NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2025
RESILIENT AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE PROGRAM (RALP)
Ontario farmers have new opportunities to make their land more resilient, and funding is available to help.
Through the Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP), you could receive financial support for projects such as:
• Establishing trees and shrubs to protect soil and water
• Restoring grasslands to improve productivity and habitat
• Creating wetlands to manage water and reduce flooding
Program Details:
The Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP) is part of the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Initiative, helping Ontario farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions, capture carbon, and build long-term resilience.
Intake is open now! Find the solution that works best for your land. Learn More & Apply Today! Questions? Contact s-cap@ ontariosoilcrop.org.
ONTARIO INVESTING $7.5 MILLION TO HELP BUSINESSES GO DIGITAL
News Release provided by: Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
New funding will also help retailers access the tools and technologies needed to boost productivity and sales
The Ontario government is investing $7.5 million to protect small and medium-sized
businesses across the province, helping them modernize and grow by adopting digital technologies. The Digitalization Competence Centre (DCC) helps companies to transition and find made-in-Ontario digital solutions with expert guidance, training and up to $115,000 in targeted grants.
Delivered by the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), the province is investing $5 million to support the Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan (DMAP), which helps businesses assess their digital needs and work with a consultant to create a customized plan, with participating companies reporting $380 million in increased revenue.
Through DMAP, companies can receive a grant of up to $15,000 to match private investment that supports planning for technology investments. Companies that have completed a DMAP project are eligible for additional funding through the Technology Demonstration Program, which includes a grant of up to $100,000 to match private investment in purchasing and installing new technologies that support business growth and create jobs.
https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/ digitalization-competence-centre/
FARMERETTES DOCUMENTARY
We Lend a Hand: The Forgotten Story of the Ontario Farmerettes is a 49-min documentary which reveals the true and forgotten story of the Ontario Farm Service Force. It put 40,000 volunteer teenage girls to work between 1941 ...continued page 2
and 1952, arriving from different parts of Ontario and Quebec to many locations in Southwestern Ontario. They were called The Farmerettes. Their job: to ensure critical food production during the most perilous period of modern history.
The documentary will be screened in St Catharines at the Performing Arts Centre on October 23rd at 7pm. Tickets are available here: https://welendahand.ca/
REAL DIRT ON FARMING PHOTO CONTEST
Farm & Food Care is inviting photographers from across Canada to enter its nation-wide farm photo contest, with $4,000 in cash prizes up for grabs across six categories. Whether you’re drawn to rolling fields, fresh-picked produce, hard-working people, or the latest ag tech, we want to see your perspectives on Canadian agriculture.
Winning photos may be featured in the upcoming seventh edition of The Real Dirt on Farming — a publication that answers common questions about how food is grown and raised in Canada. The booklet is due out in 2026. To learn more or explore past editions, visit www.RealDirtonFarming.org.
CATEGORIES
1. Canadian Farm Scenes – Capture the beauty of Canada’s rural landscapes, from sweeping fields to quiet farmyards.
2. Crazy About Crops – Feature crops being grown in fields, orchards, or greenhouses across Canada.
3. All About Animals – Showcase farm animals in barns or pastures — candid, playful, or hard at work.
4. Canadian Food – Celebrate fresh, delicious, and nutritious Canadian-grown food from farm to plate.
5. Day in the Life – Share moments that reflect daily life on the farm and the people who make it all happen.
6. Equipment & Technology – Highlight the tools and tech driving innovation on Canadian farms — from drones to robotics.
More information, including contest rules, eligibility, format, and judging criteria, is available at the link below. Entries are due by November 30, 2025.
https://www.farmfoodcareon.org/photo-contest/
Stop with & PEAR PSYLLA
Pear psylla pressure can escalate quickly, don’t let it damage your yield or quality. Magister ® SC and Nexter ® SC provide the powerful control you need to manage this pest. Offering contact and residual activity, to protect your orchard from sticky honeydew and costly crop loss.
Trust the proven performance of Gowan to keep your pears market-ready.
LEARN MORE
Every year Daily Bread Food Bank redistributes over 4.5 million lbs of perfectly edible surplus produce from our 30+ farm partners in Ontario.
Support your community by diverting b-grade, imperfect, grade out, or surplus fresh fruits and vegetables through Daily Breads Farm to Food Bank Program.
