The Vineland Quarterly | Spring 2026

Exploring sustainable solutions for high-wire vegetable production.

Canada’s greenhouse vegetable sector is one of the country’s most productive and technologically advanced agricultural industries, supplying high quality, locally grown produce year-round.

Food upcycling innovation in Canada has been growing rapidly across individual companies, but sector-wide progress was being slowed by fragmentation, limited coordination, and a lack of national leadership. Research led by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre found that while scientific innovation was strong, the food upcycling ecosystem needed stronger connections, shared standards, and a unifying platform to enable national scale and long-term impact.

In response to questions from greenhouse vegetable growers, we established a shared trial offering companies that sell disinfectant or cleaning products the opportunity to test their products under standardized conditions.

Author: Amy Blake, Senior Research Technician, Consumer, Sensory & Market Insights

We recently published a study (2021-2023) in the Journal of Wine Research that examined consumer acceptance and sensory attributes of Marquette, a cold-hardy hybrid grape, with the goal of guiding wine production and marketing decisions.

Ashley Summerfield has been part of Vineland Research and Innovation Centre for 12 years, working as a Senior Research Technician in Biological Crop Protection. She is responsible for the day‑to‑day operation of the biological control lab, supporting applied research focused on greenhouse pest management.

Soil health is the foundation of successful urban forestry. In urban environments, soils are often compacted, disturbed, or low in organic matter, conditions that directly limit tree establishment, growth, and longevity. Understanding and improving soil health is essential to protecting investments in urban trees and green infrastructure.