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UpdateIt has been three years since the creation of the

Maritime Organic Grains Network and a lot has beenaccomplished; a tour to Quebec to see numerous organicfarms with various crops, endless amounts of contactsmade between buyers and sellers, organic grain trials thathave helped to strengthen the industry, an organic grainsymposium and of course, quarterly newsletters that kepteveryone informed along the way. This will be the lastnewsletter for now, but if you feel strongly about thepositive things that the grains network has done we askyou to please send ACORN a letter or comment toindicate your feelings toward the Maritime Organic GrainsNetwork. There are a few projects left to finish up, like agrower workshop that will focus on soybeans and otherfield crops (Feb 17th in Charlottetown, PEI) and an exitsurvey which will encompass the acreages and types oforganic grains to be planted in 2010. Comparing the initialsurvey with the latest one, we will be able to determine thegrowth of the organic grains sector, so it is important to

have your input. In addition, these surveys have beenuseful for organic processors that are trying to forecastsupply for the upcoming year. The results of both surveysand the subsequent indicators for the organic grains sectorin the region will be available at the ACORN conference,March 4-6, 2010. We look forward to hearing yourproduction forecast when you are contacted by MarkBernard in the coming weeks.

We would like to acknowledge the financial support fromPEI ADAPT Council, NS Agri-Futures and the NBAgricultural Council that has made this network possible.Funding for the MOGN ends in March so this will be thelast newsletter for now, but if you feel strongly about thepositive things that the grains network has done we askyou to please send ACORN a letter or comment toindicate your feelings toward the Maritime Organic GrainsNetwork.

Organic Grain Market Outlook

From Speerville Flour Mill:

It is always good to be able to projectyour thoughts to times of betterweather, economic conditions andsuch. As I write this short note, weare having a bit of a blizzard outsideso it is a most welcome task that Ifocus on last summer and fall.In terms of grain harvest and qualitythe 2009 season was much better than2008. We were able to use themajority of the Atlantic CanadianCertified Organic grain that came ourway. Now mind you we could not useit all, but it was a markedimprovement over the 2008 season.

All in all, protein and falling numberwere better and the DON situationwas not so severe.We do our very best to use as much ofour local crop as we can. We continueto pay top dollar for this grain inhopes that we can encourage farmersto continue to include it in theirrotation. We would love a situationwhere cereal grains are more than justa breakeven venture, and it saddens uswhen we hear stories of lost funds.From a processing perspective we seea small, constant and steady growth.The idea of buying healthy, local andorganic food is becoming more of acommon

behavior. We have discussed this topicat length, to try to rationalize it, but

there are so many factorsinvolved that it is hard topinpoint the most importantone. We hope that it comesfrom people questioning theirfood dollars and in response,seeking local alternatives. Thisis by far our best way ofactually building a strong and

secure Atlantic Canadian FoodSystem. We have always maintainedthat food security is not “rocketscience”. It requires several importantelements, two of which are:“Government Foresight” and “PublicWill”. Speerville Flour Mill"Pure Food ... Naturally!"Toll Free: 1-866-277-6371

Homestead Organics

The organic grain market is general isin a short term cyclical slump. Theglobal recession has dampened thegrowth of the organic sector asconsumers reconsider their householdbudget and priorities. Let’s be clear,the market remains strong and stable,but growth has vaporatedtemporarily. It was unsustainablegrowth in market demand that pushedprices to record levels in 2008 and2009. Grain brokers entered the frayto help processors and large livestockoperators to find enough grain tomeet consumer demand. Thesebrokers were literally falling over eachother, calling the same growers,looking for the same inventories, to

In this IssueMarket Outlook Continued Page 2More Potent Fusarium Spreads Page 3Natural Inoculants Promote Crop Health Page 4Fertility Management for Organic CerealProduction Page 4Erratic year for seed quality Page 5Seed Supplier List Page 6Upcoming Events Page 7

Maritime Organic Grains Network NewsletterIssue 6 Winter 2010

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sell to the same end users. Theysimply engaged in a bidding war thatdrove up prices.

