Reading Time: 2 minutes A B.C. company that raises seedlings for greenhouse vegetable growers is set to devote its existing square footage to weed, following a takeover by a B.C. cannabis grower and processor. Langley-based, publicly-traded Bevo Agro on Thursday announced a reverse takeover deal with Surrey-based, privately-held cannabis firm Sun Pharm Investments, which will see Sun Pharm shareholders […] Read more
Vegetable seedling grower, cannabis grower to merge
Prairie potatoes not expected to hit record yields again
Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada – The potato acreage may have increased this year in Western Canada, but it doesn’t look like it will be the same story for yields. “I think overall it’s too early to tell because we haven’t started the main harvest, but we are not expecting as big of yield as the last couple […] Read more
U.S. appeals court orders EPA to ban pesticide said to harm children
Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters – A divided federal appeals court on Thursday ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban a widely-used pesticide that critics say can endanger children and farmers. The 2-1 decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle overturned former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt’s March 2017 denial of a petition by […] Read more
WTO panel to examine U.S. complaint on B.C. wine sale rules
Reading Time: < 1 minute Geneva | Reuters — The World Trade Organization set up a dispute panel on Friday to rule on a U.S. complaint against restrictions in British Columbia on wine sales in grocery stores, a WTO official said. In line with WTO rules, the decision was taken after Canada made its second request at a closed-door meeting […] Read more
2 covers — 25 species
P.E.I. potato growers are exploring diverse approaches to solve their low organic matter levels with cover crops
Reading Time: 6 minutes Soil organic matter has become a popular topic of discussion in the past year. In Ontario, a report from late 2016 indicated soil organic matter (SOM) levels in many parts of the province are at 15-year lows, coinciding with increasing interest in the use of cover crops, reduced- or no-till management and longer rotations in […] Read more
Ontario backs frozen vegetable plant upgrades
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian arm of French vegetable processor Bonduelle will put up almost $80 million to upgrade and expand three of its frozen vegetable plants in southwestern Ontario, with provincial government backing. The province on Tuesday announced it will invest up to $8.5 million in Bonduelle Canada’s upgrades for its processing plants at Tecumseh, Ingersoll and […] Read more
Finding the right niche
If it makes you shake your head that these two large, sophisticated farms are focusing on, of all things, sweet potatoes as the right crop to build their futures on, listen to them explain why
Reading Time: 7 minutes In just a couple of pockets across the country, it’s estimated Canada is growing about 1,800 acres of sweet potatoes. About 1,100 of them are grown by Berlo’s Best. Why? The reason is partly what you might expect. Canadian demand for sweet potatoes has skyrocketed. Ethnic markets are booming, sales of new products like sweet […] Read more
China customs expanding checks on U.S. fruit imports
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beijing/Chicago | Reuters –– China’s major ports of entry have ramped up checks on fresh fruit imports from the U.S., five Chinese industry sources said, which could delay shipments from U.S. growers already dealing with higher tariffs as Sino-U.S. trade ties worsen. Fruits were among 128 U.S. goods that China slapped with more expensive import […] Read more
Prairie potato planting slightly behind schedule
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — After a delayed start due to the long winter and spring flooding, western Canadian potato growers are out in the fields. “We’re probably only a couple of days behind… we had farmers out on the fields last week and I think quite a few more will be moving along this week,” said […] Read more
Their big idea
As Mike Kosaka and Adriane Skaros are learning, it takes determination, toughness, and plenty of smarts to succeed as a local-food startup. How many smarts? Well, read on
Reading Time: 10 minutes Young Zoe Jones and Ava Kosaka have sized me up. The girls are ultra-enthusiastic entrepreneurs. They’ve got a marketing plan, they’ve perfected their product, and — just weeks into production — they’re already watching the dollars roll in. Of course, the girls may be only seven and nine years old, respectively, but they already know […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
