ntario: Strawberry Grower Research Day returns with focus on production systems, genetics and collaboration
“Growers need to trust that the plants are consistent, clean and race ready”
“The speed at which the berry industry is evolving in terms of genetics, growing systems and plant type options, combined with demand from supermarkets and consumers, necessitates that propagators have informed answers for growers,” says Dusty Zamecnik, General Manager and Owner at EZ Grow Farms.
EZ Grow Farms will host the second annual Strawberry Grower Research Day in collaboration with Delphy, Haygrove, Growtec, South Essex Fabricating, Rovero, the Berry Growers of Ontario and other industry partners, at the Ed Zamecnik Berry Research Centre in Langton, Ontario, on the 16th of July. There will be technical presentations and discussions on current research in protected strawberry production, followed by guided tours of the research facility.
EZ Grow Farms General Manager and Owner, Dusty Zamecnik
Research driven by industry needs
“This event and the greater facility itself have always been a dream of ours at EZ Grow,” Dusty says. He explains that the research centre enables commercial-scale evaluation of production practices under practical growing conditions.
“This event allows us to recreate these real-world commercial-scale questions to validate different growing scenarios and be a partner in steering the industry forward with confidence.”
He also acknowledged the work of Jaime VanOoteghem, who manages the research facility and oversees the trial programme. “The data at the end of the year is both reliable and actionable.”
Research facility and trial programme manager Jaime VanOoteghem
2026 research priorities
This year’s programme will cover production curve management through plant type combinations, growing media composition, economically viable structure selection, disease management and variety evaluations.
“As we aim to answer some queries, new scenarios organically arise that our growers realize should be worth investigating,” Dusty says.
Photo right: Integrated Crop Care Specialist, Kyle Dick
Presentations will include updates from Delphy on its digital platform and international berry research, while EZ Grow Integrated Crop Care Specialist, Kyle Dick, will present the latest findings on disease management.
Collaboration across the berry sector
The event brings together companies and organisations representing propagation, structures, crop management, research and grower associations.
“Our partners in these efforts are truly appreciated and are like-minded in building a sustainable berry industry,” Dusty adds. “This collaboration means we are bringing the best from around the globe together in one location as a one-stop innovation shop for growers, governments, universities, breeders and marketers.”
Learning from commercial-scale trials
Following the presentations, attendees will tour the fruiting structures at the Ed Zamecnik Berry Research Centre, where they will view current genetics, production systems and ongoing research trials.
“By being able to touch, feel and independently see the research initiatives, we hope growers spur further questions and insights back to us. We never pretend to have all the answers, so by bringing the industry together under one roof, we hope to uncover other growing problems that growers are facing and then quickly react to help answer them.”
Dusty feels that consistency throughout the propagation chain remains a priority for the industry. “Growers need to trust that the plants coming from the nursery, shipment after shipment, year over year are going to be consistent, clean and race ready.”
“The Strawberry Grower Research Day is a confidence-building event for growers that whichever growing system they’re using, collectively we are working towards having a package programme for them to achieve the best possible outcome.”
The Strawberry Grower Research Day will be held on July 16, 2026, at 1771 Norfolk County Road 23, Langton, Ontario.
RSVP enquiries can be directed to jaime@ezgrow.ca.
For more information:
EZ Grow Farms
Dusty Zamecnik, General Manager/ Owner
dusty@ezgrow.ca
www.ezgrow.ca
