“It’s a critical time that we’re in, relevant to soil erosion, climate change, and everything that we’re doing with technology and innovation is to ensure that soil remains where it is,” said federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald at the announcement on Thursday morning.

“(The Strategy) is going to put an element of integrity on any research that’s being done in the future and hopefully that research can coincide with what we’re seeing here today.”

MacDonald made the announcement alongside Senator Rob Black. Black led a Senate study of soil, published in the report “Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada’s Economic, Environmental, Human, and Social Health,” which was published in 2024.

Black also championed Bill S-230, the National Strategy for Soil Health Act, which aims to protect, conserve, and enhance Canadian soils and closely follows the 25 recommendations laid out in Black’s report. That bill passed in the Senate on Thursday evening.

MacDonald said Bill S-230 will inform the strategy.

Government ready to move forward: Black

During Bill S-230’s third reading, Senator Rob Black told the Senate Chamber it was bolstering to know “the government not only supports the bill but is ready to move forward before it is legislated.”

Reading the AAFC’s intention to develop a national soil health strategy during the third reading showed the value of the Senate, he said.

“It also put (the government) on record, on notice that we’re watching,” Black said.

According to Black, work on the strategy to safeguard Canadian soil could begin as early as April and be completed and officially launched by December 2027.  

Collaboration with farmers, industry pledged

Black said that ideally the national strategy will avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. It will include educational support, financial support, peer-to-peer networks, and a position for a national soil health advocate.  He noted that Australia’s soil advocates have been very effective in promoting the adoption of soil health practices, but acknowledged that the position comes with a cost.

Collaboration will play a key role in developing the strategy, with input from the Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC), farmers, the agriculture industry, Indigenous communities, provinces and territories, and related ministries.

Black pointed to the ongoing work by the SCCC to develop a soil strategy, which MacDonald assured the AAFC will take on board rather than “recreating the wheel.”

When asked if this was a foundational step to recognizing soil as a finite resource critical to food security and sovereignty, MacDonald said it was an opportunity to “put a lens on soil health in this country.”

He acknowledged that farmers are among the best land stewards and that the strategy will ensure the work of farmers, Black and the Soil Conservation Council of Canada inform policies going forward.

Healthy soils important for all Canadians: Kruszel

The in-depth research by Black and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry into Canada’s soil has highlighted the significance of healthy soil and the threats it faces said Alan Kruszel, Soil Conservation Council of Canada’s eastern producer director.

“Healthy soils are so important for producers as well as for all Canadians. Healthy soils provide the majority of the food we eat,” said Kruszel. “Soils help to purify our water, to clean our air and provide habitats for all kinds of life.”

Kruszel said the agriculture sector provides one in nine jobs nationally. Investment in soil health is ongoing through research, farm organizations, input suppliers and other groups to support the adoption of sustainable on-farm practices.

“Our intention through the National Soil Health Strategy is to optimize those investments through collaborations,” Kruszel said. “And collectively working to identify gaps in research, measurement, education and extension, and of course, resources while establishing priority actions that we can all work on.”

-Updated March 27. Clarifies that the government’s commitment to the soil strategy is separate from the passing of Bill S-230. Adds further comments from Black.

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At the Beef Farmers of Ontario’s (BFO) annual meeting in Toronto on Feb. 18, Brocklebank told Glacier FarmMedia her focus is on national delivery and stakeholder engagement, noting the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is at a turning point following Dennis Laycraft’s retirement, after guiding the sector through crises for 30 years.

“With a change in leadership, it’s a good time to have that conversation,” said Brocklebank.

WHY IT MATTERS: Alberta’s July exit from the Canadian Cattle Association over fiscal transparency, governance, and communications issues would remove more than half of the CCA’s funding.

“CCA has a strong national and international voice built on sound principles and producer-led advocacy and policy,” she stated. “Producers who come to these boards really want to make sure the industry moves forward as a whole.”

She believes the Provincial Working Group’s unified approach supports that goal.

Provincial Working Group

The Working Group, a coalition of provincial beef associations, seeks to provide the CCA with insights to align with producers’ evolving needs while upholding national unity.

As a fourth-generation Alberta beef producer whose original farmstead was near the Toronto Airport, Brocklebank says she understands that Canadian beef production is diverse, with distinct challenges in cow-calf operations, backgrounders, feedlots, and processing.

