GrainTALK for September 2025

International Oilseed Producers’ Dialogue

Jeff Harrison, Grain Farmers of Ontario chair and Paul Hoekstra, vice president, strategic development, attended the 2025 International Oilseed Producers’ Dialogue (IOPD) in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. The conference brings together oilseed producers and groups from across the globe. Discussions focus on updates from each region to showcase production numbers, issues, and opportunities and the ongoing challenges with government regulation on sustainability and the impact of trade on food security. Read the IOPD 2025 XXVII Final Resolution at www.gfo.ca/marketing.

Canada is represented each year by Grain Farmers of Ontario and colleagues from the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA). •

Grain Farmers of Ontario AGM

The Grain Farmers of Ontario Annual General Meeting will be held on September 9, 2025, at the Craigowan Golf Club, 595838 Highway 59 N,

Woodstock, from 8 a.m. to noon. A buffet breakfast and lunch will be served. All farmer-members are invited to attend.

The meeting is being held in conjunction with Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show at the Discovery Farm in Woodstock, Ontario. Attendees of the AGM will receive a complimentary ticket to the show.

The meeting will also be live-streamed.

For more information or to register, visit gfo.ca/agm. •

Save the date! March Classic 2026

Mark your calendars for March 24, 2026, for Grain Farmers of Ontario’s annual March Classic.

Grain Farmers of Ontario is excited to announce that the 2026 March Classic will be held at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre. The new venue provides an opportunity to grow Ontario’s premier agricultural event.

Find out more at gfo.ca/marchclassic. •

Grains in Action 2026 – Register now!

Grain Farmers of Ontario is hosting its popular young farmer program, Grains in Action, February 9–12, 2026! An exciting new agenda is being developed with stops at end-user facilities in Hamilton, Niagara, and southwestern Ontario.

Young grain farmers aged 19 – 35 are invited to attend. Full details and registration are now available at www.gfo.ca/about/grains-in-action/. Space is limited to 30 participants. A waitlist will be in effect once capacity is reached. •

Grain Discovery Zone

Have you seen the Grain Discovery Zone at a fair or festival near you? This summer, Grain Farmers of Ontario’s intern, Sarah, has been travelling across the province, taking Grain Farmers of Ontario’s mobile education trailer to events that have significant urban outreach and attendance.

The trailer features a sensory bin filled with corn and farm toys, along with educational and informative displays that help consumers learn more about grains and grain farming.

Upcoming fall events include the Petrolia and Enniskillen Fair, Port Hope Fair, Lindsay Exhibition, Carp Fair, Markham Fair, and the Norfolk County Fair. Drop by to say hello! Find out more at www.goodineverygrain.ca/events. •

Field Progress

Explore the newly launched Field Progress from Grain Farmers of Ontario. This page provides weekly updates on planting and harvest progress across the province, broken down by Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Districts 1-15. In July and August, it features the latest insights into winter wheat harvest progress across Ontario. As the year progresses, Field Progress will also highlight spring cereal, soybean, and corn harvest progress. •

Grain Farmers of Ontario directors host farm tours

In June, Jeff Barlow, director of District 6 (Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Niagara), hosted a delegation of Ontario wheat milling and bakery customers on his farm as part of a regenerative agriculture event organized by ADM. Grain Farmers of Ontario staff Dana Dickerson, director of market development and sustainability, and Ibrahim Mohammed, sustainability and environment specialist, also participated and presented on Ontario leadership in sustainable wheat production across the province.

Josh Boersen, director of District 9 (Perth), hosted a Grain Farmers of Ontario-sponsored Farm and Food Care Ontario tour for food industry professionals. Boersen highlighted the crops he grows on his farm, the farm equipment he uses to till, plant, spray, and harvest, and the farming practices that benefit sustainability and soil health on his farm. Mary Feldskov, managing editor of the Ontario Grain Farmer magazine and Emma Weizenbluth, grains educator, joined the tour to share more about the Ontario grain industry and Grain Farmers of Ontario. •

Market Commentary

By Philip Shaw

We’re looking at very big crops in 2025 across the greater North American corn belt. In the July United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, estimates of the U.S. corn crop continue to be 15.705 billion bushels based on an average yield of 181 bushels per acre. Private forecasters are putting this higher into August. On the soybean side, USDA is estimating 4.335 million bushels based on an average soybean yield of 52.5 bushels per acre. There is still time in late August and early September to cut these estimates. However, it looks like big supply is winning the day again this year.

These big projections have led to lower Ontario cash prices for grain across the province. It is likely to continue into the fall, depending on the weather from now on. Cash prices for wheat have been particularly disappointing as harvest ended this summer. The Canadian dollar, currently fluttering in the 72-73 cents U.S. range, remains a stimulus to Ontario grain cash prices. •