Artificial intelligence on the farm AUGUST 2025 www.OntarioGrainFarmer.ca TECHNOLOGY NOVEMBER 2025 Research advances new technology
23 Business side Conversations with business experts 5 Crop side Agronomic information from crop specialists NOVEMBER 2025 volume 17, number 2 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER is published 9 times a year (December/January, February, March, April/May, June/July, August, September, October, and November) through Grain Farmers of Ontario. Distribution is to all Ontario barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmer-members. Associate Membership Subscription available upon request. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Seek professional advice before undertaking any recommendations or suggestions presented in this magazine. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065283. Return undeliverable items to Grain Farmers of Ontario, 679 Southgate Drive, Guelph, ON N1G 4S2. © Grain Farmers of Ontario all rights reserved. Publisher: Grain Farmers of Ontario, Phone: 1-800-265-0550, Website: www.gfo.ca; Managing Editor: Mary Feldskov; Creative Specialist: Nicole Koopstra; Advertising Sales and Sponsorship Consultant: Joanne Tichborne 6 ON THE COVER Stormy skies ahead Treena Hein WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2024 From the CEO’s desk FEEDING THE WORLD 4 A year in review Laura Ferrier 10 Market review 2022 - 2023 Blair Andrews 12 Business side Conversations with business experts 9 GrainTALK newsletter An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events 16 What do Canadians think about food? Mary Feldskov 14 Crop side Agronomic information from crop specialists 23 European trade policies Ontario Grain Farmer 18 More winter barley acres Matt McIntosh 20 Grain contracts guide Mary Feldskov 22 Ontario Agricultural Conference 2024 Ontario Grain Farmer 24 Stronger leadership Rachel Telford 26 Good in Every Grain Updates on our campaign 30 Farming for world hunger Rebecca Hannam 28 172024 ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETINGS CHECK HERE FOR DATES AND TIMES DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024 volume 15, number 3 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMERis published 9 times a year (December/January, February, March, April/May, June/July, August, September, October, and November) through Grain Farmers of Ontario. Distribution is to all Ontario barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmer-members. Associate Membership Subscription available upon request. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Seek professional advice before undertaking any recommendations or suggestions presented in this magazine. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065283. Return undeliverable items to Grain Farmers of Ontario, 679 Southgate Drive, Guelph, ON N1G 4S2. © Grain Farmers of Ontario all rights reserved. Publisher: Grain Farmers of Ontario, Phone: 1-800-265-0550, Website: www.gfo.ca; Managing Editor: Mary Feldskov; Production Co-ordinator: Kim Ratz; Advertising Sales and Sponsorship Consultant: Joanne Tichborne BIODEGRADABLE POLY 15-03 OGF DecemberJanuary 2023-24_OnGrainFarmer 2023-11-09 11:04 AM Page 3 4 From the CEO’s desk 16 GrainTALK newsletter An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events 30 Good in Every Grain Updates on our campaign Artificial intelligence on the farm Treena Hein 6On the cover INDUSTRY NEWS 10 From Burford to top brass Owen Roberts LOOKING BACK 18 Fifteen years of consumer advocacy Ontario Grain Farmer AGRONOMY 20 How compaction happens Matt McIntosh 24 Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network MEMBER RELATIONS 26 Leadership potential Rachel Telford TECHNOLOGY 14 Testing tech Mary Feldskov
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER FROM THE CEO’S DESK 4 From the CEO's desk Mexico continues to be one of Ontario’s most important trading partners, and these kinds of in-person conversations matter. They build trust, open doors, and help maintain strong relationships in a world where trade conditions can shift quickly. Buyers want dependable suppliers—and Ontario grain farmers are ready to deliver. This year’s wheat harvest is a powerful example of what Ontario farmers can achieve. Early reports suggest a record provincial average of 100 bushels per acre. These results speak to the innovation, management, and agronomic skill that farmers bring to every acre. The results from the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) also reflected the strength of wheat production in the region, with a new record of roughly 185 bushels per acre. These are world-class yields, and more importantly, they demonstrate consistent quality—something international buyers are paying attention to. From Mexico City, I will also be travelling to Morelia to participate in the Trinational Agricultural Accord. This forum brings together industry and government leaders from Canada, the United States, and Mexico to discuss shared agricultural priorities. With CUSMA (formerly NAFTA) negotiations on the horizon, this is a critical moment to reinforce the importance of predictable, rules-based trade. Grain Farmers of Ontario will continue to push for stable and fair access to markets for all of Ontario’s grain crops and the inputs, agricultural machinery, and technology that farmers rely on. As the calendar turns to November, the fall harvest season will be ongoing. This growing season tested many of us. From wet planting conditions in the spring to periods of drought stress in parts of the province, variability has been the theme of 2025. Markets continue to be unpredictable, and input costs remain high. Farming is full of risk—that hasn’t changed. What is needed is more support for farmers to manage that risk. Grain Farmers of Ontario continues to advocate for improvements to risk management programs, fair taxation policies, and strong public research investment that drives yield, soil health, and long-term farm sustainability. Grain Farmers of Ontario is also working hard to build public trust and awareness about farming. This November, the Grains on the Go trailer will once again be on display at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, where thousands of students, families, and urban Canadians will have the chance to learn about grain farming and modern agriculture. The launch of a new virtual reality farm tour in partnership with Farm & Food Care Ontario will help attendees at the event experience a grain farm firsthand—without leaving the city. You can read more about this exciting Good in Every Grain initiative on page 30 of this issue. • Crosby Devitt, CEO, Grain Farmers of Ontario As I write this, I’m en route to Mexico City, joining Grain Farmers of Ontario chair Jeff Harrison and Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Trevor Jones, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Heath MacDonald, for meetings with key wheat customers. L-R: Jeff Harrison, Minister Trevor Jones, Minister Heath MacDonald, Ambassador Cameron MacKay (Canadian envoy to Mexico), and Crosby Devitt.
