Here’s a place to access timely information on crop production and events affecting specialty crop producers and interested members of the industry in Ontario. Topics may include crop production; monitoring and management of insects, diseases and weeds, and answers to frequently asked questions about specialty crops in Ontario.
What is a specialty crop? The term specialty (or non-traditional) crop means different things to different people, but for the purposes of this blog a specialty crop is a low acreage or niche crop that is generally new to a region. Ontario specialty crops include (but are not limited to) ethnic vegetables, hops, sweet potatoes, specialty fruits (e.g. edible blue honeysuckle, goji berry, sea buckthorn), culinary and medicinal herbs and plants for industrial uses (e.g. biomass crops, fibre hemp).
Who are we? We are OMAFRA staff who work on non-traditional crops in the province of Ontario. Our primary areas of focus are new crop development and specialty crops integrated pest management.
You can find more information on specialty crop production information in Ontario by visiting the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs crop web pages.