The fruit of a disaster millions of years ago Tuesday, October 2, 2012 Those ripe red juicy tomatoes that put dollars in growers' pockets are the result of a meteorite that crashed into Earth between 60 and 70 million years ago.According to researchers who have mapped the tomato genome and published their findings in Nature on May 30, the fruit of the surviving tomato plant suddenly tripled in size after a very stressful event, likely a solar eclipse following the meteor strike. The fruit turned red and toxins that protect other members of the nightshade family were lost.According to the scientists, modern breeding means little by comparison. Tomatoes grown in Holland, for example, only differ about 0.6 per cent from their ancestors brought to northern Europe from Spain in the 15th century. BF Global warming speeds tree growth Wanted: More drainage engineers, maybe
Canada Faces Below-Average Hurricane Season, Will Farmers be Safe? Wednesday, May 27, 2026 As the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins, Canadian farmers and rural communities are being reminded that preparation remains critical, even with forecasts calling for fewer storms. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says modern forecasting systems are ready to deliver... Read this article online
Ontario Invests $7M in Agri-Food Innovation Tuesday, May 26, 2026 The Ontario government is committing up to $7 million to support 34 new research projects aimed at transforming innovative ideas into practical, market-ready solutions for farmers and food processors across the province. Delivered through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, the... Read this article online
Sunrise Farms invests over $100 million to build advanced poultry plant in Woodstock Monday, May 25, 2026 Ontario’s agri-food sector is set for another major boost as Sunrise Farms announced an investment of more than $100 million to build a state-of-the-art poultry processing facility in Woodstock. The expansion—described as the largest greenfield project in the company’s history—will... Read this article online
Falling Behind on Direct Alcohol Shipping Deadline Monday, May 25, 2026 Canada’s small alcohol producers are growing increasingly frustrated as a promised timeline for direct-to-consumer (DTC) alcohol shipping reforms approaches with little visible progress. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling out federal and provincial... Read this article online
Saskatchewan Startup Unveils Portable Device to Detect Crop Diseases in the Field Monday, May 25, 2026 With global crop losses from pests and diseases reaching as high as 40 percent annually, a Saskatchewan-based startup is working to equip farmers with faster, more practical tools to protect their yields. PathoScan Technologies, founded in Saskatoon, has developed a portable... Read this article online