Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Government And Industry Are Progressing Slowly On Waste And Wash Water Regulations

Water use related issues are of rising importance to farmers across Ontario. Potential solutions to environmental concerns surrounding wash and waste water for fruit and vegetable growers are progressing slowly. If Ontario is going to continue to succeed as a major food producer, agriculture needs low cost, efficient solutions that meet environmental concerns head on.

Earlier this year, the Christian Farmers Federation expressed its support for greenhouse and nursery growers to have a new option available to them in handling wash and waste water through the Nutrient Management Act. Farmers desire more options than the Environmental Compliance Approval approach that is currently required. The CFFO believes that an outcome oriented, triple-bottom line approach to regulations is essential.

A number of agricultural organizations have expressed strong concerns regarding the requirement of Environmental Compliance Approvals for greenhouse wastewater and vegetable wash water. The provincial government has responded with a regulatory review. The work being conducted so far by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is producing some interesting possibilities. While nothing is set in stone yet, it is possible that a tool box approach that allows farmers to choose the best option for their individual operation may be the outcome of this process.

There are issues that remain outstanding. The cost for small and medium scale producers to engage in the Environmental Compliance Approval process is very prohibitive. Even a nutrient management strategy or plan comes with development costs. The issue of rain water that flows off the rooftops of greenhouses being considered “waste” needs to be addressed in a common sense manner. Both of these concerns need serious consideration within this review.

It is encouraging to see that progress is being made on waste and wash water issues. It is critical that realistic, cost effective solutions are developed on these issues. There is a careful balance that needs to be maintained in order to meet environmental concerns without crippling the industry with regulatory red tape. Agriculture and food production is one of the cornerstones of the Ontario economy and the CFFO believes that the right approach to environmental policy is needed for that to continue.

Nathan Stevens is the Interim Manager and Director of Policy Development for the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, and UCB Canada radio stations in Chatham, Belleville, Bancroft, Brockville and Kingston. It is also archived on the CFFO website:www.christianfarmers.org. CFFO is supported by 4,200 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 70

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Kelle Neufeld Appointed New General Manager of Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention has named Kelle Neufeld as its new General Manager, effective May 1, 2026.

310-FARM – Alberta’s one-stop shop for agricultural answers

Producers have enough to manage already – markets, weather, regulations, input costs and the day-to-day realities of running a farm or ranch. When questions come up, tracking down the right government contact or program information should not add to their workload. That is why the Government of Alberta operates 310-FARM, an information and referral service designed to provide farmers, ranchers, ag businesses and rural residents a dependable first point of contact. 310-FARM is staffed by resource agents who understand the agricultural landscape and can help callers navigate provincial programs, regulatory requirements and available supports. While the team does not have every answer, they specialize in connecting callers with the right people – whether that means transferring you to a subject-matter expert, providing you with the details and a link to a specific program, or directing you to the right department or industry contact. The 310-FARM team will work to guide them toward the m

Stacking Good Decisions to Keep Calves Healthy

Last month’s column laid out some of the recommended practices that 11 large-scale research studies said were the most effective for reducing preweaning death loss in beef calves worldwide. Over half of those research studies had been done in Canada, but only three of those Canadian studies had been done in the past 20 years. Canada’s a huge place, and herd sizes and calving dates have shifted over the past two decades. So, which calving practices work best for Canadian cow-calf producers in 2026? Claire Windeyer of ACER Consulting and coworkers from the University of Calgary and Western College of Veterinary Medicine surveyed producers participating in the Canadian Cow-Calf Surveillance Network (C3SN) to identify on-farm practices that reduced the risk of scours, pneumonia and mortality outbreaks in Canadian beef calves (Benchmarking management practices that impact calf morbidity and mortality in Canadian beef cow-calf herds; (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106725). What

AWC Helps Women Navigate Hard Moments in Agriculture

AWC creates a supportive space where women in agriculture learn to navigate difficult conversations with clarity, courage, and connection.

Essential Pre-Season Seeder Prep Every Farmer Should Do

A well prepared seeder can make or break your planting season—here’s how to get yours running at peak performance before you hit the field.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service