Celebrate the best of Canada’s bounty, from vibrant berries and hearty pulses to golden potatoes and fresh vegetables. Here we share recipes that are as delicious as they are inspiring, from crispy smashed potatoes, to flavourful, Indian-inspired Shepherd’s pie, to a bright dessert that is bursting with summer berry and lemon flavours.
A multi-province study is uncovering which wild bees are most effective at pollinating blueberries and what growers can plant to support them year-round.
Canada’s farms are embracing smart technology, but the same connectivity that powers modern agriculture is also attracting sophisticated cyber threats.
From smart lighting to AI-guided nutrients, researchers are reimagining the greenhouse – and bringing the dream of year-round Canadian-grown fruits and vegetables closer to reality.
From a small 2.5-acre field to a thriving 175-acre operation, Great North Seed Potatoes has grown its roots deep in Alberta soil. Discover how Klaas and Joyce Bakker turned hard work, innovation, and community spirit into a seed potato success story that’s feeding Canada from the ground up.
Growing up in the Netherlands, Klaas Bakker knew that his father had one day wanted to go to Canada. But, while life got in the way and that trip never happened, it inspired Bakker to make the journey himself in 2001, where he worked for three months on a seed potato farm in Stony Plain, Alberta. In 2002, after his wife (also from the Netherlands) graduated to become a registered nurse, they decided to visit Canada for a full year together – and loved the country so much, they never left.
As newcomers to Canada, they both started working on farms; Joyce on a dairy farm – and later as a nurse – and Klaas on a chicken and grain farm, before going on to work at a potato and grain operation.
In 2007, Joyce established a tissue culture laboratory that multiplied potato plants in a sterile environment to make plantlets, which were then planted in greenhouses to produce the first mini tubers.
In 2009, the Bakkers built their own greenhouse, followed by a second one a year later, and the mini tubers they produced were sold to nearby farms. However, in 2012, the Bakkers began growing their own seed potatoes on a small, 2.5-acre field. It was here that Joyce took care of the tissue culture laboratorium and greenhouses and Klaas took care of the field production while also working for different farms in the area. Then, after renting land for three years, the Bakkers were able to buy their own 80-acre property, where they continue to farm today.
“I’ve always had a love for agriculture but never in my wildest dreams did I think we would have our own seed potato farm,” says Bakker. “But with hard work, as well as help from the amazing connections we’ve built over the years, we now call our beautiful seed potato farm – Great North Seed Potatoes – home.”
Since 2024, the Bakkers have also been working at growing potatoes in beds instead of hills and have established a 20-acre trial of beds on the farm.
“Growers in the United Kingdom have been planting potatoes this way for a long time and, after reading about it and talking to people over there, we thought it could be a solution that works for us,” says Bakker. “By planting in a bed instead of hills, we’re able to get to a more even sized profile of seed potatoes by planting more tubers per acre, utilize more land, and we are able to better retain the moisture in the soil. It has gone well and we’re now doing all our planting in beds; we’re very happy with the results so far.”
The Bakkers currently farm 175 acres of seed potatoes.
Growing a reputation
Alberta is well regarded across Canada and the United States as a reliable source of clean seed potatoes. This is a reputation that Great North Seed Potatoes strives to build upon, and the Bakkers do everything they can to ensure the highest food safety standards. From disinfecting buildings, equipment, and shipping boxes to collaborating with agronomists on crop nutrition, field work, and disease-prevention programs, Great North Seed Potatoes ensures every step supports a healthy harvest. Customers can trust that what they plant will grow into success – and that’s why they keep coming back year after year.
One of the things that Bakker appreciates most about being a farmer is knowing that his seed potatoes will be transformed into the potatoes that make fries, chips, and perogies (among a multitude of other products) found on shelves and in restaurants across Canada. But he’s also learned that agriculture requires patience, with his seed potatoes taking about 6.5 years to get from the farm’s laboratory to Canadians’ plates. A great deal of planning and foresight is required to meet the demands of his customers.
“I’ve always had a love for agriculture but never in my wildest dreams did I think we would have our own seed potato farm. But with hard work, as well as help from the amazing connections we’ve built over the years, we now call our beautiful seed potato farm – Great North Seed Potatoes – home.”