Managing crop diseases effectively is key to protecting yield and maximizing profitability. The Crop Protection Network (CPN), which Grain Farmers of Ontario has previously supported, has launched a powerful new resource, “The Crop Disease Forecasting Tool,” to help farmers do just that! It’s a free, webbased platform designed to assess the risk of major foliar diseases in corn and soybeans, as well as some horticultural crops. FORECASTING DON, TAR SPOT, AND MORE The Forecasting Tool replaces older apps like Tarspotter and Sporecaster as well as many other models all into one convenient, easy to use platform. This tool integrates years of university/ extension-led research (including Ontario) and modeling to provide daily updates and 7-day forecasts using local weather data. You can even go back to previous years. It currently supports forecasting for tar spot and gray leaf spot in corn, and white mould and frogeye leaf spot in soybeans—all diseases that can cause significant yield losses if not managed proactively. It also supports some horticultural crops. A major new feature is the DON risk assessment model, which helps predict the likelihood of Gibberella ear rot and associated mycotoxins like deoxynivalenol (DON). Developed using logistic equations by researchers Paul and Nesi (Ohio State), the model calculates the probability of DON levels one part per million at harvest, based on weather conditions during the corn silking stage. By providing field-specific, timely insights, the CPN Forecasting Tool empowers growers to make informed fungicide decisions, reduce unnecessary applications, and target treatments when they’re most effective. This not only helps minimize diseaserelated losses, but also supports sustainable production and better return on investment. Growers can access the tool and other resources at cropprotectionnetwork.org. With disease pressure varying year to year, tools like this are essential for staying ahead of threats and protecting crop health, quality and yields. New forecasting tool Albert Tenuta Crop side with... Albert Tenuta, Field Crop Pathologist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER CROP SIDE 5 Figure 1 – Disease forecasting models found under tools on CPN website banner menu (red circle). Press “Access the Forecasting Tool” button takes you to the Crop Risk Tool (blue circle) Figure 2 – Example of white mold in soybean model output across the season.
Treena Hein Artificial intelligence on the farm Research advances new technology The ways in which AI (artificial intelligence) is providing concrete help to grain farmers are growing. AI specializes in taking large amounts of data and presenting useful conclusions. For example, AI is being used to analyze a wide range of datasets to provide more accurate, longer-term weather forecasts. Across various ‘big ag’ platforms, it’s crunching numbers from soil tests and past yields, comparing them between fields, among varieties, and more, resulting in better decisions for the next year. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER COVER STORY 6
continued on page 8 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER COVER STORY 7 But AI can also take new visual data and analyze it on the fly to help farmers (and breeders and researchers in some cases) in exciting new ways. That’s the current angle in the work of Riley McConachie, a PhD student with Dr. Helen Booker in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph. McConachie recently completed his master’s degree, where he successfully proved that AI can accurately count the number of wheat heads in an image. He also trained the AI to produce a Fusarium head blight (FHB) severity index. The associated app he created, called WheatScanR, was released in August for free download. McConachie has already won numerous awards for his hard work, but he’s not stopping there. Now, in his PhD, he is retraining the AI to improve it, working to add a yield prediction capability, and more. The scope of the research includes using images taken by grain farmers who are part of the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN). YEN participants have had to do head counts manually, like researchers and breeders do, which takes a long time and isn’t highly accurate (results can vary from person to person). With McConachie’s work, farmers will be able to simply take pictures, and the app will quickly and objectively count them. LEARNING TO COUNT To “train” any AI to do any task, in this case, counting how many of a given item are present in an image, you use the same steps you’d use to train a person. First, the AI must recognize the item of interest. “We put boxes around wheat heads in an image to single them out, and it learns that these are wheat heads through identifying their shape, features and textures,” McConachie explains. “About 70 per cent of total annotated data is devoted to that task, building a solid foundation. Then the AI uses another roughly 20 per cent of the data to apply what it learned, to validation. It will look at new images, do a head count for each image and determine how accurate that is by comparing its results to the actual results, where the number of wheat heads in the same images has been tagged by me or someone else. It will then improve its own accuracy as needed by going back to the images where accuracy was not high.” The other 10 per cent of data is used for “true testing.” This occurs after training is essentially complete, and the AI is presented with new images with no results to compare to. (And in case you’re wondering, this AI is available free to anyone from YOLO. Processing time for this project is purchased from a remote server through a plan, as that’s much more economical than a university installing an appropriate server.) At this point, farmers can use WheatScanR to obtain a head count per area pictured, and they can also use those results to make their own yield predictions (using either existing images or new ones, all of which remain private). However, McConachie is developing the AI’s capability to do early yield estimation of its own. “Of course, there are many other things like weather and disease that can affect yield, so our yield estimator will be simple,” he explains. “But we actually need to keep it simple for it to work well. I think we’ll use three variables, the number of heads present, the number of kernels on the heads, and the historical test weight for the variety.” However, as mentioned, WheatScanR also already has an instantaneous measure of FHB severity, where the AI counts infected heads versus non-infected heads in the provided images. Yes, this severity index could also be used in the yield estimation, says McConachie, but you’d want to make sure it was very accurate before you’d integrate it with a yield estimation tool that’s already working well. “At this point, farmers can use WheatScanR to obtain a head count per area pictured, and they can also use those results to make their own yield predictions.
