Ontario Invests in Research to Support Farmers

Mar 16, 2023

The Ontario government is investing more than $343 million over five years to support agri-food research and innovation.

Announced Wednesday, the funding will be used for research focusing on food safety and animal welfare and support the development of a highly skilled workforce that will lead to more economic growth opportunities for the agri-food sector, a provincial release said. The investment is being made through a new agreement with the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance - a collaboration between the province, the University of Guelph and the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario.

The renewal of the Alliance for an additional five years builds on the success of the government’s previous agreement, which it said increased Ontario’s GDP by $1.4 billion and supported more than 1,300 jobs.

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Video: Residue Management

Residue Management conservation practice manages the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface year-round while limiting soil-disturbing activities used to grow and harvest crops in systems where the field surface is tilled prior to planting. This video explores how Ryan McKenzie implemented this conservation practice on his farm in Samson, Alabama.

Practice benefits:

• Increases organic matter

• Improves air quality

• Decreases energy costs

• Reduces erosion

• Improves soil health

The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation.