AUGUST 2025 www.OntarioGrainFarmer.ca TECHNOLOGY NOVEMBER 2026 Putting farm robotics to the test Event highlights challenges, potential, and networking opportunities
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Business side Conversations with business experts Crop side Agronomic information from crop specialists NOVEMBER 2026volume 18, number 1 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: Kristy Nudds; Creative Specialist: Nicole Koopstra; Advertising Sales and Sponsorship Consultant: Joanne Coulombe ON THE COVER Stormy skies ahead Treena Hein WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2024 From the CEO’s desk FEEDING THE WORLD A year in review Laura Ferrier Market review 2022 - 2023 Blair Andrews Business side Conversations with business experts GrainTALK newsletter An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events What do Canadians think about food? Mary Feldskov Crop side Agronomic information from crop specialists European trade policies Ontario Grain Farmer More winter barley acres Matt McIntosh Grain contracts guide Mary Feldskov Ontario Agricultural Conference 2024 Ontario Grain Farmer Stronger leadership Rachel Telford Good in Every Grain Updates on our campaign Farming for world hunger Rebecca Hannam 2024 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 From the CEO’s desk GrainTALK newsletter An update on Grain Farmers of Ontario news and events Good in Every Grain Updates on our campaign Putting farm robotics to the test Matt McIntosh On the cover MARKET DEVELOPMENT Building markets through relationships Jeanine Moyer AGRONOMY Closures and mergers pose a risk for ag-tech adopters Matt McIntosh RESEARCH Gene editing races to stay ahead of crop disease Ralph Pearce WELLNESS Farm work takes a toll Ralph Pearce TECHNOLOGY AI in agronomy: A tool, not a replacement Ralph Pearce
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER FROM THE CEO’S DESK From the CEO's desk In the last month, farmers have been working through soybean harvest, planting winter wheat, and preparing for corn harvest. Conditions and timing vary from one part of the province to another, as they always do, but the goal is the same: get the crop off, get the next crop established, and make the most of the season’s opportunities. At Grain Farmers of Ontario, our job is to help make sure those opportunities extend well beyond the farm gate. At our annual general meeting in September, we were honoured to welcome federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald. His time with Ontario grain farmers created a valuable opportunity for members to speak with him directly. Our annual meeting is where farmers come to the microphone, bring forward resolutions, raise ideas, and tell us what matters in their businesses and communities. Those conversations help establish Grain Farmers of Ontario’s priorities and guide the work we do on farmers’ behalf. Having the federal agriculture minister see that process first-hand helped Minister MacDonald understand our priorities and where they come from. We are also pleased to welcome Ontario Agriculture Minister Sam Oosterhoff. We have already had several discussions and look forward to working together on priorities that matter to Ontario grain farmers. Grain Farmers of Ontario works with governments of all political stripes because agriculture needs strong champions at every level of government. Farmers and Crosby Devitt, CEO, Grain Farmers of Ontario Meaningful collaboration is essential to turn advocacy, research, innovation, trade, and market access priorities into practical, long-term opportunities for Ontario grain farmers. farm organizations can advocate, build relationships, share evidence, and bring solutions forward. But we simply cannot do some things alone. Many of the forces affecting farmers are beyond an individual farm’s control. Governments are at the tables where international trade relationships are built and defended, where market access is negotiated, and where the regulatory and policy environment in which our farms operate is shaped. They also make decisions about investments in research and innovation that can strengthen Canadian agriculture today and position us for the future. We take that reality, and our commitment to representing farmers, seriously. Our success depends in part on governments representing Canadian agriculture internationally, negotiating on our behalf, and helping create reliable, lasting market opportunities. Grain Farmers of Ontario’s role is to keep farmers’ priorities at the table and work with government to turn those commitments into practical results. Ontario’s grain farmers are competing in a global marketplace, and we need governments that recognize agriculture’s importance, protect our ability to compete, and help develop new markets for Canadiangrown grain. That work is strongest when governments, farm organizations, researchers, industry partners, and farmers work together toward shared priorities. Farm technology is changing quickly, but innovation extends beyond equipment. It includes research, genetics, agronomy, data, and management tools that help farmers produce efficiently, adapt to changing conditions, and remain competitive. Plant breeding is an important part of that equation. Grain Farmers of Ontario has been involved in developing a national plant breeding strategy that identifies what farmers and the sector need from plant breeding going forward. We know continued investment and collaboration in this area will be critical to ensuring farmers have access to varieties that can meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. As farmers, we spend a lot of time planning for what comes next. While we are harvesting one crop, we are already planting or making decisions about the next one. Our approach to advocacy is much the same. We need to address the challenges in front of us while making sure we build the right conditions for the future. Having decision-makers come to our meetings, listen to farmers, and understand how our priorities are established is a positive step. Just as important is making sure farmers continue to help shape those priorities. The upcoming Women’s Grain Symposium and our January district meetings are valuable opportunities to participate, share perspectives, and help guide the work ahead. Our job now is to keep those conversations going and turn that engagement into opportunities for Ontario’s grain farmers. •