On the farm, FHB severity readings from various fields could be used by grain farmers to do things like differential harvesting, where they keep more-diseased grain separate from cleaner grain. “You can also get a sense of the areas that are most affected over time, and apply less nitrogen to those areas to decrease in-crop humidity, or spray more in those areas,” says McConachie. “For researchers, having this in an app means that FHB estimation will be much faster and more accurate. This task has always been carried out manually by students. And for breeders, a faster and more accurate way to measure FHB severity will also be more efficient in breeding programs, as it will yield estimation in time.” ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER COVER STORY 8 continued from page 7 THE POTENTIAL OF AI McConachie sees AI as an extremely useful tool, but also notes its limitations. That is, the YOLO AI serves as the basis for the app, but McConachie is also using other AI platforms to perform related tasks in his research workflow—albeit only for certain tasks. “There’s part of my thesis, for example, where AI could be used, but it would take a long time to do things that way,” he notes. “You’d have to do a lot of work to ensure the result would be reliable. So it’s not always the best approach, and with that part of my research, I’m doing something simpler that I’m pretty sure will work well.” When asked about AI in farming, McConachie believes it will be increasingly useful. For example, the existing platforms for variable automated spraying of crop protection products (based on sensors that detect weed concentrations or disease severity) will get much better. At the same time, McConachie observes that these systems need to be more rugged and that they are currently very expensive and can be quite slow to fix sensors that have stopped working. Regarding his own AI work, he’s very excited that it’s transferable to other crops and diseases, but this won’t come quickly. “It will take a number of years before we have systems to detect all diseases in all crops,” McConachie says. “It’s very difficult to detect and distinguish leaf diseases, and root diseases are a whole other area. And with estimating the yield impact of disease, the severity and incidence for some pathogens correlates well but others don’t. There are other factors in play, such as when the disease took hold, upcoming weather and so on.” But for now, McConachie is very excited that WheatScanR will help a lot of growers in 2026 and beyond. “I really hope a lot of people use it next year,” he says. “Word is spreading. I can’t wait to update it, but it’s pretty good as is.” Riley McConachie was a 2024 recipient of the Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Scholarship.•
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER COVER STORY 9 REGISTRATION OPENS: November 1, 2025 The Ontario Agricultural Conferences presents.... @OAgC26 | #OAgC26 Planting Knowledge, Growing Prosperity. IN-PERSON January 6 & 7, 2026 University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus IN-PERSON January 16, 2026 RIM Park Manulife Sportsplex, Waterloo IN-PERSON January 27, 2026 Kemptville Campus Virtual and IN-PERSON Options Available LIVESTREAMING AND RECORDED SESSIONS INCLUDED WITH ALL REGISTRATIONS THE DATE Save QR CODES TO DOWNLOAD THE APP IOS ANDROID University of Guelph research plots.
Owen Roberts From Burford to top brass Canada’s leading agri-food university picks an Aggie president Leading institutions choose the right leader for the right job at the right time…which makes the appointment of Dr. Rene Van Acker, the agriculturally oriented new president of the University of Guelph, a telling and important choice. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 10
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 11 continued on page 12 Van Acker, who was raised on a tobacco farm near Burford, Ontario, was appointed to the university’s top post on July 2, 2025. He’s the first University of Guelph alum to be named president of the institution, and the second Aggie. Dr. Burt Matthews, who served as president from 1983 to 1988, graduated from the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) in 1947, before the university became a degree-granting institution in 1964. Between Matthews and Van Acker, University of Guelph presidents ranged from neuroscientists to Chinese scholars to publishing executives. Most of them knew little about agriculture. But with faculty, staff, and students behind them, they connected with the agri-food sector, shared a vision, and helped the university become Canada’s leading agri-food institution and a global leader in innovation. Van Acker’s appointment takes that connectivity a step further, at a time when geopolitics and other weighty factors are challenging society’s very fundamentals, such as agriculture and food production. There’s now a solid line that unites the University of Guelph’s president’s office and the farm community—with which Van Acker’s grassroots upbringing, along with his strong academic foundation in agriculture, has struck a resounding chord. “We’ve worked closely with Dr. Van Acker throughout his career to build research capacity relevant to grain farmers,” says Grain Farmers of Ontario CEO Crosby Devitt (OAC ’97). “His practical approach to partnerships with farmers made it easy to see tangible progress. We are excited to see Dr. Van Acker take on the president’s role and bring his strong vision to the entire University.” Stephanie Rempel, general manager of Wallenstein Feed and Supply, noted her company has collaborated with Van Acker on several key initiatives. "We’ve admired his dedication to advancing Ontario’s agriculture industry,” she says. “With a shared vision for supporting farmers and strengthening the industry, we look forward to his continued leadership and his lasting impact on the future of agriculture.” Adds Len Kahn (OAC '85), chief marketing officer for Kitchener-based agricultural technology company BinSentry: “Having a leader at the University of Guelph who not only deeply understands the value of agricultural technology but has consistently demonstrated that understanding through meaningful partnerships with both the university and industry, is an incredible asset. Dr. Van Acker’s proven ability to bridge research, innovation, and practical application ensures that the University of Guelph will continue to drive forward-thinking solutions that strengthen agriculture in Canada and beyond.” STUDENT TO LEADER The new president is a career academic. After graduating from OAC with