The Canadian Horticultural Council is pleased to announce the launch of its On-Farm Food Safety (OFFS) Certification Program. The application form for producers, storage intermediaries and packers interested in enrolling in the Program is available at the CHC website.

 

From the Canadian Horticultural Council's newsletter - Hort Shorts Spring 2009: On March 30, the Canada Organic Office of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) published its new Organic Products Regulations website featuring essential information on the upcoming regulations and enforcement policy.  The website includes valuable resources, such as a copy of the government's cost benefit analysis for regulating the organic =sector, questions and answers on the 2009 organic regulations, links to the regulations, standards and Canadian statistics. For more information, please go to the CFIA website.

From the Canadian Horticultural Council's newsletter - Hort Shorts Spring 2009:

The Pesticide Risk Reduction Program of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada has new information:

• List of the 2008 Implementation Projects. These are a list of Pesticide Risk Reduction Program (PRRP) funded research projects which include objectives and descriptions.
• Final results of 25 PMC Implementation Projects.
• A new report, Pesticide Use and Pest Management Practices of Canadian Apple Growers, is now available. This paper is based on data collected in the Canadian Crop Protection Survey, which was conducted on behalf of the AAFC PRRP.
The website has both the Executive Summary and a link to the Complete Report.

From  Farmers' Market Canada newsletter - Fresh off the Press January 2009:
The combined national economic impact of farmers’ markets in Canada is estimated in a range between $2 billion and $3 billion.
This information, among other facts, is one of the highlights of the results from the National Farmers’ Markets Impact Study – Farmers’ Markets Canada’s first major project – which will be released at the FMC conference in February.
The study was conducted in 2008 by Experience Renewal Solutions Inc. on behalf of FMC to assess trends and highlight opportunities for growth in the farmers’ market industry.
The survey also studied the immense economic impact of farmers’ markets in Canada. Among the findings to be revealed at the conference include profiles of average market shoppers and how those shoppers spend their money.
The study also found that:
• Farmers’ markets remain strong contributors both to the economy and to the fabric of Canadian communities.
• Farmers’ markets continue to show growth on an annual basis.
• Farmers’ markets play a key role in the marketing of Canadian agricultural products; they play a significant role in generating farm incomes.
• Strong growth opportunities in this sector focus on more aggressive marketing and promotion of markets; on encouraging additional vendors and vendor capabilities; on improved access to labour; and on the development of
more and improved facilities.
• The need for a National Association is recognized, in order to focus on and represent growth opportunities and to provide strong support for farmers’ market stakeholders.

For more information on Farmers' Markets Canada go to: www.famersmarketscanada.ca

 

SGGA ha joined the newly formed Farmers' Market Canada organization.

Farmers’ Markets Go National!
FMC has been created to help connect Canadian consumers to their local farmers and to address the needs of farmers’ markets across the country. With the appointment of an interim executive director, the newly formed Farmers’ Markets Canada / Les Marchés agricoles Canada will act as the voice of Canadian farmers’ markets as the industry grows in response to consumer demand.
The mission of FMC is to promote farmers’ markets and develop national initiatives and partnerships to further the viability, growth and prosperity of the Canadian farmers’ market industry.
FMC will work with provincial and territorial farmers’ markets organizations to foster the development of farmers’ markets, encourage information sharing and
networking and recommend legislation, regulations, strategies, policies,
programs and standards for farmers’ markets.

The conference formerly known as the Saskatchewan Greenhouse Growers Association and Saskatchewan Vegetable Growers Association Conference has a new name - The Saskatchewan Green Trades Conference. Flowers Canada will also be partnering with the conference to offer the province's florists a venue to hold seminars and meetings.

"The conference is expanding and we wanted a name that reflect this growth and represented the industry as a whole" says Glen Sweetman, Provincial Specialist Greenhouse and Nursery Crops and this years conference chair. “The conference brings together the provinces commercial greenhouse growers, garden centre retailers, field vegetable producers and florists in one location. We are looking forward to another year of great speakers and meetings.”