Brocklebank noted that even though the conversations can be difficult, openness to solutions and change fosters collaboration and results.

“We’ve experienced that in the past, with policy discussion, that there isn’t always consensus,” she explained. “Generally, it comes (down to) what’s best for the long term and what’s best for the industry.”

Craig McLaughlin, BFO’s past president, sits on the working group with BFO president Jason Leblond. McLaughlin said Brocklebank’s approach to the Working Group’s concerns regarding fiscal transparency, governance, and communications is positive.

“Andrea’s a breath of fresh air. She’s open to change, and she’s certainly been having dialogue with Alberta beef producers,” he said. “She’s optimistic. The Provincial Working Group is optimistic. When you have people with that kind of mindset, you overcome barriers.”

Despite this optimism, BFO members still voiced concerns about how Alberta’s exit from the national organization could affect their CCA check-off payments.

McLaughlin suggested CCA reserves could ease transition costs, but he remains optimistic that Alberta will stay.

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The survey invites farmers and ranchers across all commodities and regions in Canada to share their experiences with stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, resilience, and coping mechanisms. It’s conducted in partnership with the University of Guelph.

“Strong participation helps ensure that future research, programs, and policy decisions are informed by the real experiences of farmers and ranchers,” the centre said in a news release.

WHY IT MATTERS: The survey will improve understanding of the current state of mental health in agriculture and build on the previous national surveys from 2016 and 2021.

In 2021, the showed that the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened existing issues of high stress, anxiety, and burnout among farmers and ranchers, with women reporting poorer mental health than men across all measures except alcohol use.

“Both women and men who farm scored worse than the general population, but the women scored even worse,” said Briana Hagen, the centre’s and lead scientist, told Farmtario in November 2022. “Given the role of women in farming, this data highlights a pretty serious problem that we have to start looking into.”

Suicidal ideation was twice as high in farmers as in the general population said University of Guelph researcher Dr. Andria Jones in a 2022 article from the university. Jones led the research that year.

She also noted that one in four participants reported having thought their life wasn’t worth living, wishing they were dead, or having thoughts of taking their own life in the 12 months leading up to the survey.

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“We found a very unified group that all have the same interest at heart and that’s to make a strong national committee or revamp to make it a strong one,” said Kevin Boone, British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association general manager at the Dec. 9 meeting in Toronto.

WHY IT MATTERS: Alberta signalled in August its intention to leave the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), putting the sector’s national representation at risk.

“CCA is a pretty old, established organization, and I think that every now and again, you’ve got to step back and take a look at what you have and how you’re structured,” said Boone.

If the industry and CCA as a whole want to remain at the top of their field, the provincial members need to provide that direction, he added.

“They’re there to steer the ship, but it’s the directors from every province that are there to tell them how much steam to put in it and where and which way to turn.”

Boone said there isn’t any best time to address the potential fracturing of an organization. However, providing a toolbox of directives from members could help them build forward.

Alberta’s concerns extensive

“It started as a withdrawal,” said Doug Roxburgh, ABP chair, of Alberta’s stance with the CCA. “But I think it’s very much become more of a review.

“It’s been amazing to see what other provinces have had for both positives around CCA but also concerns.”

Alberta’s list of concerns is extensive, said Roxburgh; however, commonalities between provinces and an openness to change fostered positive discussions. The group will craft a review framework to present to the CCA, likely in the spring.

“We went into these meetings with a positive mindset, that we’re coming here to improve our organization,” said Chad Ross, Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association chair.

“It’s healthy to look at governance, communication, financial reporting and funding and find solutions that are good for everyone.”

New Brunswick Cattle chair Trevor Welch said CCA’s representation at the federal level is critical. There are no plans to eliminate the organization. Rather, they will explore restructuring options to ensure it remains sustainable, financially responsible and “more palatable for all the provincial organizations to work with.”

He acknowledged that six or seven months ago, the provinces weren’t sure what to do or how to handle the potential fracturing of the CCA. The workshop showed they were aligned on “nitty-gritty” issues and were willing to work together to find a way forward.

Ross agreed, and while hesitant to give specifics, mentioned “a-ha” moments during the day. He highlighted the need to streamline communication to ensure grassroots voices are heard and to contribute to business plans, strategies and collaborations within provinces and national organizations.