For the 2009 crop, marketpressure has subsided whileproduction also increased as moregrowers cameon stream. Therefore, the supplychain calmed down and the brokersreduced their market pressure. To adddownward pressure on market prices,South American and Asian countriescontinue to increase their organicproduction and move their grains into

North America and our traditionalmarkets in Europe and Japan.

Another factor is the USdollar. As the US currency drops invalue, or as the Canadian dollarincreases in value, the Canadiancommodity price has to drop in orderto remain competitive in the NorthAmerican market. For example, weobtained 1.2 currency exchange inFebruary 2009, versus 1.04 recently.The Canadian commodity price mustdrop by about 16 percent to remaincompetitive. Food grade soybeans thatwere worth $1000 a year ago are nowmoving for about $810-$850 pertonne. Feed soybeans are worth about$675 per tonne. Likewise, feed grainssuch as corn and cereals are movingfor about $275-$290 per tonne. Forongoing access to market prices, weinvite growers to visit our crop priceson our website at HomesteadOrganics.

It is too early to predict thevalue of the 2010 crop as buyers areuncertain of future price movements.Discussions at the Guelph OrganicFarmers conference at the end ofJanuary should allow some buyers totest the market with prices sometimein February or March. I estimate thatthe current price levels could sustainthemselves into the new 2010 crop.Throughout this global recession,consumers remain loyal to organicagriculture and the love affair for localfood continues to grow. The organicsector will surely recover its growth

rate as with some upward pricemovement next year as the globaleconomy recovers and consumershave enough confidence to increasetheir food spending.

Here at Homestead Organics,we are very pleased to work withseveral organic soybean producers inPEI for the 2009 crop. PEI is animportant source of supply as wegrow our markets and processingcapacity. We look forward to workingwith growers again for the 2010 crop.Watch our website for contract offerssometime in February or March. Inthe meantime, please review our seedcatalogue on the website for manyvarieties of organic soybeans, cereals,forages, and cover crops. In responseto demand from organic growers, theorganic seed sector has respondedwonderfully and we have manyoptions to offer.

Thank you.Tom ManleyHomestead Organics PO Box 39,Berwick, Ontario K0C 1G0, T: 613-984-0480  ext 225 F: 613-984-0481tom@homesteadorganics.cawww.homesteadorganics.cawww.choosecornwall.ca

Nature’s Crops InternationalOrganic Contracts for 2010.

Nature’s crops Internationalwill be contracting with local farmersto grow new and exciting oilseedcrops for PEI. This year we will beoffering organic contracts forCrambe, Hemp, Borage and HighOleic Sunflower. Last year was thefirst year for Crambe. The crop hadan average yield of over 1300 lbs /acre with a contracted price of $0.50 /lb . The price will likely remain thesame for this year. We will be lookingfor approximately 300 acres. Thehemp contracted last year was grownfor it’s grain production and not thefiber with a contract price of $0.52 /lb. This year we will be looking for 50acres. The Borage and High OleicSunflower will be grown for the

purpose of supplying us with samplesthat will be used to market potentialnew products for our buyers.Anyone interested in moreinformation on contracts available forthese crops please call Nature’s Cropsat 902-836-3332 or 902-626-6494.

Coop Atlantic – Country QualityOrganics

With just about a year under theirbelt, Coop Atlantic has learned a lotrather quickly. Shonda Babineau isbuying organic grain to be made intoorganic livestock feed in Sussex N.B.Over the past year as she has beencoordinating grain shipments fromfarmers she has noticed the commonproblem of farmers having limited on-farm storage dedicated to organic or alack of suitable bins that are tightfrom the elements. Another issue isfarmers understanding the quality ofthe grain, specifically the quality ofdowngraded milling grain. Grain thatdoes not make milling quality doesnot automatically qualify for feedgrade grain. Good grain producesgood feed to produce good animals.Shonda challenges farmers to take thetime to properly set up the sieves ofthe combine or put the grain througha cleaner. “Clean grain means nodockage,” Shonda is committed tobuying Maritime grown grain and ishappy to have noticed an increase inthe amount of grain available. TheSussex mill will work with organiclivestock owners, to fine tune or makecustom mixes depending onavailability of grains requested. TheCoop is anticipating the feed marketsto plateau for this coming year due tothe current economic state comparedto the growth of around 20% theyhave seen last year.