Ontario grain farmers are no strangers to innovation. From precision planting and yield mapping to automated grain handling, new technology is changing how farms operate. These tools can help producers improve efficiency and make better decisions in real time. But innovation alone does not make a farm safer. Grain farmers know that protecting a farm means protecting the people who keep it running. As planting, spraying, grain handling, and harvesting work become more technology driven, safety needs to keep pace. That focus on worker safety is reflected in the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s (MLITSD) current inspection campaign for farming and agriculture. Since April 1, inspectors have been visiting farms and agriculture service businesses. The campaign continues through March 31, 2027. “Agriculture services include crop management, farm equipment dealerships, and other suppliers,” says Kristin Hoffman, Health and Safety Consultant with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS). “The scope of this campaign is much wider than the farm.” For grain producers, the focus extends across the operation, from the machines in the yard and grain handling system at the bins to employees, family members, contractors and service providers. Safety is part of innovation The campaign is intended to support compliance with Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, while reinforcing the shared role employers, supervisors, and workers play in keeping workplaces safe. The larger message is timely. As an operation adopts new equipment, expands storage, introduces automation, or brings new people on the team, safety practices also need to evolve. Documentation matters, but it is most valuable when it supports workers who understand the hazards of the job and the procedures that help prevent an incident. Innovation is helping grain farms do more with fewer people and tighter weather windows. Larger equipment, automated grain systems, GPS guidance, yield data, improved storage, and remote monitoring all offer efficiency gains. But new tools do not remove risk by themselves. In some cases, they introduce new risks if workers have not been trained, equipment is not maintained, or safe procedures have not kept up with technology. “Agriculture continues to be among the top contributors to fatalities and critical injuries in Ontario,” Hoffman says. MLITSD data cited by WSPS shows that 12 agriculture workers died and 67 suffered a critical injury in 2024-25. “Even one worker death or injury is too many.” Investing in safety is not separate from investing in innovation. Innovation can’t deliver its full efficiency benefits unless the people operating, maintaining, and working around that technology are protected. Where grain farms face risk Grain farming carries a specific set of risks shaped by the work itself: operating large equipment in narrow weather windows, moving grain through storage and handling systems, maintaining machinery, travelling on the road, and working at heights. These are familiar considerations for producers, but they can become more consequential as operations add capacity, automation, and increasingly complex equipment. “Whether it’s a tractor or combine out in the field or grain augers or conveyors, being crushed or struck by equipment or material is a top hazard in the agriculture sector,” Hoffman says. Grain entrapment is another risk for farms with on-farm storage. Grain that is not flowing freely, bridging, and problems with unloading equipment can all create situations that demand careful decision-making, when grain needs to move. That reinforces the value of planning ahead, maintaining bins and equipment, understanding the specific equipment in use, and ensuring people are trained and prepared. Falls from bins, ladders, and other elevated work areas remain a concern, along with strains and sprains related to manual material handling, repetitive work, and awkward postures. Grain dust, crop inputs, and other materials encountered in day-to-day farm work can introduce additional hazards depending on the task and conditions. Many of these risks can be managed using the same practical thinking producers apply to agronomy and equipment decisions: understand the task, recognize when conditions have changed, use the safeguards built into the operation, and adjust as work or equipment changes. A stronger operation Safety and innovation are not competing priorities. When grain producers build safety into equipment decisions, maintenance plans, work procedures, and worker training, they reduce disruptions and create a more dependable operation. Everyone goes home safe and the business benefit follows. Fewer injuries, clearer expectations, well maintained equipment, and a prepared workforce help protect the farm’s productivity, reputation, and future. Safer Farms, Stronger Businesses: WHY INNOVATION MUST PUT PEOPLE FIRST For easy-to-use tools and resources visit WSPS.CA/farmsafety 1 877 494 WSPS (9777)
Matt McIntosh Putting farm robotics to the test Event highlights challenges, potential, and networking opportunities The AIVA network is testing farm technologies in real-world conditions to help farmers make informed investments. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER COVER STORY
continued on page 8 ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER COVER STORY A growing community of farmers, researchers, facilitators, and innovators are partnering to validate new agricultural technologies on farms across the country. The intention – to eliminate the need for individual producers to prove agricultural technologies work, thereby making adoption easier for all. Many representatives of this growing community met near Bothwell at Haggerty Creek Ltd., On August 18, for a day of in-field demonstrations of different agricultural technologies. Many of those on display were involved in the Agriculture Innovation, Validation and Adoption (AIVA) network – an initiative created by Farm Credit Canada, EMILI Innovation Farms, and Wabash Heartland Innovation Network. Speaking at the field event, Carl Havixbeck, farmer network success manager for AIVA, says the organization’s mandate is rooted in “validation, adoption, and co-learning.” In practice, validation means getting technologies market ready, so farmers can adopt with confidence that the technology in question works as described in their unique field conditions. Co-learning refers to the organization’s focus on making all findings public, and holding events to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technologies being assessed. At the time of the Haggerty