Small Grain Buyers Meet and Greet

Grains are extremely valuable to organic farmers—they can serve as a main crop, as feed or as a cover crop to reduce weeds and build soil health. As organic producers need to demonstrate good crop rotations in order to get organic certification, small grain crops can play a key role in building out rotations consisting mainly of cash crops like corn or soybeans.

At the EFAO conference’s Grain Buyers Meet and Greet, sponsored by the Organic Council of Ontario, organic small grain growers from across Ontario’s organic sector had the opportunity  to network and address some of the most common questions and concerns regarding small grain production and marketing. Panellists included buyers from 1847 Stone Milling, The Anderson Inc., Field Farm Marketing Ltd., SureSource and Wehrmann Grain & Seeds. 

Discussion topics included the state of Ontario’s grain market and the use of small grains as cover crops and in crop rotations to increase yields in corn and beans and help manage weed cycles. The panellists agreed that small grains crops are an important part of an Ontario organic grower’s crop rotation.

The panellists also addressed some of the common challenges facing organic grain growers, including the difficulty of using small grains to reach comparable net returns compared to soy or corn or to compete with small grain growers across the rest of Canada and the United States. 

The event also included an opportunity to break out into smaller groups so that attendees could meet with each of the buyers and ask specific questions related to small grain pricing and purchasing. The panel provided a wonderful opportunity for small grain growers across Ontario to network, build connections and share knowledge. 

If you’d like to learn more about similar topics in the future, you can get the latest updates on webinars, news, opportunities and so much more by signing up for our free e-news. 

For more information on climate-friendly agricultural practises, you can check out our Organic Climate Solutions campaign.

This is just one of the amazing discussions that took place at the 2021 EFAO Conference. Eager for more? You can now buy a bundle of the all the 2021 EFAO session recordings here!

Watch the full session below!

OCO would like to acknowledge our appreciation for the financial support provided by the Prairie Organic Development Fund and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada for this session as part of a ten part series of producer trainings!