Shonda BabineauCo-op Atlantic Brokerage Ph: (506)858-6178 Fx: (506) 858-6379shonda.babineau@coopatlantic.ca

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Soy Hardy

Soy Hardy is a success story for theMaritimes and for the organicindustry and they say that the marketis only strengthening. “Our currentproduction is almost double that of2008 and early 2009,” says MattHardy. Current markets haveincreased, despite the downturn in theeconomy. Adding new accounts anddeveloping new markets in recentmonths have been attributed to themajority of sales increases. As for the future, Soy Hardy’s tofuwill be carried by one of the largestfood distributors in Canada, fromOntar io to Newfoundland.  They have also picked up fulldistribution from coast to coastin Canada for their popular Soy Nuts. Success does not come without itschallenges however. “High endorganic products are a harder sell inthis economy. It seems these days,unfortunately, retailers want organicproducts at conventional prices.”Costs (packaging, shipping, inputs,etc.) continue to increase while buyerspurchase product at a predeterminedprice and do not want to see anincrease. “It’s the same, age-oldproblem that farmers face; cost ofproduction rises and the price fortheir product lowers.” In the past Hardy’s soybeans havecome from one supplier, but Mattsays that “in 2010-2011 I foresee thatwe will have to bring in much moreproduct.” This is good news forMaritime grains!Matt HardyGeneral ManagerSoy Hardy Ltd. PH: 902-853-4014Fax: 902-853-4344 Email:matt@soyhardy.comwww.soyhardy.com

Lackawanna Products Corp

Although operating out ofW i l l i amsv i l l e , New York ,Lackawanna Products Corp isinteresting in buying Maritime

organic grains such as oats, barley andfeed grade brown flax. In addition,they are buying all types of screeningsfrom organic crops.“One of the major hurdles that I amfacing, is the disconnect between thefarmers and the market,” says FelicianMasumbuko. “Right now, because ofthe economy, the market is low andthe growers still want a high price.”He feels that the growers are holdingout for about two months too longbefore they are ready to sell the cropat the price offered and then it is toolate and the market has dried up.Another, more recent challenge is thecurrent problem with the GM flaxthat has shown up in some Canadianflax going to the EU. The extratesting and added assurances that arebeing required are slowing themarkets down, but Lackwanna is stilllooking to purchase organic flax.Also a major shift is the highexchange rate on currency betweenCanada and the US which is always influx but should not prevent producersfrom considering this other option ofsale. Felician is signing contracts topurchase organic pinto beans for both2009 and 2010 crops. He also saidthat he is only interested in buyingfull truck or rail car loads due to thecost of shipping to New York.

Felician MasumbukoLackawanna Products Corp, 8545 MainSt. Williamsville, NY 14221. USA.Tel: +1(716) 633 1940 ext 373Fax: +1(716) 633-1490   SKYPE:Legouru 

More potent fusariumspreadsReprinted from the Western Producer,October 1, 2009, VOL. 87 No. 40By Ed WhiteWinnipeg bureauFarmers might have to make sure thatfusarium damage levels in their wheatare even lower than they are nowbecause of a new strain that isspreading widely. The CanadianGrain Commission is considering