Creek field event, 133 technologies from companies around the world are in the AIVA assessment queue. The network’s core effort, says Havixbeck, is to figure out “what’s the tech that’s going to help you be better at what you do?” and argues the necessity of doing so is growing as the development of artificial intelligence means the ag-tech landscape is going to get “very noisy very quickly.” One of the farmers working with AIVA is Chuck Baresich, of Haggerty Creek Ltd. and Haggerty Creek AgRobotics. Long interested in the potential of agricultural robotics and other technologies, Baresich has many takeaways for tech developers. One of those is “please no more machine screws,” and to “use real bolts,” the context of the statement being tech developers must understand how tough field conditions are on hardware. “What farmers want to see is they don’t want to see breakdowns. They don’t want to see something that has a bad wiring connection or has a battery that only lasts an hour. It has to work in field conditions.” He also encouraged developers to really consider if they have a solution looking for a problem, and whether a farmer will actually “write a cheque.” “I don’t want to discourage inventors and entrepreneurs. When I say ‘you have a solution looking for a problem,’ I don’t mean that in a demeaning way. What I mean is we need to flesh that out together as a group,” says Baresich. “It takes time. The unfortunate thing with agriculture is it takes more time than other industries.” Photos: Matt McIntosh
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER COVER STORY continued from page 7 SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGIES BEING SHOWCASED INCLUDED: 1. Oz, autonomous weeding The Oz robot from France’s Naïo Technologies is an autonomous weeding platform for higher-value row crops. At Haggerty Creek, it was being demonstrated in a series of small onion plots. Capable of covering two acres per day, the developers say the platform is not designed to replace large weeding machines. Its success in the onion plots was mixed, as it was very effective at tilling weeds between rows, but struggled to control anything growing in closer proximity to the crop. It was also observed a narrower toolbar was needed to fit between the rows as the onion stalks grew. 2. DJI T50, pesticide application The Pesticide Regulatory Directorate’s recent permitting of pesticide application via drones has opened significant possibilities for input application. Standing in front of a DJI T50 drone, Angela Fawcette (pictured at right) regulatory project manager for Corteva, reviewed some of the application challenges still being hashed-out by drone applicators. This includes the water volumes required for adequate coverage, and swath width. “Keep that water volume up. 50 litres per hectare at a minimum,” says Fawcett, also cautioning against flying the drone too quickly while applying liquid products. Elsewhere, the company is assessing the utility of drones in other use cases, such as over uneven terrain, or in utility corridors. 3. Subterra Green, soil analysis A technology initially developed to scan for human remains prior to archaeological excavation, S4 Mobile Laboratories’ Subterra Green is a spectroscopic probe used to detect soil organic carbon and other soil characteristics, such as water content and bulk density. It can go up to 90 centimetres down, and take readings at any point in the soil profile. Technical sales manager Russell Pier (left) says the move to carbon analysis came at a time when carbon markets were beginning to be a popular topic of conversation in the United States. The idea is to supplement, or partially replace, the need for more labour-intensive and timeconsuming soil core sampling. At Haggerty Creek, he and his colleague Morgan Revels (right) completed a 171-probe analysis to a depth of 60 centimetres. “Precision is the name of the game. It’s calculating a lot of data,” says Pier. 4. CredoSense, crop health diagnostic Early-warning disease prevention is the purpose behind crop diagnostic tool CredoSense. The system combines a weather station with soil and leaf moisture sensors to detect plant stress before disease signs become visible. Abdul Halim (not pictured) chief executive officer, says the machine gathers environmental data continuously, generating warnings when conditions are favourable for disease development. Someone can then visit the location and assess crop leaves with a handheld scanner. The idea is to expand the window for fungicide application, and ideally, reduce the amount of product required, either by reducing the rate or improving timing so a single application is all that’s needed. The effective monitoring range of each weather station is five kilometres or less. Many other technologies were also on display, serving as discussion prompts for event attendees. For his part, Baresich shared some of the observations he has made since Haggerty Creek began investing in precision and autonomous systems. While current application technology is “very advanced” and has occurred almost without notice, Baresich says ther next step is “removing the driver from the cab” – but only where it makes sense to do so.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER COVER STORY 204.364.2244 sales@romafa.com www.romafa.com Parts You Can Count On. People You Can Call. Make Every Seed, Every Pound, and Every Acre Count. Stainless upgrades built for your air cart Scan to find parts for your cart “On a fertilizer application that can cover 700 acres a day, removing the driver from that machine doesn’t make a lot of sense because your labour is your lowest cost. What we’re looking at in the robotics space is generally in the smaller, lighter or higher value crops. Some examples of that are some of the robots we have here (today), and the robotic lawnmower bouncing around behind us,” he says. That autonomous lawnmower – relatively inconspicuous by comparison to the larger machines scattered around the Haggerty Creek yard – served as a particularly important demonstration of what Baresich identified as the potential use case for robotics and autonomous systems in agriculture. “The reality is, when I come home from work at night, it is a significant relief to come home and the lawn is already cut. It’s something I don’t have to do. And it might sound silly, but that is actually what the allure of robotics is all about. What is that little task that I no longer have to do? We have four acres of lawn and at full tilt on my riding lawnmower takes me 3.5 hours. And so yes, that little robot cannot cut that in 3.5 hours. It takes it 2.5 days. But who cares? It doesn’t matter.” He also encourages farmers to analyze their thought processes when it comes to the problems technology can solve, and reiterates his belief in the potential for autonomous systems to succeed as the community around them grows. “As farmers, we have so much generational knowledge and ingrained knowledge, sometimes we can’t define our problems very well. The problems come out as ‘my costs are too high,’ or ‘I don’t have enough labour to weed my onions’ or ‘the herbicide isn’t working to kill the palmer amaranth.’ That’s kind of how the problems get expressed, when the reality is there’s probably a process question, or applications question, that needs to get answered,” says Baresich. “One of the things this journey has showed me is the network of people interested in this space is very, very large. I think we’re going to do lots of things with this.” •
Jeanine Moyer Building markets through relationships Japanese and Taiwanese buyers visit Ontario to see how soybeans make their way from the farm to global food processors Strong buyer relationships and firsthand market insights help Ontario soybean growers protect premium markets and respond to evolving customer needs. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER MARKET DEVELOPMENT For Ontario soybean farmers, Japan and Taiwan are more than points on a map. They are key markets for the province's food-grade and non-GMO soybeans, where buyers look for consistency, quality, and reliable supply. When buyers from these markets come to Ontario, the trip is about more than seeing a farm. It is an opportunity to build relationships, understand customer needs, and show what goes into producing the soybeans they buy. That was the focus of two incoming missions from Japan and Taiwan in September, coordinated by Soy Canada with support from Grain Farmers of Ontario and other industry partners. The delegations visited farms, exporters, processors, and research facilities and took part in seminars and business-to-business meetings. The goal was to give buyers a better understanding of the people and systems behind Canadian soybeans. “These visits showcase Ontario’s strengths in soybean production, research, processing, identity preservation, and transportation,” says Demian Gallego, Soy Canada’s market development manager. “They also give exporters direct access to established and prospective customers, supporting long-term relationships, future contracts, and continued investment throughout the provincial soybean value chain.” Delegates from the Japanese Tofu Association meet with representatives of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Photo: Soy Canada.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER MARKET DEVELOPMENT continued on page 12 BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS The incoming missions are part of an ongoing relationship between Soy Canada, the organization’s members, and customers in Japan and Taiwan. Members of Soy Canada, including Grain Farmers of Ontario representatives, regularly travel to these international markets to meet with buyers and learn more about their needs. The incoming missions also give those same customers a chance to see soybean production and the entire Canadian value chain firsthand. “These visits included many customers that we met with during our outbound missions to Taiwan and Japan earlier this year,” says Dana Dickerson, director of market development and sustainability with Grain Farmers of Ontario. The difference with these incoming missions is the opportunity to meet with buyers here in Canada and bring several parts of the value chain together. “Some of the customers on these missions have visited Canada before, but for a number of them it's their first time learning about our production on the ground,” says Dickerson. According to Gallego, Soy Canada’s market development manager, that firsthand experience is an important part of the process. “The missions connect Japanese and Taiwanese buyers directly with Canadian growers, exporters, processors, and researchers,” he says. “Through farm visits, facility tours, seminars, and B2B meetings, buyers can better understand Canada's food-grade, non-GMO, and identity-preserved soybean production, quality, traceability, and sustainability.” Gallego also notes that by giving Canadian growers the opportunity to demonstrate production practices firsthand, the missions help protect and expand premium markets for Ontario’s food-grade and identity-preserved soybeans. GLOBAL CUSTOMERS Both Japan and Taiwan have well-established soy-food industries, making them important markets for building and strengthening relationships with buyers. Japanese consumers use soybeans in products such as tofu, miso, natto, soy milk, and soy sauce. Taiwan also has significant demand for soy food products, particularly tofu and soy milk, and imports soybeans for animal feed. Dickerson explains that, for Ontario farmers, these markets matter because they create demand for specialty soybeans such as identity-preserved (IP) and non-GMO soybeans, which can earn premiums over commodity production. “These missions help maintain and grow demand for specialty soybeans in two of Ontario's most valuable export markets,” says Dickerson, noting that by strengthening relationships with food manufacturers and importers who pay premiums for quality, trade missions like these can help support the demand that drives specialty soybean premiums for Ontario growers. Soy Canada estimates that premiums for specialty soybeans destined for these food grade markets can range from approximately $3 to $9 per bushel. The markets are also significant in terms of volume. Japan is the second-largest buyer of food-grade soybeans behind China. According to Soy Canada, exports increased in 2025, with Canada shipping approximately 384,000 tonnes to Japan, valued at $422 million, and approximately 69,000 tonnes to Taiwan, valued at $71.6 million. Dickerson believes the growing interest in Canadian soybeans is being driven by the reliability of the Canadian supply. “Food manufacturers in both Japan and Taiwan place a high value on supply security, consistency, and long-term reliability,” she explains. “In an increasingly uncertain global trade environment, Canada's reputation as a stable supplier of high-quality food-grade soybeans has become an important competitive advantage.” Delegates from Taiwan review a model of the Port of Montreal during their visit. Photo: Soy Canada.