a Bachelor of Science in 1990, he then earned his Master’s degree at Guelph and PhD at the University of Reading in the UK. He became an assistant plant science professor at the University of Manitoba in 1996. He returned to Guelph as chair of the Department of Plant Agriculture, then moved to Johnston Hall, the administrative home of OAC, in 2009 as associate dean, external. In 2016, he was appointed OAC dean, followed by vice-president of Research and Innovation in 2024. He served as interim president after then-president Charlotte Yates departed last year, before being appointed to the presidency in the summer. Van Acker is part of a first-generation Canadian farm family, one of three children born to Belgian immigrants who arrived in Canada in 1958 and began farming. He says that upbringing—including working in tobacco, arguably one of the most physically demanding jobs in agriculture—brought with it many lessons. “Growing up on a farm, with parents who were hard-working new Canadians, I learned how to work and how to see work that needed doing,” he says. “That has served me very well in my career. I also learned to appreciate how susceptible farming is to weather and to value good weather.” Van Acker, bottom right, pictured as an undergraduate student at the University of Guelph
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 12 MOVING THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR FORWARD Van Acker acknowledges that certain aspects of the agri-food sector require attention. In an opinion piece in the Globe and Mail newspaper last October, authored with professors Evan Fraser and Lenore Newman, Van Acker outlined some of the sector’s ills. “We have a regulatory system that is hard to navigate, there is a lack of capital available to agriculture and food entrepreneurs, and we face chronic labour shortages that throttle innovation. This is especially galling, given that we are great as a nation at creating intellectual property and starting companies.” At the time, Van Acker and his colleagues said they wanted higher education to get more engaged, as a remedy to some of these ills. “Crucially, our universities and colleges need the opportunity to do more,” they wrote. “We need to redouble our efforts to encourage young innovators to apply their ingenuity to sustainable food production and food security. And Canada’s research councils need to create funding opportunities so that established researchers working in disciplines such as robotics, genomics, and artificial intelligence are given opportunities to apply these tools to making Canada’s food system more efficient, healthy and sustainable.” That advice was visionary. A study by a research team at Toronto’s Leaders Fund, released in September, shows just over 32 per cent of high-potential startups launched last year that were led by Canadian teams were actually based in Canada. That was down from more than 67 per cent in the late 2010s. Most of these start-ups involved Canadians who had moved to the U.S. INNOVATION PRIORITIES But times have changed, even in the past 12 months. Working in the U.S. is more challenging than ever. Canadian nationalism is an element of almost every new innovation initiative. And from the president’s chair, Van Acker is poised to rally the resources of the entire university towards increased innovation. He’s encouraged by existing initiatives at the university, such as the Feeding the Future exercise, in which university officials engage with stakeholders to determine priorities. During the latest iteration of this program, which involved more than 300 stakeholders, including Grain Farmers of Ontario, participants suggested that the university’s strong track record in commercialization should be expanded, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises in the agri-food sector, including farms. Mentorship, funding, and clearer pathways for taking innovations from the lab to the marketplace were among the activities cited for more support. The Ontario government has played a huge role in Guelph’s agri-food research success. In his role as OAC dean and research vice-president, Van Acker has worked closely with the province to maximize the Ontario AgriFood Innovation Alliance, which is credited with having a $1.44 billion impact on the province’s GDP. This collaboration is unique in Canada, bringing together the University of Guelph, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and Agricultural Research and Innovation Ontario. Van Acker is enthusiastic about the alliance being key to Guelph increasing its role as an agricultural technology hub, and its potential for entrepreneurship centred around the alliance’s network of 13 publicly owned agricultural research stations, sites, and investments across the province. Grain Farmers of Ontario and other commodity groups have made significant contributions to the University’s drive towards innovation. Over the past 10 years, Grain Farmers of Ontario has invested over $8.8 million in 76 research projects led by University of Guelph faculty. The total value of the projects is over $30 million. Grain Farmers of Ontario also invested in two professorships, for field crop pathology ($2 million) and for wheat breeding ($500,000, with matching support from SeCan). Devitt says this support provided the university with cost certainty to hire professors in field crop entomology and weed science. Grain Farmers of Ontario also contributed $30,000 to the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus’ Agri-Food Entrance Scholarship Program. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES One of Van Acker’s day-to-day challenges will be managing expectations about his devotion to the agri-food sector. Although he’s an Aggie at heart, he’s responsible for all eight of the university’s colleges, three campuses, 29,000-plus students, 3,100 administrative staff, and 830 academic staff. That’s a tremendous undertaking. But as Van Acker points out, no matter what classroom or lab you enter at Guelph, agri-food is rarely absent. It runs the gamut, including social science, environmental science, veterinary medicine, engineering, and more. Says artificial intelligence expert Dr. Rozita Dara, who came from Blackberry to join the Department of Computer Science: “When I joined the university, I couldn’t help but work on agriculture. It’s everywhere here.” continued from page 11 Van Acker with Premier Doug Ford at the International Plowing Match in Niagara.