Dusty Zamecnik, EZ Grow Farms, is launching a 19-acre glass propagation greenhouse near Langton, Ontario. Building on years of experience with bare-root plants, he’s learned to grow plug plants to meet specific needs of the burgeoning greenhouse industry centered in Leamington, Ontario.

The Grape Growers of Ontario is nurturing a young growers’ group that has its own communications and government relations sub-committees. The Next Generation Committee is chaired by Jessica Solanki (L) at Niagara-on-the-Lake. She is joined by fellow growers Connor Watson and Mark Lepp.

Potato growers Charles Emre and his son-in-law Nick Bell examine a cover crop in July 2023 on their farm, Windham Centre, Ontario. Soil health is top-of-mind for the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry which is expected to release a report in 2024.

FERME Québec is the non-profit agency responsible for bringing temporary foreign workers to farms. Of the 20,000 who came in 2012, 13,000 were from Guatemala. Martin Gibouleau, Les Productions Margiric, Laval, examines the field pepper harvest with some of his 100 Guatemalan workers.

Given the public interest in land use, particularly around metropolitan areas of Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, farmers’ markets play an increasingly important role in connecting farmers with consumers. On the frontlines are Kevin Gallant and his wife Keara, Vanessa, Ontario. They supply three…