Since an outbreak of Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) at an unidentified Smithville poultry farm last December, the virus — which is only experienced by poultry, cannot be transferred to humans and does not affect food safety — has spread to an additional six farms in Niagara, bringing the total farms involved to seven. A Jan. 25 … Read more
Niagara Region big-box stores were pulled into the province’s enforcement blitz this past weekend.
It may be getting colder out, but stepping inside Rita Pintea’s greenhouse offers a balmy escape from the chill.
Niagara’s community supported agriculture (CSA) programs were bolstered by a dramatic increase in consumers turning toward locally grown food during the pandemic. The convenience of grocery supermarkets fizzled under daunting line ups, COVID-19 quizzes and occasionally empty shelves as food supply chains were shaken by the unpredictable nature of humans during a health crisis. “We … Read more
Growing flowers may not seem like tough business, but as many aspiring pandemic green thumbs can now likely attest, there’s more involved than simply adding a little water and sunlight. As the coronavirus began stifling businesses back in March last year, Arie Koole, owner of Creekside Greenhouses in Jordan Station, recalled it being a time … Read more
New requirements of air travellers to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding a plane to Canada are proving to be a barrier for temporary foreign workers from Mexico. Announced Dec. 31, the Transport Canada regulations came into effect Jan. 7, leaving some Niagara greenhouse growers worried about if and when much … Read more
From small local farms to major flower distributors, Niagara’s farm gates are going digital during the pandemic. With the help of up to $5,000 in funding from the provincial-federal Agri-Food Open for E-Business initiative, the pricey burden of tapping into the online marketplace has been made a little lighter for area farmers forced online to … Read more
Real Christmas trees were in demand this year, as more of us played it safe and hunkered down at home for the holidays. But after the ornaments are boxed away and another year has turned over, have you ever wondered what happens to all those curbed Christmas trees? For the past 15 years, Niagara … Read more
The end of the year makes for long days as farmers like Jeff Barlow slog away the hours in behemoth combines to get crops off the fields before night consumes day and Christmas arrives. On a recent Tuesday, Barlow’s crew, with two harvesters, two grain buggies and two grain trucks, were tackling some of the … Read more