Group continuing to promote Ontario garlic production

摘要

It's an industry that has seen its fair share of problems - Chinese dumping, trans-shipping, and the leek moth pest, just to name a few. But the members of the Garlic Growers Association of Ontario continue on, planting a new crop every fall and bringing in a new harvest of bulbs ever)' summer. About a dozen members visited two Elgin County farms in June to take part in the group's annual field day and to discuss future research and promotional opportunities. Alan Spicer has lived on his Port Burwellarea property since the mid-1970s. When the family first moved to the site, "this plot grew only horsetail," Alan explained, referring to a small field adjacent to his home. In the past 30 years, he has added copious amounts of goat manure plus kitchenand yard compost, boosting the soil's organic matter from less than one per cent to five per cent while also improving calcium and magnesium levels in the soil.