“Then there’s funding it, and that’s always the hard question. How do we fund it all the way across Canada? It’s not going to be equal,” Ross said.

“I think there’s got to be some give and take. How do we negotiate that with the different provinces to be in the federal organization, get it funded and get it working?”

Looking for a better balance

Roxburgh said Alberta believes in a strong national organization that is appropriately funded, but “it can’t come on the backs of Alberta being underfunded within our own province.”

He doubted Alberta beef producers would reach 50 per cent representation based on funding, nor does he want to see less representation for other provinces — but he suggested that’s not the main question.

“I think the question is, how do we build this structure that’s the most effective for not just the producers today, but for our industry going forward?” Roxburgh said. “Things are changing all the time. It’s just about trying to figure out a little bit better balance right across the board.”

Beef Farmers of Ontario president Craig McLaughlin said the real challenge lies ahead — namely, in fine-tuning the funding model to ensure CCA’s sustainability without harming the provincial organization’s budgets, and negotiating representation.

“We feel there’s a time for change, and it should happen now when we’re going to get a new executive director at the national level,” said McLaughlin. “(The recommendations) will help them foster better relations across the provinces.”

Roxburgh said Alberta faced criticism for withdrawing so close to the retirement of Dennis Laycraft, CCA executive vice-president for the last 35 years.

Roxburgh said that the new CCA manager could view the current situation as an opportunity to listen, bring new ideas, explore the working group’s framework and recognize that the CCA isn’t “100 per cent where it could be or should be going forward.”

“We’re certainly going to be respectful to whoever that new person is taking that role and look forward to working with them to help shape the future of CCA,” Roxburgh said.

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Why it matters: Free trade is critical for Canadian farmers, as much of what they produce is exported.

“We feel the current agreement is a good one and we’d like to see it continue as is,” said Keith Currie, Canadian Federation of Agriculture president, adding the request includes signing it for the original 16-year completion date without weakening its provisions or introducing any changes that negatively affect the agricultural sector.

“It’s really important to make the job of governments harder to ignore us when we are together as an industry.”

Signed by 98 Canadian food and agricultural value chain organizations, the letter mirrors one signed and submitted to Congress by 124 United States food and agricultural value chain organizations in October for the 2026 Joint Review of CUSMA public consultation, placing pressure on both governments to respect the agriculture industry’s support for the agreement.

Highlighting CUSMA’s instrumental role in building a stable, integrated and thriving North American agricultural market, the letter highlighted specific areas Canadian farmers, ranchers and processors would like to remain untouched.

“We are calling on governments to maintain the agreement’s SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) provisions, which have improved transparency and ensured science-based treatment of agricultural products—protecting plant and animal health,” the letter states. “The continuation of science-based regulatory cooperation is critical to ensuring timely access to agricultural innovations.”

It also reflects full support for the Chapter 31 dispute settlement provisions designed to resolve “barriers that otherwise disrupt market stability and growth.”

Political and geopolitical events of the last decade are shifting the narrative, making it necessary for Canada’s 260-plus commodities, along with Mexico and the U.S. agricultural sectors, to support one another, Currie explained.

The letter said that between 2005 and 2023, CUSMA tripled the value of North American agriculture and agrifood trade to the tune of approximately C$400 billion (US$285 billion).

Currie said the three countries are aligned through a shared language, goals and collaborative relationship-building to strengthen and improve the sector.

“We all need each other’s help, and we can’t get this across the finish line unless we’re all pushing in the same direction,” he explained, adding all three countries are aligned through a shared language, goals, and collaborative relationship-building to strengthen and improve the sector.

“When the deal is all done, I would certainly be happy with an advantage for our farmers, but I don’t want to see it come at the detriment of either my colleagues, my farmer friends in the U.S., or relationships between nations.”

Currie said consumers now have a better understanding of agriculture and the agri-food industry’s role in driving Canada’s economy forward, gaining a clearer perspective on what food security means to them.

A recent Nanos poll asking Canadians to rank the government’s top two priorities for countering U.S. tariffs found that agriculture ranked first with 29 per cent, and 19 per cent ranked it as a secondary priority.

Automotive was second, with primary and secondary priority ratings of 24 and 18 per cent, respectively.

Provincially, Prairie provinces showed 42 per cent agricultural support. In comparison, automotive garnered 18 per cent, while others saw agriculture gain 26 to 28 per cent as the primary priority and automotive from 14 to 24 per cent.

