The federal government has re-opened applications for the Local Food Infrastructure Fund. Beginning Monday July 12, an additional $10 million in funding will be handed out in grants of between $15,000 and $100,000. Each project must be designed to “help prevent hunger through investments in infrastructure needs.” Project impacts must be targeted, immediate, and directly… Read More
Unbelievably hot temperatures recently hit parts of B.C., the Pacific Northwest, and into California, injuring fruit and trees alike. Glen Lucas, general manager for the B.C. Fruit Growers Association based at Kelowna, B.C., recently joined Shaun Haney to talk about how orchards are affected by the recent heatwave. “The first thing that was of note… Read More
Agriculture is a big tent covering many different facets of food and commodity production. From coast to coast, there are so many different farm types, sizes, production systems and end use markets. How we describe ourselves within agriculture usually involves farmer, producer or grower, and for some, rancher, but at the end of the day… Read More
Chop Steakhouse & Bar recently announced plans to become the first full-service restaurant chain in Canada to offer steaks featuring certification that recognizes sustainable beef practices. “The most exciting part of that menu is our new mass balance certification through the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef,” says Stephen Clark, executive chef for Chop Steakhouse & Bar…. Read More
Protein Industries Canada (PIC) announced a co-investment into pea, canola, and blended pea-canola protein ingredients in new plant-based products. Merit Functional Foods, TWC Nutrition, Daiya Foods, and Grand River Foods are partnering to product the new plant-based products, which could include alternative meat products, alternative dairy products, or other beverages. “Adding value to our crops… Read More
A while back, RealAg’s Shaun Haney was joined by Mike Nailor, interim CEO of Chicken Farmers of Ontario, for a RealAg LIVE! Haney had a hard-hitting question for Nailor: what’s the best chicken wing flavour? “Hands down, hot butter from a place in Guelph called Fat Duck,” said Nailor. For years he had been trying… Read More
Good in Every Grain, the public-facing educational campaign from Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), is rolling out a new multi-year, multi-stage campaign to connect Ontarians through food stories. What’s Your Food Story aims to use food in “celebration, tradition, shared experience, healing, and more” to connect everyone in Ontario regardless of age and culture, GFO says…. Read More
After three years of operation, the Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta (PPAA) is shutting its doors. The organization’s goal was to “raise awareness and create connections to help realize the endless opportunities the plant protein and plant-ingredient industry offer Alberta,” but didn’t receive funding from the provincial government for the current fiscal year, and therefore… Read More
Plant Response, Inc., a biologicals focused company headquartered at Raleigh, N.C., recently announced its acquisition of WISErg. WISErg is a Seattle-area startup that has created a system for upcycling nutrients from food scraps. The nutrients can then be used in fertilizer and nutrient efficiency products that can enhance plant and soil health. The company has… Read More
The days of oats being relegated to the cereal and baking aisle at your local supermarket are coming to an end. Thanks to the efforts of food innovators like Francis and Erik Lo, oats can now be found in the dairy section, including in products like Yoats, Canada’s first oat-based yogurt alternative, which the brothers launched… Read More
Seven in 10 Canadians have never visited an operational commercial farm, but those who have had the opportunity form positive perceptions of modern agriculture. That’s one of the findings emerging from the third annual agriculture and food public opinion poll from Grassroots Public Affairs. At first glance, the 70 per cent result may seem surprising,… Read More
Canadians generally like their steaks less well done than Americans, according to new survey results released by Abacus Data. With grilling season around the corner, the polling firm Abacus Data, which is known for its political research, asked 1,500 Canadians how they like their steak in a survey conducted in late March. The majority of… Read More
Meat & Poultry Ontario is looking for a few more livestock producers in the southwest region of the province to participate in a pilot project. The organization has been working diligently on assessing and evaluating livestock processing capacity, stumbling blocks, and opportunities from both the producer and processor perspective. As part of the study, the… 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
Five projects focused on improving agriculture plastic waste management and bioplastics research will see a share of $4.5 million in funding via the federal government. Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the funding today alongside Cleanfarms, a national non-profit industry stewardship organization. Cleanfarms will receive up to $1.1 million through the Canadian Agricultural Strategic… Read More