As growers plan their fungicide programs with resistance management in mind, here’s a reminder of how to use the Group M fungicide Folpan 80 WDG. It’s a preventative multi-site fungicide that’s used across a wide variety of crops, from grapes and apples to cucurbits and strawberries.

Crop protection company ADAMA is launching a new thinning product for crop load management in apples and pears in 2026. Besides a new mode of action, the company is supplying a BreviSmart app that guides growers on best timing for application. Sponsored by ADAMA.

Trade patterns are shifting as the threat of U.S. tariffs continue to destabilize the produce industry. Greg Palmer, vice-president, trade and market development for the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, travels often to Mexico visiting with exporters and importers. When he puts on his tourist cap, he also frequents food markets. He shares his observations on the ramped-up trade missions from Canada and the opportunities for specific Canadian commodities.

A new pear variety will be entering the marketplace in 2026, thanks to a years-long breeding effort by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Vineland Growers’ Cooperative is licensed to sell the Happi pear which has a red blush and a sweet and tangy taste. Matt Ecker, vice president of sales, reports that the cooperative is expanding its controlled atmosphere storage space at Virgil, Ontario.

Hailing from an agricultural community, Jennifer Best brings an empathetic background to her role as director of growth services for Bradford West Gwillimbury. The municipality straddles the Holland Marsh along with King Township. She’s working with an ad hoc committee to harmonize land zoning bylaws that would ease pressure on the day-to-day lives of growers while protecting the land for future farming generations.

Thanks to Finnish technology, greenhouse-grown lettuce is taking off in Canada. The Grower is Digging Deeper and speaking with Jay Willmot, CEO, Haven Greens. Jay has built a five-acre facility at King City, Ontario with plans to double the footprint. Launched in April 2025, the state-of-the-art operation integrates water, energy and nutrition expertise with the result that 10,000 pounds of leafy greens are harvested every day. This model of sustainability has attracted retailers and foodservice providers alike, who are now selling red and green lettuce, and blends with arugula and mustards.

The footprint of artificial intelligence is getting bigger in horticulture. The most recent example is the Ecorobotix sprayer that’s now in use in Québec and Ontario vegetable farms. Algorithms have been developed for specific crops ranging from carrots to broccoli. And most recently, the technology can thin lettuce. This means that growers are better able to spray targeted weeds, while saving on manual weeding.

The annual meeting of federal-provincial-territorial agriculture ministers will be a reset in mid-July 2025 with a new federal minister in Heath MacDonald and five new provincial ministers. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the July 2025 cover story and speaking with Ontario’s Hon. Trevor Jones. Jones is one of the new faces, vowing to build consensus on infrastructure needs and to improve business risk management programs. Extreme weather patterns and trade volatility will, perhaps, spur faster movement on agricultural files in tandem with the national agenda.

So far, 2025 has been a roller-coaster for growers who export to the U.S. With the exception of a few days in early March, tariffs have not been applied on produce under the CUSMA deal. But every commodity association must look at the current trading environment for clues to the future. One example is Maritime-grown wild blueberries. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the June 2025 cover story and speaking with Benny Nabuurs, president of the Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Growers. Benny explains concerns about the current industry structure and processing capacity that spans the Canadian border into Maine.

As chair of the Ontario Apple Growers, Chris Hedges shares an overview of the provincial apple industry – its investments in high-density orchards, desirable apple varieties, controlled atmosphere storages and modern packing lines. The Grower is Digging Deeper behind the May 2025 cover story titled 'Wind’s up and the weather is rising for Canadian apple growers' and checking in with Chris. Representing 200 growers, Hedges says they are ready to meet the moment with consumers looking for locally-grown produce in the face of U.S. tariff threats. With favourable spring conditions, he’s looking forward to a “fantastic” crop.