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER MARKET DEVELOPMENT continued from page 11 Jeff Barlow, District 6 (Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Niagara) director and chair of Soy Canada, gives delegates from Taiwan a tour of his farm in Binbrook, Ontario. Photo: Soy Canada. HEARING DIRECTLY FROM BUYERS While buyers learned more about how Ontario soybeans are produced, the incoming missions also gave growers, exporters, and industry representatives an opportunity to hear directly from customers about what they need and value in Canadian soybeans. Canadian participants learned that characteristics such as protein content, seed size, colour, and processing performance can be important to food manufacturers. Traceability and sustainability are also becoming increasingly important. Dickerson notes that those conversations can influence more than marketing. They can help inform research and breeding decisions to support the entire Canadian soybean industry. “The meetings and discussions also extend into soybean breeding, with researchers and international customers discussing the characteristics that will be needed in future varieties,” explains Dickerson. “For Ontario's soybean industry, the challenge is balancing those customer requirements with other priorities, including yield, disease resistance, and cost of production.” For Lillian Wu of Shinn Cherng Co., a Taiwanese food ingredient importer that sources Canadian food-grade soybeans for wholesalers and food manufacturers, seeing the supply chain firsthand is an important part of building relationships. “I look forward to understanding how soybeans are grown on Canadian farms, how the processing system works, and how they travel to our Taiwanese market,” says Wu, noting that food safety and consistency are key considerations for her customers. “We have high standards for food safety, and as a supplier of food ingredient soybeans to our customers, it’s important for us to know who we’re working with, and how the ingredients are being produced for our market,” she says. Wu also points out that Canadian soybeans are valued for their consistency, explaining that “we value the quality, especially the stability of quality of Canadian soybeans.” For Canadian exporters, understanding what buyers value is an important part of maintaining relationships with customers in Taiwan and continuing to build demand for Ontario's specialty soybeans. BRINGING THE INFORMATION HOME For Soy Canada, Grain Farmers of Ontario, and other Canadian industry participants, the value of the trade missions goes beyond immediate business connections. Delegates from Japan tour facilities at the University of Guelph with soybean breeder Istvan Rajcan. Photo: Soy Canada. “These missions help us deliver on our strategic plan objective to grow Ontario soybean exports. - Dana Dickerson, Director, Market Development and Sustainability Grain Farmers of Ontario
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER MARKET DEVELOPMENT Harvest stronger. The missions also provide market intelligence that can guide the future direction and priorities of participating organizations and the broader industry. “These missions help us deliver on our strategic plan objective to grow Ontario soybean exports,” says Dickerson. “Just as importantly, they provide valuable market intelligence. We learn how customers are using Ontario soybeans, how consumer preferences are changing, and which quality and sustainability attributes matter most to buyers.” While Soy Canada coordinates the national missions, bringing together growers, exporters, researchers, government representatives, and provincial partners, Grain Farmers of Ontario contributes Ontario-specific expertise. “Soy Canada is the national lead and primary touchpoint with international customers, and they act as the mission captain,” says Dickerson. “Grain Farmers of Ontario is a member of Soy Canada, and we support the mission by providing regional and specialist insights, involving our farmer-directors and helping to co-ordinate local logistics and demonstrations. It is a very collaborative process.” For Ontario farmers, the benefit of this work may not always be immediately visible, since international markets are built through many individual relationships over time. But according to Dickerson, there is still no substitute for seeing agriculture firsthand. “Customers can read about our production standards, quality assurance systems, and sustainability practices, but visiting farms, grain handling facilities, and research centres allows them to see those commitments in action,” she notes. Gallego says the goal is to leave buyers with confidence in the Canadian soybean industry. “We want visitors to leave confident that Canada is a reliable, innovative, and long-term soybean supplier,” he says. “Most importantly, we hope they develop stronger relationships with Canadian growers and exporters and see that our industry is prepared to listen, adapt, and meet their evolving needs.” For Ontario soybean growers, that is ultimately what these missions are about: keeping important markets connected to the farms that supply them. •
Ralph Pearce Gene editing races to stay ahead of crop disease New tools help crops keep pace with evolving threats From disease-resistant hybrids to spray-on RNA, new tools could help breeders respond faster, but no single technology can solve every crop challenge. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER RESEARCH
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER RESEARCH Depending on the specific tools and methods, the term “genetic modification” has created new opportunities in the lab and in the field, while also fuelling anxiety about advancing plant breeding beyond agriculture. As each new gene-altering tool or process emerges, science identifies pathways to advance the research pipeline and find answers to everything from environmental stresses to pest resistance. Weed biotypes, insects, and disease pathogens adapt by developing resistance, a complex process despite innovations used to develop new hybrids, varieties, and chemical products. Gene modification, in the broadest terms, has advanced far beyond selective breeding. Transgenics arrived in the 1990s with RNAi (RNA interference) and CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technologies developed in the mid-2000s. Since then, RNAi has helped improve resistance to corn rootworm. At the same time, CRISPR has established resistance