Ontario was an outlier, ranking automotive as the primary with 35 per cent and agriculture at 24 per cent. Softwood lumber was the top concern in British Columbia, with 35 per cent, and second in Atlantic Canada at 24 per cent.

“(Consumers) want to make sure the government understands that they recognize agriculture is important,” explained Currie. “That helps us now go to the government and say, ‘Look, this is in the national interest. Food security is important. Economic security is also important, and agriculture wants to be part of the team.”

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“Canadian horses, swine and ruminants returning to Canada will not be able to enter Canada after a stay in a VS-infected state in the last 21 days,” stated a CFIA release.

WHY IT MATTERS: Transmitted by black flies, sand flies and biting midges, VSV resembles the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease, causing mild fever and blister or crusting lesions inside the mouth, on the ears, lips, nose, udder, sheath, and above the hooves in horses, ruminants, swine, and members of the llama and deer families.

In October, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed VSV outbreaks on two farms in Arizona involving horses. The facilities also housed cattle that were not clinically affected.

The virus has an incubation period of two to eight days, and full recovery occurs in three to four days. However, it can affect milk production and lead to market losses for live animals, meat, and animal genetics.

The NVSL release states no livestock were moved on or off the affected premises, and biosecurity measures, along with vector control, are in place to reduce the spread. A 14-day quarantine starting from the last affected animal’s lesion onset is also implemented.

Canadian animals with a Canadian health certificate can return within three days of the USDA declaring their host state affected by VSV, provided they are inspected by the CFIA POE (port of entry) vet.

Otherwise, the release said, the Canadian health certificate is null and void, and animals from a VSV-infected state will require a minimum 21-day quarantine in a non-infected state before they can be exported to Canada.

The CFIA, in partnership with the USDA, has arranged special accommodations for animals imported for Canadian livestock events such as the Royal Winter Fair, Agribition, the Calgary Stampede and horse-specific events at Spruce Meadows and Thunderbirds.

“U.S.-origin and returning Canadian horses and ruminants that qualify for this exception are required to obtain a CFIA import permit and a USDA health certificate with the USDA addendum for VSV,” stated the CFIA release.

The last outbreak of VSV in the U.S. occurred from May 2023 through January 2024 and affected 319 premises across California, Nevada, and Texas.

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Earlier this week Heath MacDonald, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué, met to discuss bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation and trade ties between the two countries.

The meeting is part of the Canada–Mexico Action Plan 2025–2028, announced on Sept. 18, 2025, by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. In the Plan, both governments reaffirmed their commitment to advancing a dynamic bilateral agenda aimed at achieving shared objectives over the next three years, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) said in a release.

Coined the Mexico-Canada Agribusiness Dialogue (MCAD), the Oct. 14 meeting was organized by Consejo Nacional Agropecuario (CNA) and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), in collaboration with the Ministries of Agriculture of both governments. The CFA said in a release the intention is to address strategic issues such as productive growth, trade facilitation, regulatory and administrative simplification, innovation and digitization, investment opportunities, and the foundational role the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) plays in strengthening supply chains between the countries.

Minister MacDonald recognized Mexico’s key role as a strategic global partner and reinforced the opportunities to strengthen bilateral trade and technical cooperation, particularly in the grain, oilseeds, horticulture and animal protein sectors, while respecting each country’s inspection and regulatory systems, AAFC said.

Here’s what Canada and Mexico have agreed to so far:

• Mexico has accepted Canada’s proposal to ease import requirements for eligible apples from Eastern Canadian provinces starting in January 2026, and “meaningful progress has been made on mutual laboratory and inspection recognition.”
• Canada and Mexico have agreed to a new certificate that will provide new access for Canadian pet food containing bovine ingredients to the Mexican market
• Both countries agreed to advance the implementation of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Work Plan to expand market access
• Canada and Mexico agreed to adopt electronic certification for plant products such as canola and wheat, and to continue to work towards expansion of this tool to other products to facilitate efficient trade for both countries
• Canada has also accepted to establish a joint working group to analyze and propose measures to support regulatory recognition in meat and seafood.

The Minister and Secretary emphasized the importance of science and technology collaboration and sharing of expertise, and have committed to convening a meeting of scientists from both departments to identify areas of further collaboration and to report back within the next six months, according to the AAFC release.

