The Timmins Economic Development Corporation is working on improving Northern agriculture. They are teaming up with the University of Guelph and the Kapuskasing Research Station to do a study. CEO of the TEDC, Christy Marining, explains.
“It’s an agricultural crop trial that’s going to take place throughout the region to determine what products are best grown in Northern Ontario,” says Marining. “With that scientific data, we will then market that to outside investors.”
But, that’s not all they’re working on. The TEDC is also bringing tile drainage to farmers, which drains off excess water in the soil so they can increase their crops.
The TEDC was granted over $700,000 with the Northeast Community Networks program to help farmers tile their land.
“This allows farmers to implement the tile project, and increase their yields,” describes Marining. “So again, creating and diversifying our economy through agricultural as one of those things in helping our farmers increase their yields and be more productive, is very important.”
City Councillor Noella Rinaldo says she has been at a Northern Agriculture Symposium, and says she learned this will really expand the growing season.
“This really does change the way we look at agriculture in the North,” says Rinaldo. “The tiling project was something at the symposium the speakers that spoke felt it was very important that a tiling program be started here. It would expand our growth season immensely, and was very important.”
There have been five farmers apply for part of that funding over the past two years.