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER INDUSTRY NEWS 13 Prograin® Grow Smarter It’s more than seeds It’s expertise It’s support Van Acker with Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack. Van Acker has huge issues on his plate that dog other university presidents, too, such as the province’s tuition freeze and Ottawa’s decision to limit international student enrolment. Both measures have “knocked the stuffing out of university budgets,” says Van Acker, and they require constant attention and lobbying from academic leaders like him. But they haven’t dampened his enthusiasm for the job, or for his zeal to promote the agri-food sector broadly. At this year’s Canadian Outdoor Farm Show, Van Acker spent two full days onsite—about 75 per cent more time than previous presidents— rubbing shoulders with producers and others he’s connected with. After that, he dedicated another day to participating in the International Plowing Match in Grassie, Ontario. “Being at these events was a great reminder that people are at the heart of Ontario’s agri-food sector,” says Van Acker. “Agri-food is number one in Ontario, and at the University of Guelph, we’re proud to help train the next generation of leaders ready to carry that future forward.” •
Mary Feldskov Innovation in the field How EMILI helps farmers adopt smart technology Farmers are keen to adopt technology that will make their farms more efficient, reduce environmental impacts, or improve their bottom line—according to the 2021 Canadian Census of Agriculture, 92 per cent of Canadian farmers have adopted GPS technology, while one quarter of grains and oilseed producers reported using variable rate input applications and GIS mapping, a 59 per cent increase since the 2016 Census. Barriers to adoption of technology, however, can limit or slow their uptake, including the high capital investment and training costs, skills and training gaps, insufficient infrastructure such as highspeed internet, and concerns about data privacy and security. “There’s a broad range of attributes for farms and farmers, there’s a broad range of benefits and costs that need to be considered when we’re looking at new practices or new technologies,” says David Rourke, a Manitoba farmer, author, and soil health enthusiast who recently completed a PhD thesis, ‘In Search of Net Positive Carbon Grain Farms in Western Canada, Innovation in Policy and Practice.’ Ultimately, Rourke says the effectiveness and usefulness of a tool or technology will impact a farmer’s decision-making about adoption. “Does [the technology] provide a valuable service? Does the tool just provide data, or does it provide useful information? Is it effective, efficient, and reliable?” “It’s not always financial,” he continues. “There is convenience and comfort. What’s the return on investment on a quiet, airconditioned cab on your combine?” EVALUATING TECHNOLOGY Providing answers to some of these questions is the role of the Enterprise Machine Intelligence Learning Initiative (EMILI), a Manitoba-based non-profit that works collaboratively with producers, industry, investors, and innovators to grow a sustainable and economically resilient digital agriculture industry. Founded in 2016 by community leaders with a common goal of advancing agricultural technologies, EMILI launched its Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert in 2022. Operating on a 5,500-acre farm in Grosse Isle, Manitoba, with the later addition of an 8,500-acre farm in MacGregor, Manitoba, EMILI works with partners across the value chain to advance innovation adoption across Canada. “We work with different ag tech [companies] to test, validate, and demonstrate new technologies in a real-life setting,” says Leanne Koroscil, Innovation Farm manager. “We work with a number of collaborators from across the industry, giving them access to leading-edge equipment, technology, and production practices.” Among the technologies on the farm are weather and environmental sensors, drone sensors, satellites, and RFID tags on equipment, in addition to 10 years of historical farm data. This, says Koroscil, helps partners test and demonstrate their product or innovation in real farm conditions. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER TECHNOLOGY 14 EMILI PROJECTS IN ACTION One notable collaborator is Gecko Strategic Weed Management, a Canadian company using AI and predictive analytics to detect herbicide-resistant weeds like wild oat and kochia. EMILI’s Innovation Farms provided the real-world environment for validating AI-driven weed mapping, satellite-based species identification, and digital prescription maps for sprayers and seeding drills. “They use this information to create a digital prescription map that the sprayer or a seeding drill can read,” says Koroscil. “You put it into that piece of equipment, and it's able to target and use variable rate application.” The partnership with EMILI helped Gecko scale rapidly. “They initially began their work with just three farms across Canada,” says Koroscil. “After a number of years, they’ve grown to 250 fields on 130 farms across Canada. Thanks to the work that we've done here at Innovation Farms, they’ve been able to take [the technology] from pre-commercial to commercial.” Through these projects, EMILI offers ag tech companies a rare opportunity: testing innovations at commercial scale, in real farm conditions, without the risks typically associated with new technologies.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER TECHNOLOGY 15 AgExpert gives you a bird’s eye view of your data, helping you connect every dot on your farm. It’s your connection to confident, data-driven choices on everything from the field to the books. Solid, simple farm management, made for the way you work. Create an account today at AgExpert.ca Connecting all the right dots. Uncover more insights. 