Monday, March 29, 2021 - Karen Davidson

On the far side of yet another dark pandemic episode, farmers will welcome their slow-moving vehicles to be emblazoned with bumper stickers declaring: WE’VE BEEN VAXED!

Monday, February 22, 2021 - Karen Davidson

In recent years, the mergers of global crop protection companies promised robust R & D pipelines. But the reality is that fewer products and label extensions will come to horticulture. That’s because there’s a bottleneck of reduced trial capacity at the Pest Management Centre says apple grower Charles Stevens, Newcastle, ON.

Monday, January 25, 2021 - Karen Davidson

The cost of energy-intensive fertilizer is set to increase under a new carbon tax regime. It’s yet another burning issue for horticulture, on top of labour and crop protection.

Thursday, January 21, 2021 - Karen Davidson

John Molenhuis, business analysis and cost-of-production specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) worked with the grape, tender fruit and apple groups for years, updating baseline measurements every five years that compare the average of the group to the top 25.

Monday, December 21, 2020 - Karen Davidson

Events by invitation-only became the norm in 2020 as the pandemic curbed in-person contact. The impacts of COVID-19 on research, new product launches and extension efforts will be felt for years to come.

Wednesday, November 25, 2020 - Karen Davidson

Dejected workers gather to tear down the brittle leaves of a cucumber crop that perished after Nature Fresh Farms was shut down by public health authorities on June 30, 2020. In a recent short documentary, the story is told how 199 asymptomatic workers tested positive for COVID-19 but no one was ever hospitalized. The devastating effects of losing 7.8 million pounds of produce aren’t just economic but emotional as guest workers have testified.