The Saskatchewan Green Trades Conference will be held NOVEMBER 13 & 14,  2009 at the SASKATOON TRAVELODGE in SASKATOON, SK.  For more information, go to www.saskgreenhouses.com or contact Dorothy Long, Executive Director, Saskatchewan Greenhouse Growers Assocaition at 30.387.6610 or dorothy@saskgreenhouses.com.

 

Make it your business to attend the 2009 OFA Short Course, July 11-14 in Columbus, Ohio. It’s not too early to start preparing for your trip to U.S. floriculture’s largest event. Approximately 10,000 of your peers will be at the OFA Short Course, so make it your business to be there too.
Whether it’s the 1,500-booth trade show that has everything you need for your business, the educational sessions with the latest information to help you succeed in today’s competitive environment, or the networking that takes place in the hallways, sidewalks, and restaurants, the OFA Short Course continues to be THE place that industry professionals meet!

Education Designed to Meet Your Needs
Learn from the best during four days of sessions, workshops, and tours. Sessions include:
• Water Management
• Increasing Profits Through Benchmark Analysis
• Energy Management and Savings
• Industry Challenges and Opportunities
• Business IQ
• Town Meeting: Differentiate or Die
• Disease and Insect Management
• Today’s Container Ideas
• Working with Landscapers
• Crop Culture
• PGRs
• “Problem” Vegetative Crops
• Niche Crop Opportunities
• Media, Pots, Nutrition, and Light
• Sustainability
• Research Updates

And More…
In addition to this intense lineup of sessions, you can get even more great ideas by taking advantage of the
full tracks of education focused solely on management and marketing or retailing. Those highlights
include:
• Pricing workshop
• Lean workshop
• Business survival skills
• Dealing with your banker
• Personnel issues
• Merchandising
• Marketing
• Customer service
• Using technology in your business

Greensys, an international conference and symposium, takes place every other year under the International Society for Horticultural Science. This event focuses solely on greenhouse systems — how to grow plants and the tools, equipment and techniques to do so more efficiently.

For the first time, this event will take place in North America, June 14 to 19 in Quebec City. Focusing on two of the most pressing issues of our industry — energy and environment — this symposium will feature conferences on topics including sustainability, greenhouse design and management, substrates and hydroponics. This is a unique opportunity to access the most comprehensive knowledge and technology without having to travel to Europe.

For more information about Greensys 2009, visit www.greensys2009.com.

There was an over run of tomato trays made during our tray order.  If you are interested in more tomato trays.  Contact: Neil Vandermeulen at Smurfit - MBI or call at (306) 546-1329.

Dorothy Long is a Home Economist and Educator by training. She fully expected to be a home economics teacher for the rest of her days but after teaching high school home economics for 3 years she joined the Agri-Food consulting firm - Food Focus and branched into the agrifood industry.  Over the past 18 years, she has worked with such groups as the Saskatchewan Pulse growers, the Wild Boar Association, Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission and the Canola Council of Canada. Dorothy also served as a part-time Executive Director of Cuisine Canada for 3 1/2 years during this time. Dorothy believes in supporting agriculture and the foods and products that are produced in Saskatchewan.  To that end she was a founding member of the joint commodity association - Saskatchewan Bounty, which promoted agriculture and the goodness of Saskatchewan foods. Saskatchewan Bounty later developed into Growing Saskatchewan and Dorothy acted as the editorial consultant for their magazine of the same name.  She also writes a monthly food column for the Western Producer.  Dorothy’s love of agriculture and food was nurtured by her upbringing on a farm in rural Saskatchewan.  After beingfor several years she moved back to the farm in 1995 with her husband, Peter. From there Peter operates a commercial greenhouse selling bedding plants and Dorothy runs her consulting business. They enjoy the benefits of rural living and are also ‘cultivating’ two children, Kate (13 years) and Josh (10 years).