Climate Risk Management

Hon. Trevor Jones, Ontario’s agriculture, food and agribusiness minister, centre, inspects the newly installed hail netting with growers Keith Wright (right) and son David (left), in Harrow, Ontario.

A few weeks ago I joined The Grower’s Karen Davidson for a two-day tour of farms and agricultural organizations throughout Southern Essex County.

A story originating from that tour, and published this week, looks into how farmers are dealing with the increasing regularity of extreme weather events, like this week’s heat dome.  But also damaging hail, like Keith Wright and his son David (pictured above) dealt with in July of 2021 that left them with 90 percent crop loss.

Business Risk Management, like the installation of Whailex single-row, hail netting for the Wright’s high-value Gala apples, will be of high importance when the federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) agriculture ministers meet in Winnipeg July 16-18.  Farm groups across the country insist a new framework for Business Risk Management is urgently needed. 

For the full story, click here.

While waiting for the Minister to arrive I was able to photograph the asparagus being harvested at Wrightland Farms on Ridge Road - a quant little drive-through farm stand with asparagus and rhubarb and other local items.