to powdery mildew in Chinese wheat and Indian rice varieties that can withstand water scarcity and salinity stress. WHERE IS THIS LEADING? A Farm Progress story published last April cited the use of gene editing to speed the development of disease resistance, citing sources with Corteva Agriscience. If current work goes well, a company representative said corn growers in the U.S. could see disease-resistant hybrids as standard on their farms in the early 2030s. That’s a relatively short span given the enormous strides science has made in less than a decade. Gene editing has been likened to “correcting a spelling mistake” within DNA strands, and although it’s more complicated, its potential to solve many of agriculture’s pest challenges is undeniable. Where transgenics introduced genetic material from one species to another and created resistance to specific herbicides and insect species, gene editing allows for quicker identification and targeting of genes within the plant that can deliver beneficial attributes like disease resistance. “Old-school transgenic (GMO) technology meant that introducing a new trait took a decade and cost millions in regulatory approvals,” says Dr. Rajagopal Subramanian, a scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). “It was a high-stakes, ‘one-and-done’ bet, and if a fungus or virus evolved past that defence, breeders were back to square one.” In principle, CRISPR is fully programmable. When a pathogen evolves and overcomes a crop’s resistance, scientists can redesign what are known as “guide RNAs” to activate on alternate pathways or splice a backup gene directly into a top-performing commercial hybrid or variety. There’s no need to start over. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Altoya_Pub_Print.pdf 1 2026-07-22 13:31:10 “In effect, it turns plant breeding into something like a software update system (on a computer), letting us stay a step ahead in the evolutionary arms race against disease,” says Subramanian. ONE STEP FORWARD … Although the technology presents opportunities now and into the future that were not considered possible 20 or 30 years ago, barriers remain to advancing certain crops, specifically wheat. As a hexaploid, wheat carries three related genomes with three or more copies of any given gene. As with the software analogy, a “patch” is often installed across all homoeologous copies to have a phenotypic response. That means knocking out or editing one copy may be masked by the redundant features in the others. In the end, notes Subramanian, updating a genome as complex as wheat requires genome-aware engineering instead of a simple “find-and-replace” process. It also means corn and soybeans offer some of the more active near-term targets; soybeans because of their record for “knocking out the weakness” type of edits instead of adding new resistance gene types. Both crops also have single- or low-copy susceptibility versus the hexaploid genome found in wheat. continued on page 16
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER RESEARCH continued from page 15 Another factor that complicates establishing disease resistance is the different types of pathogens. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and oomycetes are four causal agents of plant diseases, so there is no “ o n e - s i z e - fi t s - a l l ” fi x . “One of the most promising, and most actively-explored – directions in plant immune engineering is targeting conserved pathway ‘hubs’,” adds Subramanian. “Theoretically, that will give you multi-pathogen resistance without having to do pathogen-by-pathogen edits.” The challenge then is to convert “theoretical” into “practically consistent.” STILL NO SILVER BULLET Despite the scientific community’s insistence that no single quickand-easy cure exists for every emerging crop stress, weed species, or insect infestation, gene editing remains part of a larger research vision. It’s a recent development in a broader innovation toolkit that includes conventional breeding, predictive analytics, doubled haploids, genomics, data science, and, where still appropriate, transgenics. “Gene editing can help breeders achieve specific performance goals, but it doesn’t operate in isolation, and it’s not a universal replacement for other tools,” says Cory Christensen, corn pipeline development lead with Corteva Agriscience. “When we refer to gene editing or genome editing in this context, we’re talking about targeted changes made within a crop’s own DNA – without introducing genetic material from another species.” Traits such as disease resistance, yield stability, and plant composition are well-suited to gene editing, while transgenic approaches remain important for specific applications, including select insect-control traits. Multi-disease resistance is likely to be among the first applications to be commercialized by agribusiness stakeholders. Gene editing can be an important tool for discovering and developing solutions that improve crop performance, resilience, or quality. The ability to work with dozens of genes – as stated in the Farm Progress story – is a significant advantage, adds Christensen, particularly using multiple native resistance genes in a defined location in the genome. Although breeders can move resistance genes through repeated crossing and selection, that process becomes increasingly difficult and time-consuming as the number of genes increases. Gene editing can simplify that delivery and make it easier to combine multiple sources of resistance. “Our first-generation concept is designed to deliver resistance to northern leaf blight, gray leaf spot, southern rust, and anthracnose stalk rot,” says Christensen. “Including more than one resistance gene for key diseases can improve the breadth of protection and support durability. In time, we intend to keep expanding the disease targets we can address
