Winner of Premier’s
Top Provincial Award

Ministry of Ministère de
Agriculture, Food and l’Agriculture, de l'Alimentation
Rural Affairs et des Affaires rurales

March 8, 2007

ONTARIO’S TOP TWO FARMER-INNOVATORS RECOGNIZED AT PREMIER’S
SUMMIT ON AGRI-FOOD

The five-year, $2.5-million Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, announced as part of the 2006 provincial budget, recognizes that farmers have always been innovative in the running of their businesses and will foster even greater innovation across the province’s agri-food sector.

The innovation must have been developed and used on an Ontario farm, must have the potential for use on a broader basis and for having a positive effect on the agriculture industry. The innovation submitted by the first recipient of the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence easily met those criteria.

David VanderDussen developed, manufactures and distributes Mite Away, which defends honeybees against varroa mite infestations. The Hastings County resident has disarmed a major threat to Ontario’s bee industry. That’s not only good news for apiarists, but also for all those farmers whose crops depend upon pollination.

The varroa mite has long been a serious problem, threatening bee populations and reducing honey production. VanderDussen worked with the University of Guelph, the Ontario Beekeepers Association and the Canadian Honey Council to develop an effective and environmentally-friendly product to control the mites.

Mite Away, with its extremely high efficacy rate, has received approval from the Pest Management Regulatory Agency in Canada and is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States, and is now widely used across North America.

Fritz and Paul Klaesi are the first recipients of the Minister’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. The Klaesis are early adopters of anaerobic digester technology, and are turning
manure into electricity. Theirs is one of Ontario’s first operational systems that is generating electricity to the grid through the net metering program – and that’s after they have powered two homesteads and the farm buildings.

The manure-based anaerobic digester generates 750 kilowatt hours of electricity a day, enough to power 30 homes. The Klaesis hydro bill has shrunk from $2,500 per month to $30 per month. Other benefits include the reduction of greenhouse gases and of the odour associated with spreading manure.

Strong believers in their innovation, the Klaesis willingly share information and host visitors. They are willing to participate in ongoing research and evaluation of this technology, to support its further development and implementation across Ontario.

The producers’ next steps are to secure a contract under the Standard Offer Program through which electrical power generated from renewable energy sources is purchased to augment Ontario’s power supply.

Contact:
Kelly Synnott

416-326-6439

Disponible en français

www.omafra.gov.on.ca

Last Updated May 16, 2008

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