The Grower Calling

FERME Québec, a non-profit agency, was responsible for bringing more than 16,000 temporary foreign workers from Guatemala to the province in 2023. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the November 2023 cover story titled 'Guatemalan workers bridge the labour gap for Québec growers'. We are speaking with FERME Québec executive director Fernando Borja. He explains that a pilot program has worked well...

The pandemic tested the logistics and marketing acumen of farmers’ markets like never before. As executive director of Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia, Justin Cantafio led a remarkable drive that resulted in the growth of provincial markets from 36 to 45. In this Digging Deeper podcast, he shares a perspective on the economic and social impact of the public square.

As founder of a greenhouse building company and then as a grower himself, Peter Quiring has witnessed lots of growth over 30 years. Nature Fresh Farms is headquartered in Leamington, Ontario. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the September 2023 cover story and speaking with him about his ambition to grow blackberries, raspberries and leafy greens under glass. He explains how a group of world-cla...

The Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation is a hub of expertise that touches most aspects of produce trade in Canada. If you’re a grower/shipper, broker or freight contractor, then you know how produce gets moved every day. And with perishable products, sometimes things go wrong. Jaime Bustamante, Director of Trading Assistance at FVDRC is here to help.

Ontario’s processing vegetable sector is valued at more than $100 million. Hand-harvested field cucumbers make up $16 million, a niche that’s often forgotten. Many tons go to American processors to be made into a variety of pickles. The stubby ends, known as nubs and crooks, are used to make relish. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the August 2023 cover story and speaking with Dan Froese, field...

British Columbia’s $160 million cherry sector has grown substantially in recent years thanks to new markets in China, Japan and more recently South Korea. The 400-member BC Cherry Association is now raising awareness of their stone fruit domestically. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the July 2023 cover story and speaking with Sukhpaul Bal and Richard Issacs. They are sharing information on the...

Shipping and logistics are still the crux of getting fresh produce to consumers. Ron Lemaire, president of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, shares both a global perspective and domestic context of the pain points that need to be addressed to protect the cold chain. These challenges are near-term to ensure Canadian food security.

The trend to hard ciders is not abating. The challenge is to grow apple varieties that will adapt to a fruiting wall and mature to a size that’s economical to pick. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind May 2023 cover story and speaking with Doug Balsillie. Doug and his wife Leslie Huffman have committed two acres of The Fruit Wagon’s 35 acres to this venture near Harrow, Ontario.

Crop protection decisions are harder than ever this spring as tree fruit growers seek alternatives to group M fungicides, the ones with multi-site modes of action. Government regulators have restricted their use as well as other products such as mancozeb and captan. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind March's cover story and speaking with Brian Rideout, apple and tender fruit grower in Chatham-Ken...

The ICL-Group is a global manufacturer of specialty minerals with experience in countries as diverse as Brazil, India and the U.S. In this Grower Calling podcast, Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, speaks with Jason Haegele. Jason explains what this specialty plant nutrition company is offering to Canada.

Meyers Fruit Farms, a tree fruit and floral greenhouse business near Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, has invested in five new units that will accommodate up to 40 temporary foreign workers. Planning the design has been mindful of worker comfort and privacy. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, is Digging Deeper behind the February 2023 cover story and speaking with Aron Hoff. Hoff explains key thin...

There is no season harder than succession. That’s why alignment of needs and goals is so important for farm families looking to transition roles and assets. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the January 2023 cover story titled 'Farm transfers are about more than land and legacy.' Editor, Karen Davidson, speaks with Elaine Froese, Canada’s farm whisperer as she offers some sage advice on maintain...

Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer Competition will spotlight seven regional winners at its final event in Saskatoon, November 23-27, 2022. Three out of seven competitors are from horticulture. One of those couples is David and Jenn VanDeVelde, berry growers and on-farm retailers from Delhi, Ontario. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the December 2022 cover and speaking with David and Jenn. They...