lowering the levels of damaged kernelsallowed because the new fusariumstrain is producing more vomitoxinthan the one that has dominated sincethe 1980s. For fungus-infected farms,it might mean a frustrating and costlynew reality of quality downgrades.“It was a big surprise,” said RandyClear, a crop quality expert at theCGC, about the discovery that a newform of fusarium graminearum hadtaken over Manitoba and was quicklyspreading to Saskatchewan. “We’regoing to have to see about thetolerances being lowered for some ofthe wheats.” Keystone AgriculturalProducers vice-president Rob Brunelsaid this development will increase thepain Manitoba and easternSaskatchewan farmers have beenfeeling from the fungal disease.“What can you replace wheat with?”said Brunel. “There aren’t too manyoptions.” Fusarium graminearum is afungal disease that infects heads ofcereal crops. The type the grainindustry is familiar with is called 15Acetyl. But tests on frozen samples ofgrain held by the CGC show the newgraminearum strain, 3 Acetyl,appeared in 1998 and is rapidlyspreading. Clear said that in 1998,only six percent of fusariumgraminearum infections in Manitobawere of the 3 Acetyl type, with therest being 15, but by 2007 it hadbecome 68 percent. Saskatchewan’sfusarium cases are now about one-third 3 Acetyl. Clear said some partsof the Maritimes are more than 80percent new variety, while in Ontarioand Quebec the infection is less than athird. “It’s a huge change,” said Clear,noting the aggressiveness of the newvariety in displacing the old. “Thatold variety wasn’t just hanging on, itwas thriving. What’s remarkable isthat it’s being replaced so quickly.”The 3 Acetyl is capable of creatingsubstantially more deoxynivalenol(DON), known as vomitoxin. This isdangerous for humans, pigs and cattleat high concentrations.

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Clear said the CGC had beenassuming that kernel damage ratescould be extrapolated intorepresenting a vomitoxin content, butbecause of the change to the newfusarium type, the DON level couldbe higher than previously expected.“The three’s were much better atproducing DON,” said Clear aboutAgriculture Canada tests. “That’swhat gave us the most concern,because some of the grading tolerancesare based on what we might expectthe level of DON to be for that levelof fusarium damage.” Brunel said theCGC has an obligation to protectCanada’s reputation as a quality grainexporter, so he doesn’t blame thecommission for considering lowertolerance levels. “It’s a double-edgedsword for producers,” said Brunel. “Ifthey lower the fusarium damage levelbecause of the toxicity, it’ll be tougheron farmers who have fusarium intheir wheat, but it will also reassureour buyers that the quality of grainthey’re buying meets their needs.”Manitoba’s fusarium-ravaged RedRiver Valley is likely to suffer mostfrom this development. Manyfarmers now don’t try to grow wheatin heavily infected areas and hogproducers face hefty feed bills becausethey have to bring in feed wheat fromwestern Manitoba or corn from theU.S. due to the fusarium problem.Southern Alberta feed grain brokerDoug Chambers said he doesn’t thinkmost livestock feeders will besurprised or inconvenienced by anychange in grading because theyalready do vomitoxin tests and ignorevisible kernel damage. But small scalefeeders might discover they’ve beenfeeding higher levels of DON to theirpigs than they thought. “To me, it’sthe (careless) operators that it wouldmake a difference to, the ones whowant to do things the easy way ratherthan the correct way,” said Chambers,who says most of his hog producerclients also test for various moulds.Brunel said the dominance of the 3Acetyl is further proof of why

farmers need more research anddevelopment of fusarium-resistantlines of wheat, barley and oats. “Weneed new varieties so that we cancontinue to produce top qualitymilling wheat and feed wheat withlow DON levels,” said Brunel.

Natural inoculants promote crophealth and productivity

Todd Mason, Origro Inc.

An unusual microscopic fungus is fastemerging on the commercial scene asa valuable and natural tool that canhelp promote crop health andproductivity. The fungus is the mainactive component of some newproducts which have been developedas seed treatments for small-grainedcereals and other crops, for applyingto plant foliage, flowers, fruits, stemsbranches, roots and tubers, and foramending soils and hydroponicnutrientsolutions. The products have theimportant advantage in being entirelycompatible with the production oforganic and “green” crops. They canalso be valuable tools for use in crops

grown by conventional methods. Theproducts utilize strains of a fungusknown by its Latin nameClonostachys rosea (formerlyGliocladium roseum) that wereselected from among hundreds ofnaturally-occurring fungal strainscollected from plants across Canada.The strains used in productformulations are entirely natural andwere not genetically modified in anyway. They have the extraordinaryability to grow within the stems,leaves, flowers, roots and other organsof a huge diversity of crop plants andwild plants with which they interactbeneficially. When used appropriatelythe C. rosea strains are harmless tocrops, safe for humans and theenvironment, and have beenconsidered beneficial to soil healthand structure.