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER RESEARCH • Seed-Safe In-Furrow • Low Salt Index • Ready-to-Use Formula • Strong Root Development visit us online: alpinepfl.com | call: 1.844.655.BIOK (2465) YOUR SEED’S FAVORITE STARTER FERTILIZER SCAN NOW TO LEARN MORE Strong Root Development through seed-based genetic resistance.” A first-generation launch of gene-edited, disease-resistant hybrids or varieties is pending product testing and regulatory authorizations. ANOTHER GAME-CHANGER Beyond gene editing, researchers and agribusinesses are working to bring “spray-on” molecular technologies to growers. Sprayinduced gene silencing (SIGS) is in its early stages, yet the technology represents a huge leap forward in crop protection. According to Subramanian, the products are applied topically and degrade naturally, delivering the precision of gene editing without permanently altering the crop’s DNA. It uses double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to silence specific pathogen genes through RNAi. “That offers a much faster, smoother regulatory path,” he says, adding that they’re highly programmable. “If a sudden new disease outbreak occurs, scientists can rapidly redesign the spray’s active molecules to target the new threat within weeks, giving growers an agile, rapid-response tool to combat emerging crises.” Peptide binders are another visionary technology. They are small, engineered amino acid chains designed to bind to and disable pathogen proteins. • “Gene editing can help breeders achieve specific performance goals, but it doesn’t operate in isolation, and it’s not a universal replacement for other tools. - Cory Christensen Corn pipeline development lead, Corteva Agriscience
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER GRAIN TALK Grain Grains in Action 2027: Registration now open Ready to explore where Ontario grain goes beyond the farm gate? Registration is now open for the 2027 Grains in Action Tour, an immersive leadership and learning experience designed for the next generation of Ontario grain farmers. Taking place February 8-11, 2027, this four-day tour will take participants across Eastern Ontario for an exclusive behind-thescenes look at the grain value chain and the many markets that rely on Ontario-grown crops. From export infrastructure and valueadded processing to advocacy and leadership development, Grains in Action offers unique access to organizations and facilities that most farmers never have the opportunity to experience firsthand. Highlights of the 2027 tour include visits to the Port of Johnstown, Alinova Canada's innovative soy processing facility, Sevita's food-grade soybean operation, Kawartha Ethanol, Top Shelf Distillers, and Maizeing Acres. Participants will also travel to Ottawa to tour the Senate with Senator Rob Black, Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee. Along the way, participants will build industry knowledge, strengthen leadership skills, and connect with fellow farmers from across Ontario. For many past participants, Grains in Action has served as an important step in their leadership journey, with several current delegates, district leaders, and directors having participated in the program over the years. To register, visit: www.gfo.ca/grains-in-action/ Ontario farmers top Great Lakes YEN awards Ontario farmers earned the top honours in the 2025-2026 Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN), claiming both the highest yield and the highest percentage of yield potential for the first time in the program’s six-year history. The cross-border initiative brings together farmers from Ontario and the Great Lakes region of the United States to share knowledge, compare data, and improve winter wheat production. Highest yield 1. Jeff Cook (Ontario) – 163.2 bushels per acre 2. Ben Wilson (Michigan) – 154.0 bushels per acre 3. Doug Suwyn (Michigan) – 151.2 bushels per acre Highest percentage of yield potential 1. Laurent Van Arkel (Ontario) – 108 per cent 2. Ben Wilson (Michigan) – 98 per cent 3. Dwight Bartle (Michigan) – 98 per cent Participants achieved an average yield of 112 bushels per acre despite weather challenges, insects, and disease pressures throughout the season. The results demonstrate how collaboration, agronomic expertise, innovation, and attention to detail can improve winter wheat performance. Farmers interested in joining the 2026-2027 Great Lakes YEN can visit https://greatlakesyen.com/how-to-participate/ for details and registration updates. Registration is now open, and will close on February 1, 2027. Registration open for Women’s Grain Symposium Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Women’s Grain Symposium offers networking, professional development, and leadership development. The Women’s Grain Symposium is open to women who are grain farmers, active members of their family grain operation, or working within the grain sector of agriculture business with a direct connection to farmers. The event takes place December 8 and 9 at the Crowne Plaza Kitchener. The cost is $150, and grain farmers receive hotel accommodation. Professional childcare services (provided by All About Kids) are being offered free of charge during the event, thanks to support from Agriculture Wellness Ontario. To register, visit https://gfo.ca/womens-grain-symposium
GRAIN TALK ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER NOTICE OF 2026 ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETINGS DISTRICT DATE TIME LOCATION/DISTRICT DIRECTOR District 1 Essex Jan 21 4 p.m. Essex Legion, 103 Talbot St N, Essex, ON N8M 2C3 District 2 Kent Jan 20 3 p.m. Hidden Hills Golf and Country Club, 25393 St. Clair Road, Dover Centre, ON District 3 Lambton Jan 18 4 p.m. Wyoming Fair Grounds, 595 Main Street, Wyoming, ON District 4 Middlesex Jan 21 9 a.m. Lucan Community Memorial Centre, 263 Main St, Lucan, ON N0M 2J0 District 5 Elgin, Norfolk Jan 12 9 a.m. Malahide Community Place, 12105 Whittaker Road, Springfield, ON District 6 Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Niagara Jan 11 *new date* 9 a.m. Mutual Room, Riverside Exhibition Centre (Caledonia Fairgrounds), 151 Caithness Street E, Caledonia, ON District 7 Oxford, Waterloo Jan 22 9 a.m. Innerkip Community Centre, 695566 17th Line, Innerkip, ON District 8 Huron Jan 19 9 a.m. Holmesville Community Centre, 180 Community Centre Road, Clinton, ON District 9 Perth Jan 20 9:30 a.m. *new time* Mitchell Golf and Country Club, 81 Frances Street, Mitchell, ON District 10 Grey, Bruce, Wellington Jan 19 9:30 a.m. Clifford Community Hall, 2 William Street, Clifford, ON District 11 Dufferin, Simcoe, Halton, Peel, York Jan 13 10 a.m. Faith Community Presbyterian Church, 206 Murphy Rd., Baxter ON District 12 Durham, Northumberland, Kawartha, Peterborough, Hastings Jan 14 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 13 10 a.m. Elgin Lions Club, 19 Pineview Drive, Elgin, ON District 14 Prescott, Russell, Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry Jan 12 9 a.m. North Stormont Place, 16299 Fairview Drive, Avonmore, ON District 15 Northern Ontario Jan 14 9 a.m. Kerns Community Hall, 279279 Milberta Road, New Liskeard 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.
