serious pressure due to global supply chain issues, climate change, and rising food prices. According to a KPMG report, bold and united action is needed now to make Canada’s agriculture sector more resilient and self-reliant. With the global population... Read this article online
Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth Monday, June 30, 2025 Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online