A lettuce breeder for Rijk Zwaan, the world’s largest producer of lettuce seed records data as he makes lettuce variety selections in the company’s research greenhouse in the Netherlands. Photo: John Greig

Dutch greenhouse seed production aided by technology

World Seed Congress tours greenhouses responsible for developing new tomato, leafy green varieties

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Netherlands is known for its greenhouses and its seed production. A tour on the third day of the World Seed Congress concentrated on both of those leadership positions for the country.



Marco van Leeuwen is the president of the International Seed Federation and managing director of seed company Rijk Zwaan. Photo: John Greig

World Seed Congress addresses global supply chain challenges 

Reading Time: 3 minutes The World Seed Congress is on in Rotterdam, Netherlands with a discussion of the major issues facing the seed and crops sector. The major issues on the agenda include the challenges that the decline in free trade and globalization brings to major suppliers of seeds, the acceptance of gene editing and the technology involved in that process.

Photo: File

New program focuses on data literacy for cow-calf producers 

Case studies and mentoring will help give farm data decision-making power 

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Data Literacy for Cow-Calf Producers project aims to give farmers and ranchers the chance to discuss best practices and learn from experts and peers about how to use data to make better business decisions.  Data management has varied adoption in the cow-calf sector.


Some ag tech startup companies continue to get funding, but it isn’t as much or as likely as during the pandemic years. Photo: Avalon_Studio/iStock/Getty Images

Ag tech venture capital stays on sidelines

Entrepreneurs need patience, more plan to achieve profitability to unlock investment

Reading Time: 2 minutes Agriculture venture capital investment was an outlier in 2023, as it increased slightly over 2022, according to the Canadian Venture Capital Association (CVCA). However, that news belied pessimism on the state of ag tech at the recent Agri Tech Venture Forum in Toronto. The forum heard that the availability of capital for agriculture technology entrepreneurs has dried up significantly compared to the heady days of investment growth during the pandemic years.



Tiffany Wood, a Scottish physicist is CEO of Dyneval, a company with new semen analyzing technology.  Photo: John Greig

At Ag in Motion: New tester monitors bull fertility

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Slow-swimming bull sperm will have no place to hide. A Scottish company, Dyneval, has created a new semen analyzer that measures a wider range of concentrations of semen than previous testing methods. This will allow veterinarians, beef and dairy producers to have more control over semen quality. The Dynescanl analyzer is also […] Read more

Katlin Lang is co-founder of FarmSimple Solutions, a company that provides a water trough sensor for remote watering system.
 Photo: John Greig

At Ag in Motion: Water trough monitoring made easier

Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Imagine being able to run to the lake without worrying about water trough levels for grazing cattle. That’s the scenario that drove Katlin and his brother Dustin Lang, of Vibank, Sask., to found a company to provide a water trough monitoring system. Designed for troughs that are connected to solar systems out […] Read more


“It was easy to do because the technology was already there.” – Bryce Eger, president of Corteva Canada.

Corteva turns two

Company manages through pandemic while building old and new brands

Reading Time: 3 minutes The emergence of Corteva two years ago from the merger of Dow Agrosciences and DuPont put a new player on the agriculture stage — a company focused on agriculture that had to merge different cultures and product brands. Corteva recently turned two and Bryce Eger, president of Corteva Canada, talked about the evolution of the company and […] Read more

Brad Glasman, left, and Craig Merkley, both of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, have been working for years to establish a demonstration farm.

Controlled drainage showcased on Ontario demo farm

Farm near Thorndale has numerous drainage and soil health practices to see

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Drainage contractors were hard at work at a farm just west of Thorndale in early June, creating a showcase tile drainage project. Numerous drainage systems and cropping best practices will be demonstrated at the farm, owned by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA). Why it matters: Drainage is important to profitability on […] Read more