By John McGregor With calls for a searing, west-approaching heat wave bearing down on us this week and next, the moisture situation across the province remains pointed at a significant moisture deficient with our hay and pasture fields. A very well-timed rain in late June brought a bit of relief at the time, however, it… Read More
By Pierre Petelle We hear a lot about regenerative agriculture these days, but everyone has their own definition of what this term means. Some of these definitions focus too closely on practices and not on outcomes. At the end of the day, it’s all about soil health. I would define regenerative agriculture as any approach… Read More
By Meagan Murdoch In early February, Calgary-based cookbook author Julie Van Rosendaal asked on social media whether anyone else had noticed that butter is no longer soft at room temperature. Her question helped spark a national and international conversation about Canadian butter. To some it probably seemed like a light-hearted conundrum against the backdrop of… Read More
This post first appeared on Dr. Frank Mitloehner’s blog and is re-posted with permission. Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, hold the methane? A new communication campaign from Burger King is promising beef that comes from cows that are 33 percent less gassy on average, allowing the international fast-food chain’s consumers to have it their way without… Read More
By Ghislain Gervais, president of Sollio Cooperative Group During the lockdown, Canadians showed a renewed interest in Canadian agricultural products. This increased consumer enthusiasm for their agri-food sector provides an opportunity to reinvest in agriculture and food processing. Everywhere, thousands of jobs have been suspended or lost across many sectors. The gradual resumption of economic… Read More
A guest editorial by Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada There have been some unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of these is the new celebrity status of our Chief Medical Health Officers. A lot of people, who just a few short months ago were not aware that every province had a Chief Medical… Read More
By Michael von Massow The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) recently launched an advertising campaign to lobby for federal support for grains and oilseeds producers. There has been considerable discussion in social media and other fora regarding financial support for the Canadian agricultural sector. Many groups were disappointed with the size of the federal government… Read More
Submitted by the Western Canadian Wheat Growers In the midst of a global pandemic, the federal government is using April Fool’s Day to increase the carbon tax from $20/tonne to $30/tonne. At a time when hundreds of thousands of people are being laid off and many businesses are at least temporarily closing, the tax on… Read More
The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef held its general assembly at Christchurch, New Zealand, last week. As chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Anne Wasko was there and shares her insight and experience below: As the current chair of Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), I was pleased to represent CRSB at the… Read More
By Sean Mitchell and Dr. Alfons Weersink As wet planting conditions persist across Ontario, many growers have switching on their mind: should they switch to shorter-season corn hybrids or even leave corn in the bag and plant soybeans? From an economic perspective, the best choice is likely to switch to shorter-season corn with lower heat… Read More
By Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada The world has become protectionist. There is, justifiably, much focus on issues with China. But it is not just China. Canadian agriculture commodities are blocked in India, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam and face issues in key markets such as Peru. Countries are turning inward, finding new ways… Read More
By Jen Christie Making my coffee this morning was so easy. I push a button on a machine. If the water canister is empty, I just turn on the tap. When we’re out of beans, there’s a bag in the cupboard to fill the grinder that costs as much (or more) than some Kenyan’s monthly… Read More
By Cam Dahl I was on a speaker’s panel a few weeks back with a farmer who said he never wanted to hear the word sustainability again. I understand the sentiment but we, as an industry, are going to be hearing that word more and more from customers and consumers around the world. Farmers shy… Read More
By Jeff English Canada’s Food Guide was updated this week and, not unlike anything done by government, it was met with a mixed reaction. The changes were not so big. We’ve gone from four food groups down to three. Given the year they’ve had on the trade front, it is easy to forgive our dairy… Read More
By Sylvain Charlebois Say goodbye to the four food groups; they are now gone. Almost 12 years after the launch of the previous version, the new food guide celebrates food by displaying a plate filled with greens, fruits, plant proteins and grains. And if you look very carefully, you’ll see a cup of yogurt, alongside… Read More