Couple operates what may be Ontario’s northernmost farm

Oct 31, 2016

Jack Pine Acres is located near Pickle Lake

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

A couple is running what they believe is the northernmost farm in Ontario.

Jeremy and Liana Millar, with their business partner Hans Orav, operate Jack Pine Acres, a 200-acre property located in about 15 minutes away from Pickle Lake, Ontario – or about 530km away from Thunder Bay.

Pickle Lake is considered the province’s most northern community with year-round road access.

Jack Pine Acres raises pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys and cows. The operators use generators for electricity, fences made of wood pallets and repurposed trailers as barns.

A pig at Jack Pine Acres farm.
Photo: Ron Desmoulins/CBC

Temperatures can fall below 30 degrees Celsius in the winter, but that hasn’t stopped the animals from being healthy.

“(My feed supplier was) actually surprised at how big and fast the turkeys grew up here,” Jeremy told CBC.

“Our Holstein cows wintered last year very well,” he said. They wouldn’t even go in the barn. They wouldn’t leave the hay bale.”

“We’ve had no problems with disease, or lice, or mites or any of those infestations that you find in warmer climate farms,” Liana told CBC. “They can’t survive here.”

However, being in such a remote location, farmers need to start from scratch.

“You need to start from ground zero. You need to clear the land, pick the rocks and grow the fields,” Liana said. “You need to really want to do it.”

Currently, the Millars call their operation a hobby farm, but hope to go beyond that in the future by offering fresh, local meat to local communities.

“We’ve had a lot of support and people agree that it would be a good idea,” Liana told CBC. “We’ve got the land, there’s no reason not to use it.”

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.