Diversifying trade

Keith Currie, CFA president, said in an interview with Glacier FarmMedia that the United States, being in the middle of Canada and Mexico, has been an ‘easy’ trading partner for each country and a large consumer of goods.

But given the recent tensions between the U.S. and the two countries, “both countries are looking at diversifying the market so they don’t have all their eggs in one basket.”

He said Mexico is Canada’s next closest ally, “and if we can get [the Canadian] government to follow through on commitments like transportation infrastructure improvement, port improvements” as well as taking advantage of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail system that runs from Canada down through the Rio Grande into Mexico, Canada can become that trusted supplier and get our products to ports.

“We can transport our goods quicker and easier, and we can increase our trade that way,” he said.

Reducing trade risk

Currie said Canada and Mexico are fairly aligned when it comes to reducing the risk posed by an unpredictable President Trump.

“What he’s focusing on, we’re not 100 per cent sure, other than more access for [the U.S.] and less access for us, but he certainly, certainly wants to pull more manufacturing in particular, and processing back into the United States.

“But that’s easier said than done. So how do we maintain, at least in the short term, the continued trade that we’ve had and that trading relationship, so that doesn’t harm our countries too much, while we start to transition to different markets.”

He said the U.S. will still be Canada’s largest trading partner given geographic location, “but if we increase our trade with the Mexicans and other parts of the world, and decrease our trade from 60 per cent of our products going to the U.S. to, say, 45 per cent in the next five or six or eight or 10 years, that’s a significant shift. And it just spreads the risk out so much more.”

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The arguments presented to Justices Roberts, Miller and Zarnett in the Ontario Court of Appeals revolved around the legislative intent and constitutionality of false pretenses within Ontario’s Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act (STPFSA), 2020.

Why it matters: On April 2, 2024, Superior Court Judge Koehnen ruled that specific provisions within the Act violate the right of freedom of expression under the Charter of Rights, declaring them to have no force or effect.

In 2022, Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice, advocate Jessica Scott-Reid, and Toronto Cow Save organizer Louise Jorgensen challenged the constitutionality of new animal welfare legislation aimed at preventing activist disruptions and protecting farms from trespassing.

Arden Beddoes, a litigator for Scott-Reid and Jorgensen, argued that the Act infringes on freedom of expression under Section 2(b) of the Charter by focusing on the aspect of false pretenses rather than the value of the undercover exposé.

“There is no property right to the truth, the Absolute Truth, from everyone who seeks ingress,” argued Beddoes. “Under state laws enacted in this province, you only vitiate the consent because of this law. It’s not in the Trespass Act.”

Justice Zarnett pushed back, arguing the Trespass Act is procedural, dealing with remedies, not the relationship of trespass, which is established in common law, not the Trespass Act.

“But for the exposés, there would be no (STPFSA) law. That is the case,” volleyed Beddoes.

To which Justice Roberts replied, “But for the trespass, there would be no law,” questioning whether the deceit and the consent are inextricably intertwined to impair the validity of consent.

Justice Zarnett asked if the law’s “new” aspect was making something a trespass or establishing a provincial offence in those circumstances, which would otherwise only be actionable in a civil court.

“This is how you stop investigations, private investigations, investigative journalism, much of which, or a significant portion of which, could require investigatory deception,” Beddoes said, adding investigatory deceptions are protected under Section 2(b).

“They contribute to a marketplace of ideas from which people like Ms. Scott Reid draw, from which researchers may draw, on these important issues about how humans treat animals.”

Robin Basu, counsel to the Attorney General, stated that between 2007 and 2020, only 16 undercover exposés were published. He suggested that the COVID-19 restrictions from 2021 to 2022 limited undercover exposés more than STPFSA’s enforcement from 2020 to May 2024.

“(The Respondents) can’t say there were no undercover investigations when the law was enforced because we don’t know,” argued Basu. “There’s no evidence in the record that there were none. All we know is that the claimants say, we’re aware of no exposés being published.”

He added that evidence shows animal rights groups often defer reporting to authorities to prolong the collection of visceral footage, without producing an exposé.

Frederick Schumann, Animal Justice representative, stated that the journalist and whistleblower exceptions are too narrow.

“The person must be a journalist when they obtain the consent,” said Schumann.

