Ontario growers join forces to market biomass Wednesday, May 18, 2016 by SUSAN MANNThe Ontario Biomass Producers Co-operative Inc. has adopted a central-desk selling system to make it easier for producers and buyers to connect.Larry Davis, co-op vice president, says “there’s great potential for biomass in the future and we want people to have a place to go (to conduct business). They (buyers) can come to a central desk and find biomass from any of the producers.”Another benefit of the central desk selling system is it makes it easier for producers “to have a place to sell their product into any of the markets,” Davis adds.The central desk selling system has been in place since April 1. Farmers must be co-op members to use it.Davis says so far they’ve received some calls through the central desk system from buyers looking for biomass products. “We suspect it’s going to get better as time goes on and people realize it’s there.”The co-op, formed in 2010, has 76 members across Ontario, growing switchgrass and miscanthus, also known as biomass.Biomass has been found to be a premium poultry and dairy bedding, Davis says. Research is also being done to explore replacing some plastics with biomass. And there is potential to make fuel from biomass.Davis says he grows miscanthus and it has been sold for bedding. “I’ve only had one year of harvest off of my crop,” he explains. “It takes a few years to get a crop to full production.”The co-op is also establishing a check-off fee for producers. Davis says the members will be meeting at the end of May to finalize what the fee should be. The co-op has already set a fee, however Davis declined to release the amount, as “there has been some feedback on that fee.”The check-off is a portion of a producer’s sales. Money earned from the fee will be used help pay for research into switchgrass and miscanthus varieties, market development and to run the central desk selling system.The biomass industry began after the Ontario government announced it would discontinue using coal as a fuel source for power plants. Opened in 1972, the Nanticoke power generating station used coal, and biomass industry pioneers were looking to grow biomass crops to supply that plant. The station, located on the north shore of Lake Erie in Haldimand County, was shut down in 2013.To keep the power generating station going “they needed an alternate fuel. Biomass was going to be the alternate fuel,” Davis says. However, the province decided instead to mothball the plant.The group that started producing biomass decided to continue, “and they have been pretty well sold out of their product every year,” he notes. BF Egg Farmers of Ontario introduces changes to the handling of increased quota allocations More skepticism greets report about link between cancer and red meat consumption
Ontario’s most problematic weed -- Canada Fleabane Cuts Corn and Soybean Yields Wednesday, September 17, 2025 At the , Dr. Peter Sikkema of the University of Guelph highlighted the persistent challenge of Canada fleabane, one of Ontario’s most problematic weeds. Once easily controlled with glyphosate, the weed has now developed resistance not only to glyphosate but also to multiple herbicide... Read this article online
Augusta Van Muyen selected as the 67th Grape King Wednesday, September 17, 2025 Grape Growers of Ontario and Farm Credit Canada have announced that Lincoln vineyard manager Augusta Van Muyen has been chosen by her peers as the . Currently, the vineyard manager at Tawse Winery, Van Muyen, followed a path to success that took her across Ontario and the world.... Read this article online
Grain Growers of Canada calls on Carney to Prioritize Upgrades to the Port of Vancouver Wednesday, September 17, 2025 Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is calling on the federal government to urgently prioritize major upgrades to the Port of Vancouver and its connecting rail infrastructure. The organization warns that without these improvements, Canada’s economic growth and global trade reliability are at... Read this article online
Strategies to Optimize Market Returns in Ontario Monday, September 15, 2025 Berkley Fedorchuk, grain marketing specialist with Hensall Co-op in Southwestern Ontario, recently shared insights into the current corn market and strategies for forward marketing during his presentation at the . With a focus on the Ontario and Eastern Canadian grain sectors,... Read this article online
From Plows to Plates - The 2025 International Plowing Match Returns to Niagara Friday, September 12, 2025 For the first time since 1926, the International Plowing Match & Rural Expo (IPM) is returning to the Niagara Region September 16 to 20. Set to take place in West Lincoln, the 106th edition of this iconic event will run under the theme “,” celebrating the deep roots and fresh flavours of... Read this article online