The Ontario Food Donation Tax Credit for Farmers will help you regain 25% of the fair market value for your product through an annual tax receipt issued by Daily Bread.
Operational Capabilities
• We will manage the reverse logistics of your farm bins, IPCO, or other transport and storage assets.
• Product accepted in bulk, retail packed, or super-sac format with sorting by Daily Bread volunteers.
For more information or to donate product in-kind, contact:
Andrew Manson Manager, Corporate Partnerships and Food Procurement (647)952-3516 amanson@dailybread.ca
•Free pickup with our fleet of 26’ and 53’ trucks (min. 1 pallet) by a team of food handling certified professionals. dailybread.ca
VIBRANT PLUM ISSUES
There have been reports of unusual damage (Figure 1 below) appearing on Vibrant plum fruits. Damage has appeared on the fruit in late May, and injured fruit drop off the trees resulting in significant crop loss. The issue has been reoccurring for 3 years on some farms.
(Figure 1) The damage started as a sort of darker green blotchiness then progressed to having droplets of gun and eventually sunken purplish brown areas.
U of G and OMAFA are trying to get a better understanding
of the number of growers affected, amount of crop impacted, and cause of the damage. Please contact Kathryn Carter at Kathryn.carter@ontario.ca or 905687-1280 if you have experienced this on your farm.
OFVC 2026 TENDER FRUIT SPEAKER TOPICS
Interested in having your say on what tender fruit topics get covered at OFVC 2026? Take our 5-minute survey to submit your ranking here (by September 30th): https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/GPGDBQ5
IN MEMORIAM
Tim Andrews - April 12, 1955-July 20th, 2025
It is with sadness that we announce the passing of longtime grower, Tim Andrews. A celebration of life will be held on October 3rd : https://www.morganfuneral.com/ memorials/tim-andrews/5619463/index.php
Gemma Colcuc - October 5, 1940 - September 4, 2025 Gemma came to Canada in 1967 with her husband Carl, and started Alpine Nurseries Niagara Ltd., in NOTL. Our heartfelt condolences to the Colcuc family for their loss.
2025 Collection Events for Unwanted Pesticides and Old Livestock/Equine Medications are Coming to Ontario
September 15 to September 26
Collection events run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
AMARANTH
Fri., Sept. 26th
Holmes Agro (Orangeville)
473088 County Rd. 11
AYLMER
Wed., Sept. 17th
Max Underhill Farm Supply
7887 Springfield Rd.
BRADFORD Fri., Sept. 19th
Bradford Cooperative Storage
61 Bridge St.
BRODHAGEN
Mon., Sept. 15th
Hoegy’s Farm Supply Ltd.
6777 Perth Line 44
COLBORNE
Mon., Sept. 15th
TCO Agromart Ltd. 12944 Telephone Rd.
DUNDALK
Thurs., Sept. 25th
Midwest Co-operative Services Inc. (Dundalk Agronomy Centre) 124 Proton St. N
DUNDAS
Thurs., Sept. 25th
County AG Services Inc. 1377 Highway 5 W.
EMBRUN
Thurs., Sept. 18th La Co-opérative Agricole d’Embrun Limitée 926 Notre Dame St.
GLENCOE
Thurs., Sept. 18th Agris Co-opertatives Ltd. 211 McKellar St., Unit 213
GUELPH
Fri., Sept. 26th
Woodrill Ltd. 7861 Hwy 7 E.
HARRISTON
Wed., Sept. 24th
Midwest Co-operative Services Inc. 56 Margaret St. S
HARROW
Wed., Sept. 24th
Hensall Co-op 5050 County Rd. 15 (Marsh Rd.)
HICKSON
Fri., Sept. 19th
Oxford Agropro Ltd 596222 Hwy 59
LINDSAY Mon., Sept. 22nd
Alliance Agri-Turf 2134 Little Britain Rd.
LUCKNOW
Tues., Sept. 16th
Lucknow District Co-operative Inc. 86387 Lucknow Line
• Next collection events in this region in 2028.
FARMERS!
Got unwanted pesticides or livestock/equine meds?
Safely dispose of unwanted pesticides or livestock/equine meds at a Cleanfarms collection event – no charge!
NIAGARA-ONTHE-LAKE
Mon., Sept. 22nd
Niagara Orchard & Vineyard Corp 1196 Irvine Rd.