21991_AGEX_2025_Connect_4-687x6-062_EN.indd 1 2025-09-29 12:15 PM THE POWER OF DATA EMILI is hosted on Rick Rutherford’s Grosse Isle farm, which he describes as “not your typical farm.” As early adopters of farm technology, Rutherford and his team built a culture of innovation, gathering data that has chronicled every facet of his 5,500-acre farm over the past 12 years. “The challenges we were running into,” he says, “are that we had all these data sources that weren’t compatible. That’s one of the huge issues we deal with today in ag, bringing the data together in a format that you can actually look at and be able to assess.” “Now, I can pull out my phone, and I can pull up every field and figure out everything we did to that land in the last 12 years.” For Rutherford, the key to adoption is simplicity. Farmers want technology that makes their work easier and de-risks the unknown. DE-RISKING TECHNOLOGY FOR FARMERS “The one thing we’re able to do…with projects on the farm is to de-risk farm technology,” says Koroscil. “That’s the beauty of what we have here at the Innovation Farm,” says Jacqueline Keena, EMILI’s managing director. “The ability to test, at full scale, in a real commercial setting, and take those innovations as far as they can go.” EMILI SUPPORTS A WIDE RANGE OF ADDITIONAL PROJECTS BEYOND WEED MANAGEMENT: • Autonomous equipment trials – Testing driverless tractors, grain carts, and sprayers to increase labour efficiency during peak periods. • Smart fertility trials – Real-time nitrogen sensors, variablerate side-dressing, and in-season fertility recommendations powered by AI. • Soil health monitoring – On-the-go soil sampling, carbon sequestration measurement, and mapping field variability to improve environmental sustainability. • Digitized farm operations – Integration of farm data through platforms like FCC AgExpert, helping farmers reduce time spent on data entry and make betterinformed decisions. • AI scouting tools – Drones and satellite imagery to monitor crop health, disease, and pest outbreaks at scale. • Workforce development programs – Training youth and early-career professionals on digital agriculture skills, bridging the skills gap in Canada’s ag tech workforce.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER GRAIN TALK 16 Grain International Plowing Match Grain Farmers of Ontario hosted a VIP luncheon at the 2025 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) in Niagara, bringing together Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Agriculture, Food & Agribusiness Trevor Jones, Senator Rob Black, provincial MPPs, and the wider agricultural community to celebrate the contributions of Ontario’s grain farmers and the provincial government’s support through smart policy and the Risk Management Program; with the strong efforts of Grain Farmers of Ontario staff team, the event successfully highlighted that when grain farmers grow, Ontario grows—and when Ontario grows, Canada grows. 2026 March Classic Save the date! The 2026 March Classic, Breaking New Ground: Embracing Change, will be held Tuesday, March 24, at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre. The new venue provides an opportunity to grow the March Classic while offering the same world-class speakers, hospitality, and entertainment that you’ve grown to expect from Ontario’s premier agricultural event. Visit www.gfo.ca/marchclassic for more information. Grains in Action The annual Grains in Action program will be held February 9-12, 2026. Grains in Action is a four-day program for young farmers to gain knowledge about the end uses of the grains they grow. Participants also learn about the role of Grain Farmers of Ontario within the grain industry and how they can become active members within the organization. It is an opportunity for new experiences, building relationships, and professional growth. Grains in Action is a tour-based program, with stops that highlight the different aspects of the grain value chain. Tour stops in 2026 include the Port of Hamilton, Solio, G3, LAC, the St. Lawrence Seaway, Ingredion, JP Wisers, ADM, and Pride Seeds. Additional stops are still being confirmed. Register at www.gfo.ca/about/grains-in-action. Following the luncheon, Grain Farmers of Ontario executive members coached Premier Doug Ford, NDP Leader Marit Styles, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, and Liberal MPP Ted Hsu in the VIP plowing. Market commentary By Philip Shaw In some ways, we are in the nether zone with market numbers, as the United States government has been shut down for the better part of October. The October WASDE report was not tabled, and many market observers are wondering how much the numbers have changed in September. Futures for both corn and soybeans have slumped slightly since September, but basis values have increased in many locations across the United States, reflecting what could be lower crop numbers to come in November. As of October 14, China has still not bought one American soybean. In Ontario, we have had fantastic weather for the first two weeks of October, and it continues. The big yield robber this year in Ontario was drought, and many areas are reporting lower yields. Early premiums for corn remain as of early October, but this will surely change as harvest ramps up in corn. The Canadian dollar continues to flutter at the 71-cent U.S. level, which serves as a stimulus for Ontario cash grain prices.
GRAIN TALK 17 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER NOTICE OF 2026 ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETINGS DISTRICT DATE TIME LOCATION/DISTRICT DIRECTOR District 1 Essex Jan 22 4 p.m. **new time** Essex Legion, 103 Talbot St N, Essex, ON N8M 2C3 ****New Location**** District 2 Kent Jan 21 3 p.m. Hidden Hills Golf and Country Club, 25393 St. Clair Road, Dover Centre, ON District 3 Lambton Jan 19 4 p.m. Wyoming Fair Grounds, 595 Main Street, Wyoming, ON District 4 Middlesex Jan 22 9 a.m. Lucan Community Memorial Centre, 263 Main St, Lucan, ON N0M 2J0 District 5 Elgin, Norfolk Jan 13 9 a.m. Malahide Community Place, 12105 Whittaker Road, Springfield, ON District 6 Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Niagara Jan 23 **new date** 9 a.m. Mutual Room, Riverside Exhibition Centre (Caledonia Fairgrounds), 151 Caithness Street E, Caledonia, ON District 7 Oxford, Waterloo Jan 23 9 a.m. Innerkip Community Centre, 695566 17th Line, Innerkip, ON District 8 Huron Jan 20 9 a.m. Holmesville Community Centre, 180 Community Centre Road, Clinton, ON District 9 Perth Jan 21 5:30 p.m. Mitchell Golf and Country Club, 81 Frances Street, Mitchell, ON District 10 Grey, Bruce, Wellington Jan 20 9:30 a.m. Clifford Community Hall, 2 William Street, Clifford, ON District 11 Dufferin, Simcoe, Halton, Peel, York Jan 14 10 a.m. Faith Community Presbyterian Church, 206 Murphy Rd., Baxter ON District 12 Durham, Northumberland, Kawartha, Peterborough, Hastings Jan 15 9:30 a.m. The Best Western Plus, 930 Burnham Street, Cobourg, ON District 13 Prince Edward, Lennox, Addington, Frontenac, Lanark, Leeds, Grenville, Renfrew, Ottawa Jan 14 10 a.m. Elgin Lions Club, 19 Pineview Drive, Elgin, ON District 14 Prescott, Russell, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry Jan 13 9 a.m. North Stormont Place, 16299 Fairview Drive, Avonmore, ON District 15 Northern Ontario Jan 15 9 a.m. Kerns Community Hall, 279279 Milberta Road, New Liskeard ****New Location**** 2026 Annual District Meetings The date and time of your district meeting have been confirmed and are listed below. Please go to www.gfo.ca for additional meeting details as they become available. Information is subject to change. These meetings serve as annual elections for district representation. Please consider putting your name forward to serve as delegate or alternate.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER LOOKING BACK 18 For more than 15 years, Grain Farmers of Ontario has been leading the way, connecting with consumers to introduce them to Ontario grains, how they are grown, and the farmers who grow them. By participating in public events across the province and connecting with teachers and classrooms through curriculum-linked educational programming, Grain Farmers of Ontario has sparked conversations and shown that there is Good in Every Grain. Looking back… Fifteen years of consumer advocacy Grain Discovery Zone A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT SEASON
