Ontario Investing More Than $1.3 Million to Support Northern Agriculture

Provincial funding will create good-paying jobs and protect agri-food workers, farmers and businesses

May 1, 2026

NORTHERN ONTARIO — The Ontario government is investing $1.35 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to support five agriculture projects in the North. As part of its plan to protect Ontario and strengthen northern agriculture, the province is making strategic investments to ensure businesses in the agri-food sector have the resources they need to create good-paying jobs, expand operations and build more resilient and self-reliant communities.

“Our government is creating new opportunities for growth and sending a strong message that agriculture in northern Ontario is booming,” said George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth. “This NOHFC funding is helping businesses thrive, supporting and protecting local food production and contributing to a stronger, self-reliant northern economy.”

The NOHFC is supporting the following projects:

Claybelt Development Corporation – a company in New Liskeard that clears and prepares agricultural land for farms – is receiving $704,280 across two projects to purchase equipment, including two mulchers, an excavator, a fuel tank, a feller buncher and skidder to scale up operations, expand into biomass sales to mills, create more arable land and hire additional staff
Coopérative Régionale de Nipissing-Sudbury Limitée – a grain storage provider in Verner – is receiving $213,655 to buy and install a 60-foot grain storage bin, which will help the company offer its service to more producers and retain its workers
HCF North – a farm in Iroquois Falls – is receiving $266,998 to enhance its facility, including buying a new grain bin, which will increase storage space for its and other farmers’ crops, as well as create jobs
Vanderwees Greenhouses Inc. – a company in Thunder Bay that sells plants and vegetable seedlings – is receiving $171,991 to upgrade its infrastructure, buy transplanting equipment and train employees, resulting in more plants being grown faster, new job opportunities and increased exports.

“This investment will strengthen Ontario’s $52 billion agri-food sector, bringing more land into agricultural production, supporting good-paying jobs and expanding equipment and storage capacity,” said Trevor Jones, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Our government is proud to support businesses in northern Ontario that are driving growth in the sector and strengthening the province’s food security.”

The Ontario government is prioritizing investments through the NOHFC that protect northern industries and jobs, mitigate the impacts of U.S. tariffs and trade disruptions and secure new opportunities for the long-term prosperity of northern Ontario. The renewed focus is boosting competitiveness and ensuring the North remains a leader in Ontario’s economy. This new direction is in addition to the province’s investment of an additional $30 million over three years, bringing the NOHFC’s annual budget to a total of $110 million. Together, these initiatives will benefit communities of all sizes, both rural and urban, including Indigenous communities.

Quick Facts

Through its funding programs, the NOHFC offers support to public and private sector economic development projects across northern Ontario.
Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $1 billion in over 8,000 projects in northern Ontario, leveraging more than $3 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 12,500 jobs.
Ontario announced on April 21, 2026, that it is proposing to expand agricultural production in northern Ontario by streamlining access to Crown land in the Clay Belt region.

Quotes

“The generous support of the NOHFC has allowed the Claybelt Development Corporation to invest in the additional capacity necessary to unlock the agricultural potential of the great Clay Belt quickly and effectively, thereby increasing Ontario’s agricultural output and annual GDP, as well as contributing to the diversification of rural economies in the North. The support of the Ontario government in developing the Clay Belt – Canada’s new frontier for agriculture – will have positive impacts that are felt for generations to come.”

– Luke Dinan, Director of Operations – Northern Ontario, Claybelt Development Corporation

“The NOHFC’s support has enabled us to build critical grain storage infrastructure at our Verner site, strengthening the services we provide to all grain producers across West Nipissing and surrounding areas. This investment directly improves farm gate economics by allowing growers to store and market their grain more efficiently, and by providing more export opportunities out of northern Ontario. We are grateful for the province’s commitment to agricultural resiliency and to the long-term success of northern farmers.”

– Denis Castonguay, General Manager, Coopérative Régionale de Nipissing-Sudbury Limitée

“The NOHFC’s support of the HCF North grain elevator has made an enormous impact on the development of critical agricultural infrastructure in the great Clay Belt. Unlocking the agricultural potential of the Clay Belt is not just about putting acres into production, but also about the construction and operation of the necessary support systems to see the producers farming those acres reach their potential. The support of the NOHFC and the Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth has been instrumental in the development of HCF North and the growth of the agricultural sector in the great Clay Belt.”

– Benji Metzger, Farm Manager, HCF North

“This NOHFC investment is an important milestone for Vanderwees and our transplanting technology project. With this support, we can continue to innovate and scale our transplanting technology, strengthen our manufacturing operations and create new skilled jobs in northern Ontario. The demand for plants has risen in recent years, both in our community and those that surround us. We continue to ship throughout northwestern Ontario as well as into Minnesota – the upgrades to our transplanting process allow us to meet that demand.”

– John Vanderwees, President, Vanderwees Greenhouses Inc.

“The Ontario Federation of Agriculture welcomes this important investment in northern Ontario’s agri-food sector. Supporting critical infrastructure, expanding productive farmland and strengthening local agri-food businesses are key to improving farm viability, growing agricultural production and ensuring long-term food security for Ontario. Investments like this help create good-paying jobs, sustain rural and northern communities and give farmers and agri-food producers the tools they need to remain competitive, resilient and ready to meet growing demand. We commend the province for recognizing the essential role agriculture plays in driving economic growth across northern Ontario.”

– Drew Spoelstra, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Additional Resources

The NOHFC, Northern Development Offices and Small Business Enterprise Centres support northern communities, businesses and other stakeholders in identifying economic development opportunities and government funding programs.