Klaas Bakker, Great North Seed Potatoes
Bakker acknowledges that, while farming comes with its challenges, it’s also a fulfilling way of life – one that provides a wonderful environment to raise a family.
He says, “Farming is an ever-evolving industry that allows us to work with our customers and other potato businesses and farming operations. I love talking to them about how their crop is doing, how they are handling their potatoes, or what they might be doing differently in the fields. I always learn something new and that’s what makes being a potato farmer interesting.”
With its in-house culture laboratory and greenhouses, the farm is self-sufficient and produces all of its own seed potatoes.
Giving back
In addition to being stewards of the land and contributing to sustainable growing practices, the Bakkers also like to give back to the community. As part of this, Great North Seed Potatoes will donate potatoes to organizations such as Coyote Lake Lodge, where those with disabilities help work in the gardens and the produce harvested is partly donated to the local foodbank.
“We also love to help our school and community by donating potatoes for fundraisers,” says Bakker. “And Joyce really enjoys organizing field trips for the local school to come to our farm so we can teach them all about potatoes and what it means to be a farmer.”
Looking ahead, the Bakkers will continue working to keep Great North Seed Potatoes successful and growing by modernizing equipment and practices. Even further down the road, there is hope that one or more of the Bakker kids will take over the farm and contribute to Alberta’s agricultural sector for years to come.
Have you noticed the surge of AI coverage in the media? I initially suspected my perception was skewed by frequency illusion, given my current coursework in digital and data science. However, the data confirms it is not just a perception. A media trend analysis for ‘AI and digital’ reveals a consistent upward trajectory globally over the past year, mirrored in both the United States and Canada (see Table 1). Yet, when ‘agriculture’ is added to the search, an interesting anomaly emerges: the trend reverses, but only for Canada.
The lack of association between Canadian agriculture and AI is concerning, particularly given the sector’s vital role in our economy and food security. Bridging this gap requires a unified effort across the entire ecosystem – farmers, agribusiness, researchers, and advisors – to position our industry at the forefront of innovation.
Key Word Mention Trend
Key Word Search
Canada
Global
U.S.
AI. Digital
+40.8%
+48.5%
+34.9%
AI. Digital. Agriculture
-29.1%
+45.2%
+38.8%
Note: Meltwater search date November 23, 2025. Source types: news, X, YouTube. Time: over the last year. Language: English
A Vision for What is Possible
In an industry where risk and unpredictability are constant, the potential application of AI in agriculture is compelling. The sector is uniquely suited for agentic AI and multimodal integration due to its diverse data types, such as field imagery and climate records. According to Tara McCaughey, Head, Technology Solutions and Sustainable Agriculture at Syngenta Canada, “artificial intelligence represents a transformative frontier for agriculture, offering the opportunity to connect and integrate data resources. This has the potential to unlock insights and accelerate decision making at the farm-gate, ultimately contributing to enhancing the productivity of agriculture in Canada”. Both McKinsey & Company and Syngenta highlight several key use cases, including predictive analytics and technology design, while the World Bank offers five ‘What If’ scenarios that demonstrate the future as both inspiring and within reach.
Turning Agriculture’s AI Lag into a Lead
The correlation between AI investment and corporate growth, driven by product innovation and operational efficiency, is undeniable1. Yet, despite this clear ROI, the Canadian agriculture sector faces a critical adoption gap2.
While broader Canadian business adoption climbed to 12.1% in Q2 2025 (a 6.1% year-over-year increase), agriculture remains low at a mere 1.8%3. When we contrast this with other sectors like Information and Culture (35.6%) or Finance (30.6%), it becomes clear that agriculture is leaving significant efficiency gains on the table.
Addressing the AI Adoption Gap
Realizing the full potential of AI in agriculture requires more than just adopting new tools; it demands a systemic transformation. To move from potential to practical application, we must address several barriers currently prohibiting the industry. The following framework outlines four critical pillars necessary to close the AI gap and secure a competitive future for the sector.
Standardize and Digitize: Address the lack of standardized data by digitizing existing research and generating new datasets. Fine-tune existing Large Language Models with specific agricultural data to improve efficiency2.
Expand Connectivity: Improve broadband and satellite access, as only 54% of rural Canadians currently have high-speed internet4. Build interoperable, user-friendly digital public infrastructure to support AI tools.