Beneficial effects commonlyencountered in small-grained cerealsgrown from seeds treated with C.rosea - based products, such asEndophyte inoculant, include betterand faster seedling emergence,increased plant growth and vigour,enhanced crop resistance to diseasesand environmental stresses, increasednumbers of seed-bearing tillers, andincreased grain yield and quality.Commercia l Endophyte seedtreatments are currently on the

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OMRI approvals list. They arepowder formulations which containat least two hundred million sporesof the C. Rosea fungus per gram ofproduct. The spores are miniscule,colourless and bean shaped. It takes200 of them end to end to make amillimetre. Roughly 100 of thespores typically adhere to thesurface of a seed followingtreatment.

Fertility Management for OrganicCereal ProductionAndrew M. Hammermeister*, JoannaMacKenzie and Karen NelsonOrganic Agriculture Center ofCanada/Nova Scotia AgriculturalCollege Truro, NS

Organic grain producers in theMaritimes have struggled tomaintain yields on land wheremanure is not readily available onthe farm. They have been seekingoptions relating to both cultivarselection and the use of soilamendments as compared with thestandard practice of using a foragegreen manure. This research comparesthe use red clover ploughdown withpelletized poultry manure as anitrogen (N) source for organic cerealproduction in Prince Edward Island,Canada. The Effects of Previous Crop(clover or oats) on six barley and twooat cultivars were assessed on anorganic farm in PEI in 2008 and 2009.In addition, Fertility Trials wereconducted over two years in PEI tocompare i) previous crop of oats(oatsprev) ii) previous crop of clover(cloverp r e v ) , i i i ) o a t s p r e v + N(Nutriwave™ pelletized poultrymanure(4-1-2) at 3000 kg ha-1), and iv)c l o v e r p r e v + N on three barleycultivarsand one oat cultivar. The clover wasincorporated 2-3 weeks prior top lant ing to a l low in i t i a ldecomposition of the residues and toavoid potential toxicity problems.The 2008 crop year was drier thanaverage; in 2009 dry conditions in late

May to Mid June limited yieldpotential, and then wet conditionsprevented opportunit ies formechanical weed control. In thePrevious Crop Trial, average yieldacross all cultivars and years followingclover was 54% higher than for yieldfollowing oats but test weight was notdifferent (Figure 1); a significantbarley cultivar effect was observed,but there was no interaction betweencultivar and previous crop. For theFertility Trials, yield of the oatsprev

treatment was typically lower than inother treatments although somedifferences (in AC Baton oats andCDC McGwire barley) were notalways significant (Figure 2). Nosignificant difference in yield wasobserved between the oatsprev+ N andthe cloverprev treatments; the additiveeffect of cloverprev + N provided asignificant yield increase for somecultivars. Protein content was higherin treatments with cloverprev andcloverprev + N treatments than in theoatsprev, however, but lower in theoatsprev+ N (Figure 2). This wasattributed to higher N availability

during early plant growth (to the 3rd

leaf stage) associated with thepoultry manure, resulting in higheryield potential but protein dilutionat seed filling. In contrast, the Nrelease from clover was expected toextend longer through the season.While providing the same yieldeffect, the poultry manure (at 300kg ha-1) and clover differed in theirimpact on protein. Compared withoatsprev, thousand kernel weight

(TWK) and test weight for barleycultivars were higher for cloverprev and+ N treatments although differenceswere not always significant. Yield andTWK for the oats were not asresponsive, however test weight foroats grown on oatsprev was generallyhigher than other higher fertilitytreatments. Supplementing barley

with pelletized poultry manure canincrease yield, but cost ofproduction (as compared withputting land into forage clover for

1-2 years) must be considered.

