Ontario Grain Farmer October 2021

Good in Every Grain 46 www.GoodinEveryGrain.ca A TRUSTED SOURCE At Good in Every Grain, we take pride in providing Ontario consumers with reliable information and being a trusted source for grain farming information; as such, we strive to listen to their feedback and provide them with answers to the questions that they are asking. Each week on the Good in Every Grain Instagram page (@GoodinEveryGrain), we post a story asking our followers to ask us any questions that they have regarding Ontario grains and grain farming. We want to know and understand their questions. Over the course of July and August, we received many questions about different aspects of the Ontario grain industry, and we answered their questions in a blog post that was posted to the Good in Every Grain website and through a post on each of the Good in Every Grain social media accounts; Instagram, Twitter (@GoodInGrain) and Facebook (@GoodInEveryGrain). The following are three examples of the questions that we were asked on our Instagram and a summary of how we answered them. How long is a typical growing season in Ontario? Typically, in Ontario, grains are planted in the spring (between April and June) and are harvested in the fall (between September and November). That being said, different variables such as weather, where a farm is located in Ontario, and even the type of grain can impact the “typical” growing season. However, there are some exceptions to this, including winter wheat that is planted in the fall and harvested in the spring. What percentage of grain goes to feed livestock and what percentage gets exported? In Grain Farmers of Ontario’s 2020 Ontario grain market report, it was identified that 29 per cent of all grain produced in the province is exported annually to more than 50 different countries, and 36 per cent of Ontario produced grain is used by Ontario livestock feed producers to make livestock feed. The remaining 35 per cent is used in other Ontario markets such as ethanol production or for food. The online answer to this question goes into further detail about the status of domestic and exported uses of Canadian grain as a whole. At the grocery store, what should I be looking for in a healthy bread? Choosing grain products that will maximize health benefits does not have to be hard. When staring down the wall of differing products you don’t have to pick the one that is the most expensive or the one with the fanciest packaging. Go for any of the whole grain options. In terms of picking the healthiest loaf of bread or grain products in general, find loaves that are truly a good source of whole grains, be sure to check the ingredients or look for the whole grain symbol. Find more questions and answers on our website. At the grocery store, what should I be looking for in healthy bread? How long is a typical grain growing season in Ontario? What percentage of Canadian grain goes to feed and livestock and what percent gets exported?