A person working with an animal advocacy organization on an investigative exposé is not a journalist, nor are they considered an employee at the time they use false representation to gain employment, he explained.

“Neither the journalist exception nor the whistleblower exception is of assistance to them,” Schumann argued, even if they provide material to a media organization, law enforcement or regulatory body.

“It’s excluding, fundamentally, the animal advocacy organization from carrying out the exposé because their primary function is not to disseminate information to the public.”

In his rebuttal, Basu suggested, “There is no obstacle to Animal Justice setting up a subsidiary that is dedicated, or the primary function is the dissemination of information to the public.”

STPFSA targets trespass, not speech, said Basu, and Section 2(b) doesn’t mandate that free expression must secure genuine consent to enter a property, nor do civil consequences narrow constitutional protections.

“My friend said, ‘You can’t lie on your resume under this statute.’ You can lie on your resume,” explained Basu. “You just can’t do it, and when that lie successfully dupes somebody, then enter the farm.”

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The senator spoke metres from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s soil pit, displaying the challenges and benefits of soil health during Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show on Sept. 11.

“My biggest fear is that we’re going to wake up someday and realize that we can’t feed our province,” said Black. “Let alone the country or the two billion more that we have in the world (in 30 years). That’s a scary thing.”

The report makes 25 recommendations; however, designating soil as a national strategic resource, creating a national soil database and appointing a national soil advocate all rank high on Sen. Black’s wish list.

Heather White, Soils at Guelph knowledge mobilization and communications coordinator, said Critical Ground’s focus is a broader road map to soil-health benefits compared to the narrower conservation angle of Senator Herb Sparrow’s 40-year-old report “Soil at Risk.”

“Soil health is a suite of principals being applied, as opposed to a particular practice, which is a good way to think about how to manage the diversity of soil,” White said. “It’s easy to forget about soil’s importance and take it for granted. It’s putting it on people’s radars again, and that’s important.”

Additionally, the report highlights the relationship between water management and soil health, the need for data-driven decisions and support for data capture, whether it’s a snapshot or aspects requiring ongoing monitoring.

“It certainly highlights the need for a connecting piece between the research and the practitioners,” she said, adding Soils at Guelph provides a conduit for fact-based information.

The report was tabled in the Senate on June 13, with the government having until Nov. 10 to respond.

“Then it’s time for all of us, organizations, individuals, journalists, to keep their feet to the fire,” he said. “If they say they’re going to act on identifying soils as a national asset, then let’s get that done.”

Black urged anyone to utilize the report to advance soil health advocacy and research.

While in Vancouver in June, speaking with the Canadian Society of Soil Scientists, he learned they were using it for funding applications – six days after its release.

“That’s pretty cool,” he said, adding he hopes the government will willingly drive the report forward. “We can push and shove them, collectively as organizations, provincially and nationally, but my hope is they’ll see the value in what we did.”

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“People don’t realize that with calamari consumption, over 52 per cent of the squid is regarded as waste,” explained Sammy Prantera, Seaborn Organic’s Squid Juice sales director. “They were originally throwing half the squid back into the ocean.”

Seaborn Organics, based in St. Catharines is part of the ‘Off the Beaten Track’ tour at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show.

Prantera said company partnered with the University of Rhode Island horticulture experts to develop an organic fertilizer made of Loligo squid using a low-heat hydrolysate process after the Environmental Protection Agency forced the fishing industry to seek alternatives for their by-products.

Farmers can apply the all-purpose concentrated liquid fertilizer from germination to harvest as a drench, in-furrow as a liquid starter and as a foliar spray application.

The prime demographic is organic and regenerative farmers, but conventional operation usage could lessen synthetic inputs, said Prantera.

Squid Juice ticks all the fertilizer boxes for N, P and K while providing micronutrients, a chitin biostimulant, and some natural pest deterrent capabilities.

“Biostimulants are a new trend in the last five years of farming,” Prantera explained. “(Squid Juice) is the only water-soluble bioavailable form of chitin on the market.”

Chitin increases yield, flavour, brix and terpenes for overall quality and a plant’s defence mechanism, including stress, drought and pest resilience.

“It’s essentially $15 an acre application,” he said. “You only need to use it one to three times a season if you’re a cash crop farmer and a few more times if you’re a fruits and veggie farmer.”

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