New snack corn processor to start up in Chatham Monday, May 30, 2011 by PAT CURRIEA new plant that will process local corn into snack food – much of it to go to a company in Detroit – and employ 13-15 workers is being launched in Chatham. With the help of a $299,612 Ontario Rural Economic Development grant, Dover Corn Products Ltd., owned by businessman Gerald Lozon, has installed a modern corn mill to produce high-end corn products in what used to be a Redpath Sugar plant. "We hope to be up and running in about a month," said office administrator Crissey Aarssen.The new corn-milling plant was designed and built by Jozsef Alberti, plant manager/engineer for GrandPaPa's Canister Snacks Inc. of Detroit, which will be the main customer for Dover’s output of ground and bagged Kent County corn.Dover expects to purchase 6,000 acres of corn from local farmers and generate nearly $6 million in sales in it first year. Two future phases of expansion "are our main goal if everything goes as planned," Aarssen said."The retrofitted facility will boast modern processing equipment, and will be the first corn processing operation of its kind in all of Ontario," said Pat Hoy, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Essex. ""This project will benefit all of Chatham-Kent with new marketing opportunities for farmers and additional employment in Chatham as well," said Maria Van Bommel, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex and Parliamentary Assistant to Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell. BF Farm income increase cloaks danger signals Ontario beekeepers estimate winter losses of 30 to 40 per cent
Parliament’s shut down leaves farmers vulnerable Wednesday, January 22, 2025 In March 2025, Canada's agriculture sector and broader supply chain will face a another setback with the expiration of the extended interswitching pilot program. With Parliament prorogued until March 24th, there is effectively no opportunity to renew or make the program permanent before... Read this article online
Peavey Mart Closing 21 Stores in Ontario Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Peavey Industries LP (“Peavey”) has announced the closure of 21 Peavey Mart stores in Ontario and one store in Nova Scotia as part of a broader strategy to strengthen its operations and ensure long-term sustainability. The decision is part of an effort to streamline Peavey’s retail... Read this article online
$10 million investment supporting Ontario ag mental health Wednesday, January 22, 2025 On January 22, 2205, the Ontario provincial and federal governments announced that two initiatives designed to meet the mental health needs of the agricultural community will continue for the next three years thanks to close to $10 million in new funding. With this new funding, the... Read this article online
Tariffs and their impact on farming Wednesday, January 22, 2025 The swearing-in of a new government in Washington, DC, has brought concerns about potential tariffs on Canadian agricultural exports. With approximately 60% of Canada’s agricultural exports heading to the United States, such measures could significantly impact farmers and consumers... Read this article online
Dynasty kidney bean wins U of G Innovation of the Year award Wednesday, January 22, 2025 A kidney bean variety developed at the University of Guelph has won the school’s Innovation of the Year award for 2024. The award went to Dynasty, which Dr. Peter Pauls, a professor at the Department of Plant Agriculture at the Ontario Agricultural College, and research technician Tom... Read this article online