Issue #9 | October 26, 2026
Welcome to our ninth edition.
This newsletter brings together two worlds that have more in common than most people realize.
In rural Honduras, there are farming communities full of people who have worked the land their whole lives, growers who know their crops, take pride in their work, and are looking for opportunities that simply aren't available at home. In Southern Ontario, greenhouse and farm operations are looking for exactly that kind of worker, reliable, experienced, and genuinely committed to the job.
The Mayan Greenhouse Connection exists because Maya Maple Connect believes that relationship is worth building carefully, and worth communicating clearly. We are Honduran owned and Honduran run, and we care deeply about the people we work with on both sides.
This newsletter is part of how we stay connected with the farms and communities we serve. If you're planning for next season or facing gaps right now, let's talk.
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Community Night: Food, Laughter, and Familiar Faces in Leamington
🇭🇳🇨🇦
A night of food, laughter, and familiar faces in Leamington!
Working far from home means long days and a lot of time away from family. So we wanted to give our Honduran workers an evening to slow down, share a meal, and just enjoy each other's company.
Thanks to the local Food Bank's support, everyone sat down to a warm dinner together. 🍝
🍅 Then came the Chef Challenge! Darwin and Juan Pablo went head to head making fresh tomato sauce for spaghetti, using tomatoes generously donated by Double Diamond. One of them even got a helping hand from a Mexican friend from Double Diamond! Our judges were a Canadian community member, a Honduran representative, and an agricultural worker, and the competition was friendly but serious.
🏆 The winner:
Juan Pablo!
Congratulations, chef!
🤝 Afterward, the workers swapped their own recipes and traded tips. Food has a way of bringing people home, even from thousands of kilometres away.
The best moment of the night? Enemedicto and Darwin found out they come from the same hometown, and neither knew the other was working nearby. "You're here? I didn't know you were working here!" Hugs, big smiles, and a lot of catching up followed.
🎃 With Halloween around the corner, the creativity kept going. Six workers teamed up and dressed one of our representatives in a full costume for the contest, and the whole team won winter hats! 🧢 The night wrapped up with games, music, and plenty of laughter.
A huge thank you to our chefs, to Double Diamond for the tomatoes, to the Food Bank for its support, and to everyone who helped make this evening happen. ❤️
Because everyone deserves to feel at home, even far from home. 🇭🇳🇨🇦
#MayaMapleConnect #HonduranWorkers #AgriculturalWorkers #CommunityConnection #StrongerTogether
I wasn't sure which cook got the help from the Mexican friend, so I kept it open. If you tell me, I'll name them.
If you are interested in hiring Honduran workers, please reach out to [email protected].
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SOUTHERN ONTARIO FARMING
Leadership changes at Ontario's agriculture ministry and University of Guelph signal ongoing shifts in provincial agricultural policy and research direction.
• Maud Murray has been appointed acting deputy minister for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, positioning her to influence policy priorities affecting greenhouse operators and horticultural businesses across the province. Read more ->
• Paul Hoekstra is now executive director of a new Agri-Food Strategy and Partnerships position at the University of Guelph, creating potential opportunities for research collaboration and knowledge transfer relevant to controlled environment agriculture and horticulture innovation. Read more ->
• A new survey found that 89 per cent of food banks and similar organizations saw demand rise over the past year, even as large amounts of food go to waste. Operators with surplus or off-grade produce can make a real difference in their local community. Read more ->
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GREENHOUSE INDUSTRY
Regulatory compliance and technology adoption are reshaping operational priorities across the region.
• Spotted lanternfly has triggered new CFIA regulations for Ontario nursery stock following confirmation of an established population in the province. Verify compliance requirements with your certification status and adjust sourcing protocols accordingly. Read more ->
• LED lighting systems continue evolving to improve efficiency and adaptability, but growers should resist rushing adoption before understanding real world performance. Manufacturers are developing solutions tailored to operational needs, so evaluate claims carefully and consider pilot testing before committing capital. Read more ->
• Aphid control strategies are shifting toward biocontrol compatible insecticides rather than broad spectrum products that undermine integrated pest management. Rethinking your spray program now prevents resistance buildup and reduces reliance on chemical interventions. Read more ->
• Consumer demand for greenhouse produce is strengthening as food safety concerns and supply consistency drive retail and foodservice purchasing decisions. The market positioning remains favourable for operators who can demonstrate traceability and year round availability. Read more ->
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HONDURAS SPOTLIGHT: SAN JUANCITO
About San Juancito
San Juancito is a mountain town in Francisco Morazan department, northeast of Tegucigalpa, on the edge of La Tigra National Park. For decades it was a silver and gold mining centre, home to the Rosario Mining Company from the late 1800s until the mine closed in the mid 1900s. Today the surrounding communities live largely from small-scale farming, growing coffee and vegetables in a cool, humid mountain climate, alongside ecotourism linked to La Tigra's cloud forest. Families here are used to steep terrain, changing weather, and hands-on work, from tending coffee plots to bringing in vegetable crops by hand.
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In the News
• Honduras facing severe drought conditions; authorities exploring cloud seeding as intervention strategy to protect crops and livestock across affected regions including Comayagua Valley. Read more ->
• University of Florida launching Feed the Future Innovation Lab for High Value Crops to support regional producers; program includes Honduras and focuses on export oriented specialty crop development and market access. Read more ->
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From the Team
Filling seasonal labour through TFWP takes planning. The operations that secure the workers they need, on time, fully compliant, already prepared for greenhouse work, are the ones that start the conversation early.
Most recruitment firms source from many countries at once. Maya Maple Connect does one thing. We recruit from Honduras, and only from Honduras. We are a boutique firm, Honduran owned and Honduran run, built by people who have spent over 10 years recruiting from Honduran farming communities for Canadian greenhouses.
That focus is the whole point. Because we work in a single country, we know its regions, we know its farming communities, and in most cases we know the workers personally. We are not filling a quota from whichever labour pool is easiest to reach this season. We select from a country we understand deeply, which means the candidates who reach you are the strongest ones available, not simply the ones who happened to be at hand. A firm recruiting across a dozen countries cannot say the same.
What we handle: Candidate sourcing, TFWP documentation, compliance review, and worker onboarding. By the time someone arrives at your operation, the paperwork is done and they know what to expect.
What you do: Review candidates, approve placements, and focus on your season.
If you're planning for an upcoming season or dealing with a gap right now, book a 15-minute call with our team, we'll tell you exactly what's available and what the process looks like.
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Labour & Policy News
• Recent fatal incidents involving migrant farm workers in Niagara have renewed focus on workplace safety and transportation conditions. Operators should review worker transportation protocols and safety practices to ensure compliance with evolving standards. Read more ->