And April showers provide a great start for Ontario grains March 20, 2024, marked the first day of spring, which means warmer weather is on the horizon! But it is no secret that spring weather is often inconsistent and unpredictable, making things tricky for Ontario grain farmers. Spring marks the first of two particularly busy seasons (planting and harvest) for Ontario grain farmers. Spring planting on the farm requires hard work, equipment in working order, and good weather to ensure success. Success at planting means the seeds are in the ground and ready to grow into healthy grains! But wha ..read more

We’ve highlighted the different equipment farmers use on their farms. The most important equipment they use is a tractor. Until the early 1920s, farmers used horses to do many tasks a tractor can do today. Today, they are used for a wide variety of jobs on the farm. Whether it’s pulling implements for tillage, planting, or hauling grain, tractors are capable of pulling these heavy loads! While tractors have a lot of power and capabilities, the person in the seat has all of the control of the tractor. Have you ever wondered what farmers see inside the tractor? Or how the tractor drives and perf ..read more

It is no secret that the two busiest times of the year for grain farmers are in the spring for planting and in the fall for harvesting. Between these two seasons, farmers are busy taking care of their grain crops, making sure that they grow healthy and strong. But what happens after harvesting season? What happens before planting season? What do farmers do in the winter? This question may look different from farm to farm and farmer to farmer, but the winter provides three to four months for farmers to get lots done. Let’s take a look at five different things that you may see Ontario grain farm ..read more

There are many different aspects of grain farming that need to be balanced correctly to grow strong and healthy Ontario grains. Just like you or I, grains need a variety of nutrients to help them grow from planting to harvest. There are three nutrients that are primary macronutrients, and these nutrients are required in large amounts by the grains. These nutrients are known as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or N, P, and K. K stands for potassium, and it is the third of the three primary macronutrients. It has a variety of important jobs within grains, so it is key that there is always en ..read more

When we talk about growing Ontario grains, there are three primary macronutrients that are essential for them to succeed. The three macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, or N, P, and K. The middle letter in N, P, and K is P, or phosphorus, the second of the three primary macronutrients essential for Ontario grains to grow. Remember that a macronutrient is a nutrient that is required by the grains in large amounts, so it is very important the crops have a sufficient supply. Let’s look at a few examples of what roles phosphorus plays in the life cycle of Ontario grains! Photosy ..read more

When it comes to growing Ontario grains, many different factors come into play for growing a healthy crop. Like you or I, plants need food, water, and air to grow big and strong. While their food may not come in the same form as ours, grains still require many of the same nutrients that we do! When discussing nutrients that grains need to grow, they can be classified as either a macronutrient, required in large amounts, or a micronutrient, required in smaller amounts. We describe the nutrients our bodies need in the same way here. There are three primary macronutrients that are essential ..read more

We’ve talked about spraying for insect pests in the past, but did you know there are some beneficial insects that could “take care of a problem” for Ontario grain farmers? One of the world’s most recognizable beetles, Ladybugs are a predator against one of Ontario’s biggest insect pests: soybean aphids. Aphids are a very small, greenish-brown insect that blows in on winds from the south and can cause huge issues in farmer’s soybean fields. They have a piercing/sucking mouth part that they use to suck the juice out of the soybean plant, causing yellowing, curled leaves, wilting leaves, and in s ..read more

With May just around the corner, farmers are getting ready to start planting, or have just started depending on where in the province they are located. In the next coming weeks, farmers will be out working their fields, adding manure or other fertilizers, and working those into the soil. Once that is done, farmers will be looking to start planting their grain seeds as soon as possible. Watch the video below to see what spring planting looks like on the farm! Take a 360° tour of an Ontario grain farm thanks to our collaboration with Farm and Food Care, and watch how soybeans are planted i ..read more

Unlike our other Ontario grains, the process to get soybeans from the farms to our forks isn’t easily guessed. We know food supply chains can be long and complicated so we thought we would break down the main steps involved to help you learn where your food comes from. Check out what happens between harvesting soybeans from the fields and getting tofu on your plate! Fork: Tofu scramble Step 6: Consumers, like you, purchase the packaged tofu from the grocery store, bring it home and make a delicious meal with it. Step 5: The tofu is then packaged and sent to a distribution center where the tofu ..read more

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get Ontario oats from the fields to the grocery store? Below we’ve broken down the main steps of this process to help you lean where your food comes from. Fork: Overnight oats Step 6: Consumers, like you, purchase the rolled oats from the grocery store, bring it home and make a delicious meal with it! Step 5: From the distribution center the oats are sent to food retailers and supermarkets where they are placed on the shelves. Step 4: The oats are then packaged at the processing facility and sent either directly to a food retailer or to a food distributi ..read more