1. Important upcoming meetings

Attendance is important, this is your opportunity to have your voice heard and ensure that future projects and research meet your needs as a grower!

November 19: IPM meeting for nursery staff
8:30 a.m. - noon at Landscape Ontario.
Please reach out to Cassie (cassie.russell@ontario.ca) if you wish you send a staff member to this meeting.
The intent is to have key IPM staff (folks who are doing the spraying, managing IPM programs and pest modules, etc.) at this meeting.
The meeting will be to allow key IPM staff members to network, problem solve, and provide some feedback on topics for the winter IPM workshops, as well as future projects and pest priorities.

November 26: Research and pest priority meeting for growers/owners
Noon- 4 p.m. at Landscape Ontario. Lunch provided.
Similar to last year, we will hold the annual research priority setting meeting. The agenda will be circulated a week prior.
At this meeting, we will revisit last year’s nursery research priority list as well as finalize the annual minor use priority list for Ontario. Attendance is strongly encouraged.
Please email Lauralee (lgonzalez@landscapeontario.com) to confirm attendance.

November 26: Growers Group Meeting
4-5 p.m. at Landscape Ontario.
Agenda to come in the next week.

November 26: Growers Fall Dinner
5:30 p.m. at Piper’s Heath Golf Club, Milton.
Registration and full details coming soon.

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2. Temporary Foreign Worker News (LICC/OFVGA)

The second consultation on TFWs remains open until November 8. The Discussion Paper focuses on the proposed Occupational Scope for the New Foreign Labour Program for Agriculture and Fish Processing Stream. The ESDC’s national commodities list will be changing, but nursery workers (NOC 85103) will still be considered primary agriculture, whether the workers are seasonal or full-year. Note that the exemption from the $1,000 LMIA processing fee will be maintained. As we prepare a response, we are asking for your feedback:
 

1. Do any of your farms access the skilled labour TFW’s for manager or supervisor positions? This component of the scope will be changing as the scope of the TFW program will no longer include high-skilled positions.
2. There are new stream-specific work permits. Do you have any concerns about these? There have been some concerns shared by LICC (our representative is Stefan Larass) that there could be some risk to the original hosting employer if the flexibility of worker transition to alternative employers is simplified.

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3. Current cost-sharing opportunities

The RALP (Resilient Ag Landscape Program) may be a fit for some farms. They have a “water retention features’ stream (Programs – OSCIA-Delivered Program Guides):

1. $6,000/acre for rejuvenating an existing water retention feature and/or shallow groundwater type feature (minimum depth 15 feet after rejuvenation).
2. $10,000/acre for establishing a new water retention feature and/or lined reservoir type feature (minimum depth 15 feet).

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4. CNLA Growers Tour to Italy

Jamie Aalbers at CNLA is organizing a trip to Italy in February 2025. Please see the information below. If you want any more additional information, please reach out to Philip Pieper (philip@pieper.ca) or Jamie Aalbers (jamie@canadanursery.com). Let Jamie know ASAP if you are interested in going because hotel rooms need to be booked.

Tour itinerary:
Feb. 17/18 - Travel day to Milan
Feb. 19 - Attend MyPlant & Garden
Feb. 20 - Morning - Growers Committee meeting at MyPlant
Feb. 20 - Afternoon - coach bus travel to Pistoia (3-4 hours drive from Milan)
Feb. 21 - Nursery tours in Pistoia
Feb. 22 - Nursery tours in Pistoia
Feb. 23 - Half day tour, return to Milan
Feb. 24 - Travel home

There is a large concentration of nurseries in the Pistoia region, and there is a coach bus for the tours and return travel to Milan. The industry tour is still under development, but CNLA is working with a consultant in Italy to put that all together and hope to share those details soon.

The Milan Malpensa International Airport (MXP) is about 30 minutes from the Fiero Milano (where my MyPlant is being held) so is recommended. Those attending will be responsible for booking their own flights and getting from the airport to the hotel in Milan. We can block the rooms for everyone, but need to know if you need a single or double occupancy room.

Estimated costs:
With help from the Italian Nursery Growers Association, we were able to secure good hotel pricing in Pistoia. The Milan hotel unfortunately is more expensive. There is $18,000 available from AgriMarketing to help offset the costs, so the amount available per person will depend on the number of people attending. Estimated cost per person is ~$2,600 if you are travelling by yourself based on 15-20 people.

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5. Spotted Lanternfly

CFIA directive consultation
LO and CNLA submitted responses to the proposed Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) directive D-24-01 last week (linked below). We have serious concerns about how our sector has been targeted for regulation while the insect is clearly being transported into Canada primarily through the transportation sector. There have been six confirmed recent sightings in Ontario (Windsor, Fort Erie, Mississauga) and two in Quebec in recent months, but there is still no evidence of an established population in Canada.

• LO response
• CNLA response

LO resource page
LO has set up a resource page at https://horttrades.com/spotted-lanternfly where you can find links to the best resources on SLF. Please have a look, and let us know if you have any suggestions.

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