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER LOOKING BACK 19 Remembering the Farmerettes SUPPORTING THE WAR EFFORT ON THE HOME FRONT
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER XXXXXXX 20 Matt McIntosh How compaction happens Impact of tires, organic matter, water infiltration, and more There was a lot of big iron on display in Rutherford, Ontario, on August 7, 2025. Above-ground heavy metal wasn’t the point of focus, though. It was soil, and what machines, large and small, do to it. The latest Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association compaction event featured a range of information sessions, from the impact of different tire and equipment configurations to methods for achieving compaction remediation. The event’s overarching theme highlighted how compaction, and how it happens, is more complex than one might expect. TIRE SCIENCE Kevin Barnim, an agricultural tire and wheel specialist with Tirecraft, began one session by discussing the importance of determining tire pressure based on the weight of the implement. Different tire types, however, can reduce required pressures. Increased Flexation (IF) and Very High Flexation (VF) tires, for example, can operate at 20 and 40 per cent lower pressure than standard, respectively, because they are constructed with steel bands running higher within the sidewall. Low Side Wall (LSW) tires can similarly allow for operation at reduced pressures, while dampening swaying. Cyclical Field Operation (CFO) tires, common on combined and grain carts, provide less ground pressure for equipment that frequently changes in weight. Tracks are sometimes identified as a means of reducing compaction, too, but Barnim says they still cause load spikes. AGRONOMY
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER AGRONOMY 21 They also “don’t road well,” taking more fuel to operate and wearing faster than tires when not in the field. Generally speaking, Barnim believes Central Tire Inflation Systems (CTIS) can be a real winner. “In most cases, it’s about half the air pressure from the road to the field,” he says, referring to the amount of air required for effective operations on the two surfaces. Barnim adds that central inflation systems are particularly useful for sprayers and spreaders as they often travel to multiple fields on any given day. They also make good sense on planters, given well-documented yield losses incurred by compaction from overpressured planter tires. Indeed, Barnim says he doesn’t know why every centre-folding planter is not equipped with inflation-deflation capability. Central inflation systems also have safety features, including automatic settings to increase pressure once certain speeds are reached—assuming manual inflation did not occur due to operator error. As pointed out later in the day by Peter Johnson and Greg Stewart—the event’s compaction demonstration hosts—the importance of proper pressure on public roads should not be understated, given operator liability should an accident cause harm to a person or property. Since tire pressure also increases by one PSI for each degree of temperature rise, Barnim also says central inflation systems can keep equipment in optimal operational condition throughout the working day. In terms of cost, such systems can run in the area of $20,000, with the compressor being the most expensive component. However, a compressor mounted on one tractor can be used to operate a variety of implements if they have the rest of the inflation system installed. A centralized ISOBUS interface can be used to host information for multiple implements, enabling a more efficient inflationdeflation process. ROLE OF ROOTS The Rutherford compaction event also featured sessions on compaction troubleshooting—that is, understanding soil dynamics, and how to remediate compaction after it happens. Manual tillage can work, according to Dan Saurette, pedologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. If subsoil compaction is an issue, a deep rip capability can help, provided the soil is dry enough to fracture. Wet soil, conversely, will not break apart well. Additional methods—namely the use of living roots to improve soil organic matter and water infiltration—are also critical to compaction management and prevention. Diving further into the role of cover crops was Jake Munroe, field crop soil management specialist, and Christine Brown, field crop sustainability specialist with the provincial ministry. The pair describe cover crops, and specifically their root systems, as acting “like rebar in the soil,” in that they help soil withstand the significant pressures placed on it by heavy equipment. Species with large tap roots can break compacted layers while providing large channels for rainwater, while others with more fibrous root systems support soil structure as well as water holding capacity. The contribution of cover crops to water absorption should not be underrated, they say, pointing to data indicating a vast difference between water infiltration times between soil with cracks and covers, compared to coverless sealed soils. Brown reiterates that soil organic matter acts like a sponge, emphasizing the opportunities to build organic matter with cover crops. Ideally, she says, cover crops can be combined with manure to generate a “one plus one equals three” positive effect. Jake Munroe, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness field crop soil specialist.