The most important place for a horticultural farmer to spend their time is in the fields and orchards. But a close second might be the annual Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention.

The tables are adorned with green table cloths, the stage is lined with awards and trophies. The Community Hall of the West Niagara Agricultural Society is ready for the annual Niagara 4-H awards night. Members of the Lincoln Dairy Club are the hosts, while MCs Simon Heeringa and Janna Furry will welcome guests, sponsors and members to the podium.

The connection between California and Niagara that most people traditionally make is through their respective wine industries. But if a project being organized by a Niagara-on-the-Lake group gets the funding and support it needs, the two regions could share another similarity.

The holidays bring with it many traditions. Some remain constant over the years, others get tweaked and evolve, and still more sometimes crop up out of nowhere. But for Diana Tracey, while the traditions may be great, Christmas means one thing above all.

Keeping pace with the frenetic growth of new technology is hard enough on its own, but when paired with confusing agreements that are longer than Tolstoy’s War and Peace and using complicated legalese, it can make any business owner’s head spin.

When he started what would become one of West Lincoln’s most prominent farming operations, Daryl Haanstra had little more than his 1998 John Deere 6620 Titan II combine and a strong work ethic.