(SerresLefort.ca)

Major Quebec hothouse grower seeks creditor protection

One of Quebec’s best known greenhouse propagators, who in recent years launched an aggressive expansion into organic vegetables, is seeking creditor protection. Les Serres Lefort, which operates almost 50 acres of greenhouse facilities at Sainte-Clotilde in Quebec’s Monteregie, announced Sept. 10 it had filed a notice of intention on Sept. 6 to file a proposal

Justin Girard shows how 100 km/h winds bent the metal frame of a hoop house, destroying the structure.

Catastrophic crop loss highlights need for small-farm insurance

Four years after the Small Scale Farm Manitoba report, crop insurance for small-scale food producers doesn’t seem to be on the province’s radar

It was shaping up to be a banner year for Justin Girard. Hearts and Roots, which Girard runs with wife Britt Embry, is a certified organic farm that sells veggies through farmers’ markets, wholesale and Instagram-worthy subscription boxes. But on July 14, instead of shots of glistening greens or farm dog Merle, Hearts and Roots


We urban gardeners envy the space available to rural gardeners for growing lots of vegetables.

Planning and planting the veggie garden

Whether it’s a large patch or a smaller one, there’s a few things that will help to make it a success

Growing your own vegetables is a great way to connect with nature and to gain a supply of good-quality food, and for those who prefer organic, growing your own veggies ensures control over what techniques (and chemicals) are used. There is great satisfaction in being able to grow some of your own food and I



Commercial greenhouse production in Manitoba has an overall value estimated at $36.6 million to the provincial economy. Direct employment from these operations is estimated at 324 full-time equivalent jobs annually.

New report spotlights high-value horticulture

Total value of production from horticultural crops is estimated at roughly $100 million a year

A new report shows Manitoba’s horticultural producers are punching well above their weight when it comes to contributing to the provincial economy. There are relatively few fruit and vegetable growers, plus those producing sod, other nursery crops such as flowers and trees, and greenhouse operations — yet together their production is worth roughly $100 million

Comment: Our garden’s last stand

There was no food waste on the rural farm of my youth

In the unseasonable heat of mid-September, the yard’s many black walnut trees began shedding their heavy fruit. Now, a month on, the stately trees are bare of nuts and most of their leaves weeks earlier than any year I can remember. Does that suggest an early winter? A long one? Time will tell. All I


Garden-fresh carrots can be stored a long time if precautions are taken.

Harvesting, storing and enjoying carrots

All carrots, in any form, are an excellent addition to any diet

Delicious, affordable and versatile, carrots are everything we could want in a vegetable. It’s no wonder this nutritious, subtly sweet root vegetable is loved by young and old and is one of the most popular root vegetables in the world, second only to potatoes. Carrots, whether red, purple, yellow or orange, are rich in fibre,

Don’t think high tunnels are just for crops like tomatoes or cucumbers, says Marilyn Firth co-owner of Almost Urban Vegetables near Winnipeg, who uses theirs to grow root crops like beets too. The farm’s three tunnels, including one steel framed and two wood frame add at least three weeks to either end of the growing season.

The high tunnel advantage

St. Norbert small-scale vegetable producers tout the benefits of covering a portion of their crop

When Marilyn Firth and Bruce Berry bought 10 acres on the south edge of Winnipeg in 2007 they knew most vegetable farms that once ringed the city were gone. They also knew they’d be starting to farm at the age of most lifelong growers. But they were convinced more customers wanted food delivered across a


Fresh fruit and vegetables are healthy, but take precautions to avoid foodborne illness.

Staying safe with food

Food safety scares underline 
the need for proper food 
handling for fresh produce

A recent scare around romaine lettuce here in the U.S. (Canadian readers can rest assured they were unaffected, though the CFIA says it’s monitoring the situation) has many wondering just how safe those leafy greens really are. “Can I eat the romaine lettuce in my refrigerator?” one recent caller asked me. “No, we need to

(ArcticGardens.ca)

Ontario backs frozen vegetable plant upgrades

The Canadian arm of French vegetable processor Bonduelle will put up almost $80 million to upgrade and expand three of its frozen vegetable plants in southwestern Ontario, with provincial government backing. The province on Tuesday announced it will invest up to $8.5 million in Bonduelle Canada’s upgrades for its processing plants at Tecumseh, Ingersoll and