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER AGRONOMY 22 Built on trust. Strengthened through generations. Your mutual partner—here for what matters most. The Commonwell. Find a Local Broker at thecommonwell.ca/find-a-broker individuals. together. PRESSURE DRIVES COMPACTION The main event at Rutherford compaction day was, as ever, the equipment demonstration, and some of the counterintuitive information it produced. With sensors placed at depths of six, 12, and 20 inches, one of Johnson and Stewart’s main messages was “tire pressure drives soil compaction.” Other factors, such as an implement’s weight distribution and tire design, also play a role, even in smaller equipment. Sensor data reiterated that even small, seemingly harmless vehicles, such as trucks or autonomous implements, can cause surprisingly high pressure spikes—particularly if their tires are over-inflated. “A real change in mindset” is ongoing, Johnson says, where more farmers are recognizing that a tire that looks a little flat in the field is actually a good thing. Johnsons and Stewart also noted that the presence of organic matter can prevent the most serious compaction from occurring in topsoil. The subsoil of the Brookston clay demonstration field appeared to be at greater risk due to its finer texture – something they say is concerning, as compaction remediation is harder to perform the further down compaction occurs. Stewart says operators should think of soil as a structure under stress from above. Even if low-PSI tires spare the top layer from the worst pressure, the subsoil is still bearing the weight of the implement, equivalent to the lower structures of a building or bridge. Whether the equipment answer to compaction prevention is tracks, more tires, or tires with more surface area, both hosts reiterate that there are always trade-offs. What is certain is that unnecessarily high pressure from above can often be avoided. • Smooth faces of the soil structure in the B horizon.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER BUSINESS SIDE 23 (J.M.) WHAT DO FARMERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MANAGING PERSONAL AND BUSINESS FINANCES ON THE FARM? (L.C.) Most farm businesses are deeply intertwined with a family's home and lifestyle, adding extra layers of complexity to financial management. That’s why understanding how money works on a farm is essential, and that includes managing household and business finances. There are a lot of moving pieces to a farm family’s finances, including household economics, financial documents, understanding how money generates wealth, business economics, cash flow, and debt management. It’s just as important to keep living costs in check as the farm business expenses—and to make sure the two aren’t confused. Understanding the difference between investments and expenses is also crucial. Maintaining separate business and personal bank accounts is most helpful for managing and tracking expenses. Creating and following a budget is another good resource for farm families as well. And if someone doesn’t have the necessary financial skills, including the basics like how to read and understand cash flow statements and balance sheets, they need to learn. These skills aren’t just important for the day-to-day financial management of the farm and household, but also for tax planning and farm succession. WHAT CHALLENGES DO FARMERS FACE WHEN BALANCING LIFESTYLE EXPECTATIONS WITH SMART FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT? (E.F.) Business and lifestyle expenses can add up—especially on a farm, where the family's way of life is closely tied to the demands of their business. Understanding how lifestyle choices impact the business, how to manage debt responsibility, and the importance of monitoring cash flow are essential to farm management, especially for younger farmers who may just be learning about farm finances. The first step in managing farm and personal finances is to have open, honest conversations with your partner—whether business or personal—to align your values with your financial expectations. Discussion topics should include your comfort level with debt, the amount of financial risk you are both willing to take, income Farming, finances, and finding balance Jeanine Moyer Business side with... Lydia Carpenter and Elaine Froese, Farm Family Coach elainefroese.com expectations, and investment priorities. Getting on the same page, especially for couples who farm together, is essential for the success of both the farm business and personal relationships. David Chilton, author of The Wealthy Barber, noted a trend in lifestyle spending among younger generations that he calls “granite top syndrome”. I agree with him and see the same spending tendency among young and new farmers. There appears to be considerable pressure on young farmers to keep up with one another. Whether it’s a shiny new truck, the latest equipment or a granite countertop in the kitchen, I’m concerned there may be a lack of understanding about lifestyle versus farm business spending and the difference between good and bad debt. Good debt includes investments that will drive productivity or efficiency. Bad debt is consumer items or investments that don’t support the farm’s bottom line. And these types of lifestyle expenses— like granite countertops—are not good debt decisions. When it comes to making investment decisions, farm families need to check in with their values and ask themselves how their decision will support their values, impact their lifestyle, and their business. WHAT TIPS CAN YOU SHARE WITH FARMERS? (L.C.) Anyone starting a farm today knows just how much capital is required and how costly it is to get up and running. This puts extra pressure on managing farm finances, not to mention the financial stress. My best advice for farmers, no matter their age or level of experience, is to ask for help and learn from advisors. Build and work closely with a trusted team of advisors who are willing to teach you how to read and understand financial statements. Openly communicate with your team and partners to identify your goals, make the right decisions, invest wisely and live through your values. (E.F.) Farmers today, especially younger farmers who are just starting out, are facing more risk, more zeros on their financial statements, and more tension during farm succession. Understanding and aligning each person’s beliefs and values will help inform and drive decisionmaking, including finances. For young farmers, I suggest they pause to evaluate the impact of their financial choices and ask themselves how their decision will affect their farm business, lifestyle and financial future. I also recommend farmers work with a team of advisors to help navigate the challenges and answer questions.•
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