Israel Chemicals Limited, or the ICL-Group, is a global manufacturer of specialty minerals. The delivery of these products are through controlled release fertilizers, foliar fertilizers and fertigation fertilizers, just to name a few. Jason Haegele, North American agronomy lead explains how these products are used in the horticultural sector.

The journey from commodities to brands is traced by the chief marketing officer, a 15-year veteran of the greenhouse industry. The branding of greenhouse vegetables has reached such sophistication that a kitchen was built inside the new marketing quarters of the Leamington, Ontario operation. It serves as the hub for creating recipes and content for an omni-channel universe. The Grower is 'Digging...

Jenny Lemieux, co-founder and CEO of this Toronto start-up, is conducting trials with nine apple growers to solve a common problem: crop load management. One of those growers, Kirk Kemp, Algoma Orchards, Newcastle, Ontario, is excited that computer vision technology can count blossoms and fruitlets with more accuracy than he can. The Grower is 'Digging Deeper' behind the August 2022 cover story an...

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well as growers become marketers who encourage consumers to “eat the seasons.” The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the July 2022 cover story and speaking with Davina Komienski, owner of Sam's Place Farm Market. Davina shares how fresh produce grown at Komienski Farms is supplemented with other fruits and vegetables and value-added products from Norfolk Count...

Westmoreland Topline Farms is the first in Canada to launch greenhouse-grown, plastic-free English cucumbers in June 2022. The Grower speaks with Dino DiLaudo about the edible coating, developed by Apeel Sciences, made from the seeds and skins of other fruits and veggies. A major Canadian retailer is partnering on the initiative with consumer messaging about sustainability. Sponsored by UPL.

As growers, marketers and distributors of produce, the Oppenheimer Group knows the challenges first-hand. Stewart Lapage is steering through multiple crises as executive director of operations and logistics based in Calgary, Alberta. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind our May 2022 cover story and speaking with Stewart. We discuss how the pandemic, a flood in BC’s Fraser Valley, port congestion an...

The drive for more homegrown produce is intensifying as global events shake up norms and supply chains. The Star Group’s foray into strawberries is one example of extending its greenhouse vegetable expertise at BC Hothouse. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, is Digging Deeper into April 2022 cover story and speaking with Colin Chapdelaine.

As a grape and tree fruit crop consultant in the Niagara peninsula, Ryan Brewster is counselling his clients how to move away from some pesticides that are harsh on beneficial insects. One cultural method is to spray summer oils. Another is to plant late-flowering-cover crops between the rows to attract beneficial insects that eat bad bugs. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower is "Digging Deeper'...

Enthusiasts of precision agriculture are now looking to robots to alleviate labour shortages. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, is 'Digging Deeper' in the February 2022 cover story and speaking with Chuck Baresich, general manager of Haggerty Creek Inc. Chuck is demonstrating robotic weeders for various crops in different soil types to see how they perform in Ontario. It’s the first step in fi...

The chair of the Prince Edward Island Potato Board is confident in the 20-year long-term management plan for potato wart, a fungal disease that’s been rarely seen by lifetime growers. He’s seeking answers from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on why the border is closed to PEI exports of seed and fresh potatoes to the United States. And why the agency suggests it might take a year to process th...

Apple grower Kyle Oakley and his family have transitioned to market gardeners in the last decade with the help of high tunnels. With the purchase of Goldsmith’s Farm Market & Bakery in Thornbury, Ontario, they are confident enough to expand with two greenhouses to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and flowers. It’s an example of the trend to more protected and controlled environments.

The pandemic has disrupted the supply chain in potatoes with some sectors experiencing a boom, and others suffering from a dip in demand. Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, goes 'Behind the Scenes' of the November 2021 cover story and speaks with Kevin MacIsaac, general manager of the United Potato Growers of Canada. They discuss how the entire North American trade is adjusting to tectonic shif...