Matt McIntosh Closures and mergers pose a risk for ag-tech adopters What farmers should weigh before investing in ag-tech equipment and services When ag-tech companies fail or change hands, farmers can be left with unsupported equipment, disrupted services, and costly decisions about what comes next. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER AGRONOMY Chuck Baresich liked his fully electric, autonomous tractor. Now, with the parent company bankrupt, he has to reconsider what they can do with it. It’s an unfortunate situation for Baresich and his colleagues at Haggerty Creek Ltd. in Bothwell, who spent hard-earned money on a product from what appeared to be a promising company. More unfortunately, it’s not the only instance in which a company’s bankruptcy or sale has affected the use of previously purchased equipment. Together, these experiences highlight an endemic risk for those investing in agricultural technologies: investments made today could be unsupported tomorrow. It’s another reason automation and other technologies are adopted more slowly, or at least less seamlessly, than some advocates predicted. BANKRUPTCIES AND ACQUISITIONS For Baresich, lived experience trialling leading-edge agricultural equipment has made him quite concerned about the risks of business acquisitions, if not outright business failures, in the ag-tech space. In the case of his autonomous-optional electric tractor – produced by what was the California-based company Monarch – Baresich says the product was “90 per cent of the way there,” and had been successfully employed for a number of different tasks at Haggerty Creek. “In my opinion, I don’t even care if the robot has paint. As long as it works, it doesn’t need to look beautiful. It just has to function. - Chuck Baresich, Haggerty Creek Ltd.
ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER AGRONOMY $300 million of investment money was not, however, enough for Monarch to get its design over the finish line. “When it went bankrupt, all of their servers and everything shut down. So now, that tractor becomes a development platform. We are putting our own navigation system on it to bring it back to life in a different form,” says Baresich. “Just because a company is big doesn’t mean they can’t fail. Failures can happen for lots of reasons. Sometimes they grow too fast. Sometimes they spend too much money on glitz and glam and not enough on making sure the robot works.” “In my opinion, I don’t even care if the robot has paint. As long as it works it doesn’t need to look beautiful. It just has to function.” The autonomous U-shaped platform first known as DOT, then OMNiPOWER after its acquisition by Raven Industries, offers another example. Baresich invested in the OMNiPOWER platform in 2020, and found it to be a very effective piece of kit. Haggerty Creek partnered with Raven in the years that followed to keep improving the dieselpowered autonomous tool. Then CNH Industrial acquired OMNiPOWER from Raven – and eventually mothballed the entire program. “When the company bought that technology, it’s almost like they bought a Frankenstein and they were afraid of the monster they had created,” Baresich says. “And that was actually an excellent robot … Case IH just could not figure out how to incorporate that into their engineering stack. They let me keep one for development purposes.” Smaller companies or startups aren’t immune to financial trouble or takeovers, either. One of the first things Baresich asks technology developers is what their end goals are. If the reply is to be “bought out by John Deere,” he is unlikely to talk to them. BUSINESS MODEL CONSIDERATIONS John Sulik, associate professor of precision agriculture at the University of Guelph, says his experience suggests farmers are particularly averse to working with new tech companies because they are new, as opposed to longstanding, trusted names. They are, in other words, more interested in reliability than innovation. The Monarch electric tractor offered an autonomous option. The company recently declared bankruptcy. Photo: Matt McIntosh “It’s hard if you’re trying to change how to do things. They need specialized staff to fly the drones and process the data,” says Sulik, pointing to drone operations and his past experience with drone camera company MicaSense as an example. “They can change how they do things, and get someone to operate the drone and process the data. Then if MicaSense goes bankrupt or runs out of venture capital and can’t support the camera, they’ve got the staff and changed how they do things, but don’t have the technical support, so they’re screwed.” Fundamentally, Sulik believes much of the risk associated with technology adoption comes down to the business models of technology developers and whether farmers are willing to accept models that might clash with pre-existing views of ownership. “Should it be provided as a service, leased, or sold? With robotics it’s tricky. Many companies offer a service, and that makes sense. But it doesn’t necessarily make sense to farmers,” Sulik says, reiterating that those developing the technology generally require recurring revenues through subscriptions or continued payments for updates and further development. “Even if you buy it outright, you still need to pay for a subscription to update it…You could own it, but own it without support. If you’re in a situation where you bought something and don’t want to pay for support, you have to figure it out on your own.” Sulik adds that the hardware component of a product can sometimes be a loss leader, instead acting as the means by which the company sells its service. All in all, he says, “there is no watertight business model for robotics or precision agriculture in general.” “Whenever you change what you’re doing, there’s a transition cost,” says Sulik. “What is that cost, and how risky is it?” •
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