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Farmers score with canola
By WARD HOLLAND
Thursday, August 30, 2007

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Peter Aalber, vice-president of the Agricultural Research Association, was on hand for Thursday‘s announcement of government support for four projects at the Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station.

Agriculture in Thunder Bay has been given a big financial boost.
The provincial government announced Thursday that $675,000 will be going to the Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station for four initiatives, with the money spread over five years.
One of the initiatives involves biomass production – turning crops into biofuels, such as ethanol.
Another initiative will look at sustainability by testing how manure, wood ash and lime interact with fertilizer to grow crops.
A third initiative involves testing soil to determine what effect nutrients like zinc and magnesium have on corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
And the fourth will determine the benefits of medicinal plants.
“We are looking forward to the results of this ambitious agricultural research,” MPP Bill Mauro (L-Thunder Bay-Atikokan) said.
“We are optimistic that it could create opportunities for the development of regional industries aimed at processing, marketing and adding value to local farm products.”
The business manager of the station, Tarlok Singh Sahota, said research has been occurring since 2004 and the money will allow the station to continue its work.
Mauro said he is also helping the research station apply for more money from the Ministry of Agriculture, hoping to attract another $325,000.
Thursday‘s announced $675,000 came from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.
Also Thursday, Thunder Bay-area farmers Jason Reid and John Hanna said they have successfully grown a new crop, canola, in the area.
“For Thunder Bay, it‘s new,” said Reid, who runs Reidridge Farms with his wife Trudy. “It hasn‘t been grown in Thunder Bay for quite a few years.”
Hanna said he grew canola 27 years ago in the area, but he had mixed success. “It grew well,” he said, “but marketing was a problem.”
This year, Hanna has grown about 50 acres of canola in the Slate River Valley. The seeds were planted in May and the grain was just harvested.
Hanna, who has a seed-cleaning plant called Hanna‘s Seed Farm on Candy Mountain Drive, is hoping to get 1 1/2 tonnes per acre. Two tonnes per acre is about the maximum he could get and his crops didn‘t get enough rain this year for that kind of yield.
Reid grew 55 acres of canola at the corner of Townline Road and Oliver Road.
“It‘s kind of difficult to grow because it‘s such a small seed and such a tall plant,” he said.
The young farmer cut the grain about a week ago and is waiting for the moisture level to drop below 10 per cent. Last week, a test was completed and the moisture was at 17 per cent.
Reid doesn‘t know what kind of yield he will get yet, but he‘s hoping for one tonne per acre.
Both Reid and Hanna believe that, in theory, they should get a higher yield of canola than farmers in the Prairie provinces.
“We have the long day lengths of the Western provinces, but the better growing conditions in Ontario,” Reid said.
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