Erratic year for seed qualityCrop Production WeekFarmers urged to find reliable seedsupplies earlyBY BRIAN CROSSSASKATOON NEWSROOM

The long, difficult harvest that causedwidespread anxiety in the fall of 2009is causing more headaches in 2010 asfarmers begin their search for reliableseed supplies. Bruce Carriere, ownerof Discovery Seed Labs in Saskatoon,told commercial grain producers andcertified seed growers that a late, wetharvest has had a significant impact oncertified seed supplies across the West.Seed from some crop types is in shortsupply, germination levels are belownormal and samples are arriving atseed labs later than usual, meaningbacklogs and longer waiting times.“This year, because of the late harvestthat we had, there’s actually twodifferent crops out there,” Carrieresaid. “There’s a crop that came off inSeptember, which is in great shape …

Oat(prev) Oat(prev) + N Clover (prev) Clover(prev) + N

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of 4-1-2 pelletized poultry manure (+N).

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and then there’s the stuff that came inlater, in November, and that crop isan entirely different story. “We’veseen lots of stuff that’s right down inthe 10 and 15 percent germinationlevel. Vigour is right off the board andit’s full of disease,” he added. “Therewill be some shortages out there.”According to Carriere, early-harvestedcrops came off in ideal condition withgood germination and few diseaseproblems. Kernel weights in someearly-harvested crops were slightlybelow normal, so farmers shouldadjust their seeding rates accordingly,he said. However, quality issues werewidespread for crops harvested laterin the year. For those, germinationlevels are below normal and seedvigour is down.Oat supplies are expected to beunusually tight. The vast majority ofthe province’s oat crop came off latelast fall and germination levels inmany samples are poor. Carriere saidhis lab has seen germination levelsfrom five to 75 percent. “Twentyseven percent of the oat samples thatwe tested … are below that 75 percentrange and I think in oats, you don’twant to be playing around with any(germination) numbers less than that.“So I expect to see a shortage of goodoat seed,” he said. “There’s a few seedgrowers out there that have stuffcarried over from last year and if I wasbuying seed, that’s the stuff I wouldbe looking for.” Much ofSaskatchewan’s wheat crop suffered asimilar fate. What little washarvested in September is ingood shape but the rest is in

poor condition, relative to a normalproduction year. “There was notmuch wheat that came off in the earlyharvest so you’d better be looking forwheat right away,” he said. “Some ofthe newer varieties, I understand, arealready sold out so you might want tobe looking around for some of thosenewer ones if you’re going to bechanging your wheat seed this year.”Demand for lentil seed is alsoexpected to be higher than usual thisyear, especially for red varieties,Carriere said. Lentil acreage isexpected to rise sharply this spring sosupply issues could arise.“If you’re looking for lentil seed,you’d better be locking in yourpricing right now and taking deliveryof them because as the price of lentilsgoes up, so does the price of the seed,”Carriere said. “There’s already beenone increase that I know of in theprice of lentil seed so you might wantto make sure you’ve got that lockedin.” Barley that was harvested earlylooks very good but crops that wereharvested later will almost certainlyhave lower germination levels. Fieldpeas came off in relatively good shape,he added, although many producerswho tried to hasten the harvestprocess last fall applied glyphosate todry down their crops. Producers whoused glyphosate as a desiccant andintend to plant farm-saved peas in thespring should test their samples forglyphosate residue. The same is truefor cereal crops treated with

glyphosate. “We’re seeing somesignificant damage, in terms of beingsprayed too early, and that’s not goodfor the seed crop,” Carriere said. Ifglyphosate is sprayed too early theplant’s root system will be smaller,which eventually kills it. Fusariumlevels were a concern on some late-harvested cereals but the fusariumstrain most commonly detected wasnot fusarium graminearium, the mosttoxic strain.Testing in Carriere’s labs is almost sixweeks behind schedule and farmerswaiting for results can expect to waittwo weeks longer than usual. Heencouraged commercial grain growersto ask certified seed growers toughquestions this year to ensure theyknow what they are buying. Inparticular, seed buyers should ask tosee germination certificates and shouldnote test dates. Carriere saidgermination levels in some late-harvested bulk cereal crops coulddecline between now and seedingtime, depending on the moisturecontent of seed and environmentalconditions in the bin. He said somebarley could fall into this category.“We have seen some stuff come offwith fairly good germs but I don’tbelieve it’s going to hold up thatlong.” There are a few seed growersout there that have stuff carried overfrom last year and if I was buyingseed, that’s the stuff I would belooking for.BRUCE CARRIERE

