The Holland Marsh's 'Muck Station' wins international acclaim

Monday, April 6, 2015

This highly regarded research station has been helping local growers for almost 70 years in such areas as diversifying their crops, serving the immigrant market and demonstrating that the Marsh isn't a major polluter

by MIKE BEAUDIN

The Holland Marsh may be the most visible farming community in the country.

On most summer weekends, tens of thousands of people drive through the heart of the Marsh, along Highway 400, on their way to cottage country. They speed by the Marsh farmers as they go about growing 140 million pounds of carrots a year along with 60-plus other assorted vegetables in the thick black muck soil.

They also drive by an inconspicuous building that is home to a team of researchers whose work has earned international acclaim. The Holland Marsh Muck Crops Research Station, known as the 'Muck Station,' has been a fixture in the area since 1946 but, in recent years, it has adapted its role to meet the changing needs of the Marsh.

The station, operated by the University of Guelph, has developed a unique Integrated Pest Management program, has played a key role as growers experiment with crops such as amaranth, Indian red carrots, okra and tomatillos, and has contributed to efforts aimed at reducing the amount of phosphorus loaded into nearby Lake Simcoe.

Working with the local growers association, the station's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program monitors different areas, uses crop scouts to assess problems and sends out updates every week through emails, an agriphone and social media. Jason Verkaik, who grows onions and carrots on 250 acres, is one of the largest growers in the Marsh. He says growers rely on the IPM program to help monitor their crops and make efficient use of crop protection materials.

"They do their own monitoring at their station as well," says Verkaik. "They tell us to double-check our fields because they've noticed something in their fields. They help us reduce the amount of crop protection material we have to spray. It's extremely valuable."

The International IPM Symposium agrees. It has honoured the station's IPM program with an award at the 2015 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, in March.

According to the Holland Marsh Growers Association, the Marsh, located just 40 kilometres north of downtown Toronto, is home to 125 farms on 7,000 acres. The annual value of the carrots grown in the Marsh is $130 million, the onions $160 million, and the salad greens $160 million.

Approximately 90 per cent of all Asian vegetables eaten in Ontario are grown in the Marsh. It's estimated the Marsh has a total economic impact of over $1 billion each year.

University of Guelph professor Mary Ruth McDonald understands the unique needs of the Marsh.  She started working there as a summer crop scout in 1981, worked as the Ontario agriculture ministry's pest management advisor for a number of years and is now research program director of plant production systems at the university. McDonald says that, although much of their research remains focused on carrots and onions, which make up 80 per cent of the Marsh's total crop production, in recent years they have helped growers trying to diversify to meet the ever-changing needs of Toronto's immigrant market.

A 2012 University of Guelph study showed that consumers from the South Asian, Chinese and African/Caribbean communities spend about $396 million, $252 million and $80 million respectively each year on ethnic vegetables.

"We demonstrated the production of artichokes and that's led to a bit of production in both the Holland Marsh and other areas of Ontario," says McDonald, who is called upon to share her muck crops expertise with growers around the world. "We like to do some demonstration trials every year to show different crops like amaranth."

As growers come up with different crops to serve the new market, the station tries to keep pace by doing research to find out more about pests and diseases unique to those crops.

"One thing that is unique is that we have the research station right in the vegetable production area," says McDonald. "A lot of places don't have that setup so we can do our research in the same soil and environment that the growers are farming in."

The station's broader mandate is to contribute to the economical and environmental sustainability of the Marsh. For the past six years, the station has been part of a regional effort to reduce the amount of phosphorus going into nearby Lake Simcoe.

Its research has dispelled any perception the Marsh is a major polluter. In fact, says McDonald, the Marsh only contributes three per cent of the phosphorus load into Lake Simcoe.

The growers and researchers aren't the only ones keeping an eye on the Marsh, though. McDonald laughs as she recalls explaining practices to cottagers who call or email after driving by and seeing growers spraying.

For the crop-scout-turned researcher, it's all part of a day's work at the Muck Station. BF