PEMBROKE
Wed., Sept. 17th
M & R Feeds 2768 Micksburg Rd.
PICTON
Fri., Sept. 19th
County Farm Centre 38 Cold Storage Rd.
SCOTLAND
Wed., Sept. 24th
Scotland Agromart Ltd. 218 Oakland Rd., RR 1
SIMCOE
Thurs., Sept. 18th
Central Ontario FS Delhi 1161 Fertilizer Rd., RR 7
• For collection dates in other regions, visit: cleanfarms.ca/ materials/unwanted-pesticides-animal-meds/
TARA Thurs., Sept. 18th
Sprucedale Agromart Ltd.
291 Yonge St. S
THORNLOE
*2-week long collection period
Mon., Sept. 15th to Fri., Sept. 26th
Temiskaming Ag Centre 964027 Development Rd.
TILBURY
Mon., Sept. 22nd
Hensall Co-op 23404 Wheatley Rd., RR 3
TUPPERVILLE
Tues., Sept. 23rd
AGRIS Co-operative Ltd. 17 Centre Side Rd.
VERNER
Tues., Sept. 23rd
Co-op Regionale de Nipissing-Sudbury 723 Gingras Ave.
WALKERTON
Tues., Sept. 23rd
Midwest Co-operative Services Inc. (Walkerton Agronomy Centre)
1291 Bruce Rd. 3
WELLANDPORT
Tues., Sept. 23rd
Clark Agri Service 4891 Canborough Rd.
WINCHESTER
Tues., Sept. 16th
Agri-Partners Crop Centre Ltd.
667 St. Lawrence St.
WYOMING Fri., Sept. 19th
Wanstead Farmers Co-op 5322 Wanstead Rd.
Partner
The Ontario Soils GeoHub: A Home for Ontario’s Agricultural Soils Data
Soil health is the foundation of productive and sustainable agriculture. For farmers, accurate soil information is more than just data. Having access to accurate soil information is essential for making informed decisions about crop selection, farm management and land stewardship. With better access to reliable soil data, farmers can improve productivity, reduce input costs, and make more sustainable choices for their land.
Farmers across Ontario now have access to the Ontario Soils GeoHub - a new, free online platform developed by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) to help farmers make better use of soil data. The easy-to-use site brings together soil data from provincial and federal sources to help farmers discover, visualize, and download relevant soil information products - no sign-up or login required. This initiative is part of a three-year $9.5 million investment launched in 2023 to support farmers in adopting advanced technologies that enhance soil health, increase productivity, and boost profitability.
The virtual hub includes a wide range of soil data including historical soil survey reports and maps, a recently released topsoil report with an interactive dashboard, and a Mapping Ontario’s Soils page that outlines the past, present, and future of Ontario soils data. There is also a Soils Spatial Search which lets you select your location on a map and view detailed soil information for your area. This includes data on slope, soil texture, CLI rating, stoniness, drainage type, soil hydrologic group, and drainage design code These soil datasets can be used to improve farm productivity and inform land management practices to promote on-farm soil health. For example, soil texture maps can help identify areas at risk of soil compaction
The newest additions to the Soils GeoHub are pilot digital soil maps Digital soil mapping (DSM) is a new approach to soil mapping that maps soil variability more accurately and with higher precision. It uses georeferenced soil samples (soil samples with a GPS location) and environmental data to generate maps of specific soil properties (e.g., pH, soil texture) at a high spatial resolution. Digital soil maps describe soil variability at a high resolution and can predict soil change in three dimensions,
allowing farmers to view important soil properties such as pH levels, total organic carbon content, cation exchange capacity, and soil texture at different depths. Initial digital soil maps have been developed for the Ottawa region using a pilot dataset to gather user feedback. The long-term objective is to expand this effort to create comprehensive digital soil maps covering all of Ontario’s agricultural lands. On the online dashboard, you can find links to download the technical geospatial Ottawa soil maps directly, you can view them online and print PDFs of the digital soil maps for your area of interest.
The Ontario Soils GeoHub will continue to be updated with more soil data as it becomes available. OMAFA invites you to explore the site, see what’s available, and share your thoughts through the feedback form online Your input helps shape this resource to better serve Ontario’s farmers.