DISCOVERY SEEDLABS

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Organic and Organic/Pedigreed SeedSupplier List (Field Crops Only):

(Note: Other suppliers may exist)

Useful organizations:

The Canadian Seed Institute (CSI). Asan independent, not-for-profitorganization, CSI is able to offerprograms and services to augment andsupport the work of regulatory officials,including standards development, andcertification system development.www.csi-ics.com/main.asp or www.csi-ics.com/organic/organic_certification/list_of_organic_seed_vendors/search_kind.asp

The Canadian Seed Growers’Association (CSGA), which represents4,500 seed growers, provides leadership asthe only Canadian organization tomonitor and certify pedigreed seed for allagricultural crops in Canada exceptpotatoes.www.seedgrowers.ca/documentlibrary/growerdirectories.asp?lang=e

Farmer Direct Co-operative Ltd. is aproducer-driven business that providesthe world with ethically grown andtraded foods. Our co-operative of 60organic farmers produce high quality100% Certified Organic fairDeal oilseedsand pulses for food manufacturer'sdistributors, and food service providersworldwide. You can choose from FarmerDirect's three supply options: bulkpackaged & processed goods, or privatelabeling www.farmerdirect.ca/

Seeds of Diversity is a Canadiancharitable organization dedicated to theconservation, documentation and use ofpublic-domain non-hybrid plants ofCanadian significance. Our 1700 membersfrom coast to coast are gardeners, farmers,teachers, scientists, agricultural historians,researchers and seed vendors. Togetherwe grow, propagate and distribute over1500 varieties of vegetables, fruit, grains,flowers and herbs.www.semences.ca/hpd/csci.php

Ecological Farmers Association ofOntario: The EFAO was established in1979 with the purpose: 1. To develop andprovide programs promoting the practiceand advancement of ecological agriculturewhich maintains and enhances the healthof the soil, water, crops, livestock, and thediversity of the environment.2. To

educate and increase the public’sunderstanding of ecological agricultural.3. To bring together people who areconcerned about ecological agriculture sothey can share experiences, support eachother and create community.

www.efao.ca/seed_directory.shtml

Québec Suppliers:* Semences Nicolet, Gilbert Proulx,3500, les 60, Nicolet Quebec,(819) 293-8549- Wheat and soybeans (organic pedigreedseed)

* Semences RDR, David Proulx, NicoletQuebec, (819) 293-2001 or 1 866-293-2001www.semencesrdr.com/

- Hulless oats, oats, soybeans, peas, wheat,barley, and spelt (organic pedigreed seed)

* Ferme Éliro, Rodrigue Tremblay, LaDoré Québec, (418) 256-3755 / 256-3622or 1-800-321-4094www.moulincoutu.com/index.php - Organic pedigreed seeds

Aliments Trigone, Jacques Côté, SaintFrancois de Montmagny, (418)259-7414,www.alimentstrigone.com , - Spelt, hemp(under contract only), buckwheat

Ontario Suppliers (see: EcologicalFarmers Association of Ontario):

Dave Harry, R.R. 3, Stirling, ON K0K3E0, 613-395-2653, h.harry@sympatico.ca- corn and red clover- organically produced seed

Doug Shirray, Box 765, Tavistock, ONN0B 2R0, 519-655-2570- certified organic: seed corn, manyvarieties of clover, sudan grass, sorghum,alfalfa, orchard grass, meadow fescue andryegrass.

* Great Lakes Organics, 4492 ProgressDrive, Petrolia, ON, N0N 1R0, Phone519-882-4526, (877) 409-9917

- wheat, spelt, oats, clover, many varietiesof soybeans- certified organic pedigreed seed

Grain Process Enterprises Ltd, 115Commander Blvd., Scarborough, ON,M1S 3M7, Phone 416-291-3226

Hardy Seeds Limited, Grahame Hardy,Inkerman, ON, 613-989-2054,- certified organic soybean

* Homestead Organics Seed cataloguehttp://www.homesteadorganics.ca/

- oats, barley, wheat (hard), soybeans,corn, rye, buckwheat, forages- certified organic seed and organicallyproduced not certified seed

* Hendrick Seeds, Dave and CarolynHendrick, 11791 Sandy Row RR1,Inkerman, ON K0E 1J0,(613)-774-3469-sold out of organic seed for this year.

