Thunder Bay research station closes its doors

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

by MIKE BEAUDIN

The Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station, which has been providing farm research unique to northern Ontario for 25 years, is closing its doors on March 31 because it no longer has the funds to operate.

Bruce Forrest, a past president and current board member of the Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Association, said the station’s three-year contract with the Northern Ontario Heritage Corporation is about to expire, spelling the end of the research station.

He said the station struggled to find research funding at a time when more universities and research facilities were competing for a smaller pool of available dollars from government and industry.

“We collaborated with other people but didn't have success in competing for research projects,” said Forrest, a beef farmer.

As a result, farmers in the Thunder Bay area will have to figure out for themselves how to best adapt to the soil and climate conditions in the region, said Forrest.

The station employed three people, a fulltime researcher-manager and two seasonal workers. Working with an annual operating budget of about $200,000, the station served 40-50 farmers in the region, said Forrest.

The 36-acre station started in 1990 as a federal research facility but the provincial agriculture ministry took it over 1992 and ran it in conjunction with the University of Guelph until 2003 when cutbacks forced the university to withdraw.

Forrest said local producers subsequently formed the association and managed to find different sources of project funding through in-kind contributions and industry donations. In 2012, they entered into a three-year contract with the Northern Ontario Heritage Corporation, which helped with project costs but didn’t provide operating money.

After depleting their cash reserves, the association had no choice but to close the station, said Forrest.

He said the station has provided valuable research over the years specific to the Thunder Bay region. As an independent research facility for the past 12 years, it has been able to focus on the needs of its members without outside interference.

“The station has done a lot of work in new crop development, and the station has been instrumental in bringing forth research information on soybeans, canola, winter wheat and some minor crops. For example, chickpeas have proven to a viable crop here.”

Research also showed local soils are deficient in micronutrients such as sulphur and boron that led to area producers tailoring a blended fertilizer mix specific to their growing needs.

“Of course losing the field trials is the biggest loss,” said Forrest. “Those have to be done under a controlled atmosphere. They always showed which crops were viable for our area.

“We have a short growing season which is one thing. Our season here is moderated by Lake Superior. Our area has a different growing season and a different soil structure compared to areas just south of us and quite a bit different from southern Ontario.”

He said the association would continue to operate and look at different ways to conduct research.

“We’re farmers. We’re eternal optimists.” BF