Everyone wants in on the local food craze. Some believe formalizing its place in society through local food legislation or institutionalizing it would open doors for farmers who now feel left out. That thought prompted a University of Guelph research team to look into local food for hospitals and long-term care facilities. On the surface,… Read More
Category: Real Talk Real Action
With the public eye increasingly fixed on agriculture, twitchy farm policy makers may be inclined to act first and ask questions later. And that has farmers worried. For example, last spring in Ontario, more than 200 bee kill incidents were reported. No question about it, that’s a problem. Thousands of hives were affected. What’s the… Read More
Editor’s note: This is Owen Roberts’ Real Talk, Real Action column. Each week, Owen will offer his insight into how farmers and the agricultural industry can participate in the rural- and ag-related discussions going on around them. Contact Owen at [email protected] or on Twitter at @TheUrbanCowboy. What’s spreading faster in Canada — herbicide-resistant weeds, or growers… Read More
Farm safety took on a new meaning for me when I first met Alberta farmer Cliff Breitkreuz Jr., on his meticulously kept farm near Onoway. That’s going back a few years. Cliff had typed me a letter (on a manual typewriter) and then surface mailed it, inviting me to his farm to talk about politics… Read More
In an effort to gain respect, agriculture has long fought the public image of farmers as salt-of the-earth types, more at home in the barn than the boardroom. But recent high-profile media events involving farmers have captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of people…and suggest maybe image isn’t a problem after all. First, long… Read More
Almost 10 years ago, Canada got its global butt kicked when news broke about a lone case of BSE in Alberta. Naysayers everywhere – competitors and anti-corporate activists, among them — were lurking in the weeds, waiting for an opportunity to discredit our food system. The agriculture minister at the time, Lyle Vanclief, tried hard… Read More
Editor’s note: This is Owen Roberts’ first Real Talk, Real Action column. Each week, Owen will offer his insight into how farmers and the agricultural industry can participate in the rural- and ag-related discussions going on around them. Contact Owen at [email protected] or on Twitter at @TheUrbanCowboy. Food Freedom Day in Canada arrives next week… Read More
RealAgriculture.com is pleased to announce journalist and journalism instructor Owen Roberts of the University of Guelph begins a new weekly column this week, entitled “Real Talk, Real Action.” Each Thursday, Owen’s column will feature a new call to action for the agriculture community, related to a current agriculture event or news story. This new feature… Read More