Attract High-Tech Talent and Investment: Position agriculture as a high-tech sector. Focus on recruiting for digital literacy, product design, and data analytics capabilities5. Establish sound financial policy to attract capital and resource investments.
Foster Buy-In: Mitigate resistance and fear by framing AI as a tool for role augmentation rather than replacement6. Build trust through transparent policies and employee training7.
Ensuring Agriculture Isn’t Left Behind in the AI Race: Government’s Role
Agriculture is a cornerstone of the Canadian economy (7% of GDP8), and its future competitiveness relies on a digital transformation.9,10 Policymakers must advance a pan-Canadian AI strategy that explicitly prioritizes our sector and addresses our AI-adoption gap.
The Canada Strong Budget 2025 outlines a $925.6 million commitment toward AI and a desire for Canada to become an active builder of “sovereign capacity” in infrastructure and internal tools. For agriculture, the practical application of this funding is critical. Currently, the only explicit agricultural AI commitment targets bureaucratic bottlenecks within the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Using AI to streamline trade certificates is a strategic move to unblock export potential, but the industry requires broader support.
Fortunately, there are some positive federal efforts underway that could address the AI adoption gap, including:
Accelerating rural broadband
Lowering costs by mandating fiber installation alongside major projects through the “dig once” mandate.
Financing digital infrastructure to bolster trade logistics through the $5 billion Trade Diversification Corridors Fund.
Making commercial expansion attractive
Raising the Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax incentive limit to $6 million and using AI to cut CRA review times by half.
Allowing the immediate expensing of data network infrastructure and computers through the new “Productivity Super Deduction”11.
Focusing on human capital
Securing top-tier talent through the $1.7 billion recruitment investment allocation.
Building trust
Allocating $25 million to Statistics Canada to track workforce shifts.
Revising the 25-year-old data and privacy regulations.
According to Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, the government is checking off all the right boxes through investment and a pan-Canadian sovereign approach. In his CBC interview, Minister Solomon, who mentions agriculture in his interview, expresses great confidence in Canada’s ability to be AI leaders and acknowledges that a lack of trust in AI remains an impediment to its adoption, noting that “adoption moves at the speed of trust”.
In Closing
Canadian agriculture stands at a critical juncture. While current AI adoption lags at just 1.8%, the “What If” scenarios envisioned by the World Bank prove that a transformed, efficient future is within reach. I remain hopeful that a unified effort across our ecosystem will bridge the AI gap. However, I worry that government support may not move fast enough. Even though federal commitments to infrastructure are promising, we need immediate, targeted action to ensure policy keeps pace with innovation.
Syngenta will continue to use AI to better understand and serve our customers and to support the delivery of new technologies. We are encouraged by the future possibilities created by narrowing the AI gap.
About Syngenta Canada
Syngenta is a leading, science-based agtech company, helping millions of farmers around the world grow safe and nutritious food, while taking care of the planet. The Syngenta Canada team is 350 people strong, supporting products and services spanning the country’s major crops and specialty turf.
References:
Tania Babina et al., “Artificial intelligence, firm growth, and product innovation”, Journal of Economics, 151, (2024).
Lutz Goedde et al., “Agriculture’s connected future: How technology can yield new growth”, McKinsey & Company, (2020).
Valerie Bryan, Shivani Sood, & Chris Johnston, “Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2025. Statistics Canada, (2025).
Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada. “Progress toward universal access to high-speed internet”. (2025).
Conference Board of Canada, “The next frontier in Canada’s agri-food sector: Technology-driven labour and skills transitions, The Conference Board of Canada, (2024).
Conference Board of Canada, “Canada’s workforce in transition: How AI is shaping the future of work”. The Conference Board of Canada, (2025).
2025 Edelman Trust Barometer. “Trust and artificial intelligence at a crossroads”, (2025).
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, “Overview of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector”, (2025).
Globe and Mail, “Canada’s productivity challenge demands AI literacy for everyone”, (2025)
Canadian Federation of Agriculture, “Data as a foundation for sustainable productivity growth”, (2024).
Aiisha Hiyate, “2025 budgets productivity super deduction looks to boost capital investment”, Advisor.ca (2025).
