Amy Matheson's Page

Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention Names Douglas Darling as President

Douglas Darling, a Niagara-based fruit grower with Sunnydale Farms, has been appointed President of the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention, strengthening leadership ahead of the 2027 event.

Straight Hail Insurance 2026

For crop producers, there are few things as devastating as a hailstorm. Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) provides Straight Hail Insurance so you can secure peace of mind in knowing your assets are protected from one of Mother Nature’s most damaging elements. This program: provides protection for spot-loss damage to crops caused by hail, accidental fire and fire caused by lightning Insurance comes into effect at noon on the day following the date of application. What’s new in 2026 For cocktail crops insurable under Straight Hail Insurance, mixed grain is now eligible as a primary crop. This means that cocktail crops with two cereal crops making up the majority of the plant stand, minimum 35 per cent or greater, will now be eligible for insurance.

CAAIN Receives up to $6.25M from AAFC

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) is pleased to announce it has been selected by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to receive up to $6.25 million in funding. This investment, delivered through the Agricultural Clean Technology (ACT) – Research and Innovation Stream, establishes CAAIN as a key accelerator in driving the development of sustainable agricultural solutions. “CAAIN backs technologies that solve real, urgent challenges for Canada’s agri-food sector” said CAAIN CEO, Darrell Petras, P.Ag. “With AAFC’s support, we are launching a dedicated program designed to bridge the gap between innovation and adoption. By providing data-driven validation, we ensure that new tools not only increase productivity and profitability but also provide a measurable path toward a lower-carbon future for Canadian producers.” CAAIN’s upcoming Clean Agtech Validation and Integration Program will help Canadian SMEs and producers move clean agricultural technologie

RDAR Strengthens On-Farm Climate Action Fund Delivery in Alberta to Maximize Producer Participation

Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), one of Alberta’s delivery agents for the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), is introducing four operational improvements to the OFCAF programme for 2026–2027. The changes are intended to ensure that OFCAF funding reaches producers who are ready to complete the adoption of beneficial management practices (BMPs) on their farms and ranches, and to provide a clear, predictable, and fair process for applicants. For producers: To ensure funding is used efficiently and reaches active projects, the following requirements apply. To be eligible for 2026–2027, projects must be at least $10,000; you must indicate acceptance online within 14 days of project approval, provide a project start date, and submit your reimbursement claim within 60 days of the project completion or your final vendor invoice date. The 2026–2027 OFCAF intake, which opened on April 9, 2026, has attracted exceptional interest from producers. As at the date of this release, RDAR

Water well monitoring made simple

“A Water Well Monitoring Parameters Technical Guideline was developed recently by the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), a collaboration among the Government of Alberta, the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) and the agricultural industry. It provides guidance on monitoring water wells used for domestic or livestock purposes located near confined feeding operations or manure facilities that require monitoring. The guideline outlines water well monitoring parameters, sampling methods, frequency and how to interpret the results,” says Vince Murray, AOPA engineer with the Alberta government and co-chair of TAG. In Alberta, annual water well sampling is recommended for anyone with a household or farm water well. The NRCB, as the regulator, can make monitoring of these types of wells a requirement at confined feeding operations or manure storage facilities. The frequency of testing will be determined by the NRCB depending on the situation and interpretation of the results. Monitorin