Kuepfer Farm, Joseph Kuepfer, RR1,Tiverton, ON N0G 2T0- soybeans, certified organic

Merrylynd Organics Peter Leahy, RR 4,Lakefield, ON, K0L 2H0, Phone (705)755-1081,

Fax (705) 755-1081,merrylynd@peterboro.net - certifiedorganic seeds: buckwheat, corn, oats, rye,soybean, spelt, wheat (hard & soft)

Natural Harvest Seed Cleaners, AlexMills, Tavistock, ON, 905-939-8870

- certified organic: mixed grain (peas, oatsand barley), soybeans, hard red springwheat, spelt and soft red winter wheat.

* ProRich Seeds Inc, Tom Faulkner,Mount Elgin, Ontario, N0J 1N0,519-485-3447- certified organic and pedigreed seeds:Various forage species and varieties

Saugeen Specialty, Sean McGivern,Desboro, ON, 519-794-4445- certified organic grains

W.G. Thompson & Sons Ltd., HylandSeeds (Division), P.O. Box 250,Blenheim, ON N0P 1A0, 519-676-8146,Fax: 519-676-3185,info@hylandseeds.com,www.hylandseeds.com- certified organic and pedigreed soybeanseed

Wehrmann Grain & Seed, RR #1,Ripley, ON N0G 2R0, 519-395-3126, Fax:519-395-2935, ingasven@hurontel.on.ca- soybeans, wheat, oats, rye, covercrops,spelt & other field crops- certified organic seed

Atlantic Canada Suppliers:Coop Atlantic Brokerage, c/o ShondaBabineau, Moncton NB, (506) 858-6178,

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Fax: (506) 858-6379,shonda.babineau@coopatlantic.ca

Maurice Girouard, Sainte Marie de KentNB, 506.856.0172, fax : 506.955.3799,mgirouar@nbnet .ca

Good Food Farm, Tom Lask,Penobsquis (Sussex) NB,506.432.6467

*Meadowbrook Farm,David Mol, PO Box 3113,Charlottetown, PEI, C1A7N9, Ph: 902-368-1718, Cell:902-628-9292, Fax: 902-892-3403 Conventional Untreatedand Organic

*McCardle Bros Seed 1-866-553-5050 ConventionalUntreated

Yeo Seed 1-902-436-0151 ConventionalUntreated

Others:

* Pure T Organics and Whole Wheat,PO Box 8, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P2Z2, Phone: (306) 757-7012, Fax: (306)347-2734 - Certified organic Pedigreedseeds: red and green lentils, peas, rye,spring wheat, durum wheat

Agricom International Inc., 13-828Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver,

BC, V7P 3R9, Phone 604-983-6922, Fax604-983-6923, organic@agricom.com

* Pedigreed seed suppliers

Upcoming Events

February 17: Workshop - on organicsoybean and field crops.Location: Howard Johnson DutchInn, Cornwall, PEI. 9:30 am – 4:00pm Speakers to include HarroWehrmann, Ontario organic grainfarmer and processor, AndyHammermeister speaking on 2009organic trial results. Cost of $15(which includes lunch)Contact Mark Bernard for more info(P) 902 887 3188 orinfo@barnyardorganics.ca

March 4 -6 : 10th AnniversaryACORN Conference & Trade Showat the Rodd Charlottetown!

ACORN is hosting an entire Cropand Weedy Workshop Series at the10th A n n i v e r s a r y A C O R N

Conference. All of theseworkshops will take placeon Friday, March 5th in theGrafton Room.

These workshops include:Innovative WeedManagement Strategies forOrganic Cereal Crops Dr.Ellen Mallory (GraftonRoom)

Composting for Field Cropswith Roger Henry (Grafton

Room)

Weed Control and Organic FieldRotations with Roger Henry(Grafton Room)

Bringing Out the Best in YourSoil–Organic Soil and FertilityManagement with Dr. Ellen Mallory,U. of Maine (Grafton Room)