Plant the Seeds: Opportunities to Grow Ontario's Fruit and Vegetable Sector

Jun 18, 2021

“Plant the Seeds: Opportunities to Grow Southern Ontario's Fruit and Vegetable Sector” is a new report that outlines the opportunity to expand the $2.2 billion of fruits and vegetables grown in Ontario, including more local production of fresh grapes, pears, strawberries, garlic, eggplant, sweet potatoes, apples, snap peas, cabbage—as well as vertical farming.

This expansion could result in up to $135 million in increased farm-gate revenue, making an important contribution to Ontario’s economic recovery.

For most of the crops examined in this analysis, expanding production across the Greenbelt and southwestern Ontario would displace some of the $7.3 billion of annual imported fruits and vegetables making an important contribution to Ontario’s economic recovery and could provide an even greater contribution to Ontario’s rural economy.

Certain perquisites need to be in place to realize the opportunities, and there is a role for growers, marketers, retailers, industry organizations, research and development institutions, and government to make it happen

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.