Tomato growers win provincial award Sunday, April 11, 2010 by SUSAN MANNWhen Leamington-area processing tomato growers started working out a pipeline system to bring Lake Erie water to their fields they never dreamed that one day they’d be accepting a $100,000 prize.Leamington Area Drip Irrigation Inc. received the money Monday for winning the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. It was presented during the sixth annual Premier’s Summit on Agri-Food in Toronto.The Minister’s Award of $50,000 was given to Tigchelaar Berry Farms for adopting a new production technique so they can provide fresh Ontario strawberries to consumers for almost six months of the year. Fifty-five regional winners will get $5,000 each and they’ll be announced at regional award ceremonies this spring. The Tigchelaars couldn’t be reached for comment before the deadline for this posting.Wayne Palichuk, chairman of Leamington Area Drip Irrigation Inc., says when Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell called a week ago and told him they had won he was really shocked. “It is quite an honour.”The Municipality of Leamington nominated them for the award.Palichuk says they’ll use the money to improve the system. “We are looking into telemetry, which would help us monitor our flows and our water usage on the crops so we can be more competitive.”Telemetry is transmitting readings to a distant receiving set or station. Palichuk says once the system is in place the 15 farmer members of Leamington Area Drip Irrigation will be able to access information about how much water they’re using through the Internet.He says this would be a way to help monitor the water flow and ensure they don’t exceed their water-taking permit. Leamington Area Drip Irrigation started pumping water in April, 2009 through a 36-kilometre pipeline that irrigates 2,500 acres of mainly processing tomatoes. The system is capable of pumping up to 7,000 gallons a minute.The Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence has attracted more than 700 applications since 2007. The five-year, 2.5-million award program was established to recognize innovators who contribute to the Ontario agri-food industry’s success. BF Ontario packer readies for major expansion Milk temperature becomes an issue
Precision Harvesting with HeadSight and TrueSight Tuesday, October 21, 2025 Modern harvesting relies heavily on precision and smart technology, and new systems for head height control and steering are making sure you are not leaving bushels in the field. These innovations ensure efficient crop collection, protect equipment, and reduce operator fatigue during... Read this article online
Remembering Ralph Winfield: Beloved Better Farming Columnist Tuesday, October 21, 2025 Ontario's farming community is mourning the loss of longtime agricultural writerRalph Gordon Winfieldof Glanworth, who passed away peacefully at St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital on Oct. 17, 2025, at the age of 85. Ralph’s name has been closely tied to Better Farming since 1999. His... Read this article online
Case IH FieldOps Brings Smart Connectivity to Modern Farming Friday, October 17, 2025 that FieldOps operates on desktops through a web interface and on mobile devices through an app compatible with iPhone, Android, or iPad. This flexibility allows farmers to access critical machine and field information anytime, anywhere. One of the most significant upgrades to... Read this article online
New Holland Marks 50 Years of Twin Rotor Innovation Friday, October 17, 2025 New Holland is celebrating 50 years of leadership in twin rotor harvesting technology, a milestone that began with the introduction of the TR70 combine in 1975. This machine transformed agriculture by bringing the world the concept of twin rotor threshing and... Read this article online
22 young leaders graduate from Rural Ontario Institute’s Change Makers Program Thursday, October 16, 2025 The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) has marked a milestone in rural leadership development with the graduation of 22 participants from its Rural Change Makers (RCM) program. The private ceremony, held this October, celebrated a year of learning, collaboration, and community impact. “We... Read this article online