Grape growers question LCBO buying policy Thursday, April 7, 2011 by SUSAN MANNWhy does the provincial-government controlled Liquor Control Board buy more foreign wine than local brands?That’s the question Grape Growers of Ontario wants answered. At its Media Day on April 1, Grape Growers announced it’s proposing meetings be held for key stakeholders in the wine industry and the provincial government to begin discussing the existing wine distribution network and how it can be improved to boost sales of domestic wines.The Liquor Control Board distributes Ontario wines along with foreign brands in the province. But since it buys more foreign than local wines, Debbie Zimmerman, Grape Growers CEO, says “we don’t even own our own market in our own country or in our own province.” Zimmerman says they’d like to know why the policies at the Liquor Control Board are structured to favour foreign imported products instead of Ontario ones?She says they’ve been asking this question for some time but they never get an answer. In the Grape Growers press release issued for Media Day, it says Ontario wines have a 44 per cent share of the domestic market, while most other wine-producing regions have a much larger share of their domestic market. For example, Australia has a 90 per cent share, California has a 63 per cent share of the entire U.S. market and New Zealand has a 57 per cent share. New Zealand doesn’t import grapes for wine whereas Ontario included blended wines as Ontario wines.Zimmerman says the Ontario government has done a great job helping the industry so far but “what we want to talk about is how we get these great products we produce to the marketplace so consumers can buy them.”Grape Growers would like have an initial meeting with government and other stakeholders before summer but “we realize it may not be until after October” when the provincial election is completed, she says. BF Wage freeze affects OMAFRA's non-union staff FSTI applications hit limit
Tips for first year university students Friday, August 29, 2025 The final weekend of summer is here, and students across Ontario will be returning to class next week. That includes at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus, where staff, faculty, and volunteers are preparing to welcome a new crop of first year students. “There’s definitely a... Read this article online
Sterling buckle marks 170 years at Spencerville Fair Friday, August 29, 2025 For its 170th anniversary, the Spencerville Fair is presenting a distinctive piece of Canadian silverwork that reflects nearly two centuries of agricultural tradition. The 170th Anniversary Spencerville Fair Sterling Silver Buckle was designed and handcrafted by Alex Dordevic of TRIBE, a... Read this article online
Corn and Soybean Crops Fall Short in 2025 Predicts Great Ontario Yield Tour Thursday, August 28, 2025 Ontario’s 2025 corn and soybean harvest is shaping up to be one of the most challenging in recent memory, as persistent drought and heat have pushed yields below the Agricorp 10-year average say experts and master scouts Moe Agostino and Henry Prinzen of the 2025 Great Ontario Yield Tour.... Read this article online
Global grain trade gets a shake-up: What it means for Canadian farmers Thursday, August 28, 2025 The global grain and oilseed trading industry is undergoing a major transformation—and Canadian farmers should take note. A recently published study in the September 2025 issue of discussed how the traditional dominance of a few multinational giants is giving way to a more competitive,... Read this article online
Ontario Farmers Share Yield Strategies Amid Drought Wednesday, August 27, 2025 The Great Ontario Yield Tour held an event at Petersen Custom Farming in Osgood, Ontario, on Thursday, August 21, 2025. The farmer panel during lunch was one of the highlights of the event. Farmers and industry experts gathered to discuss yield strategies and the realities of this season’s... Read this article online