A Saskatchewan-based, Indigenous owned and operated company is harvesting organic wild rice along with cultivating a sense of community pride, profit, and support. NWC Wild Rice Company is comprised of three different Indigenous groups: Metis, Dene and Cree, and was created in 2019 to establish a voice for the harvesters, opposed to having the product… Read More
Three Farmers, a company that produces various roasted bean and pulse snacks, just received a sizeable investment totalling $6.2 million between multiple investors including $3 million from Arlene Dickinson’s company, District Ventures Capital. The founded-on-the-Prairies company, led by three farmers and two sisters, embodies one vision that has been built from the ground up, quite… Read More
The Minister of Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Marie-Claude Bibeau, alongside other ministers responsible for Northern Affairs, Prairies Economic Development Canada, and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, have launched a new phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF). The new phase includes funding up to $20 million available over the next two years…. Read More
The City of Kingston, Ont. has launched a multi-year, multi-faceted strategy for its rural and agriculture economic development. The strategy includes the hiring of Tracey Snow as rural economic and community development manager. It means the strategy will have one person, dedicated full-time to steering the projects going forward. Kingston, a city of about 135,000,… Read More
Egg Farmers of Canada is announcing a contribution of approximately 3.5 million fresh eggs to food banks across the country, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Canadian food security. Food Banks Canada appealed to more than 1200 egg farmers from across Canada for more local eggs to ensure that fresh, nutritious food be made… Read More
Last weekend, Jenny Butcher and Wes Kuntz, of Brantford, Ont., were named one of two winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for the year. The honour is no surprise. The two have been farming together for 13 years, and in just the last six years, have managed to buy a property, expand their Jersey herd,… Read More
For all the talk of other government departments having influence on the agriculture industry, it’s important to remember that several challenges within the purview of Agriculture and Agri-Food can have a significant impact on other industries, too. There are also issues that may be thought of as an agriculture problem, but really have a significant… Read More
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
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
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
Thirty-six Longo’s locations in Ontario have been sold to Empire Company Limited. The deal, initially worth $357 million for 51 per cent is based on an enterprise value of $700 million, including the e-commerce site Grocery Gateway. Longo’s will continue to be operated by the Longo’s leadership team, led by president and CEO, Anthony Longo, the company says. Empire… Read More
In a story that only seems to get more contentious and downright odd the longer it goes on, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is now asking dairy farmers to consider eliminating the use of palm oil by-product supplements in dairy rations, until new research is completed. Earlier this month, RealAgriculture explored reports by some Canadians… Read More
Meat and Poultry Ontario (MPO) is launching a project to identify opportunities to increase meat processing capacity in Ontario. The $127,000 project, funded through the federal/provincial Canadian Agricultural Partnership, is aimed at addressing a growing demand for abattoir services across the province, including the north. MPO has begun researching a strategy that pairs skills development with… Read More
EMERGE Commerce Ltd. has closed a $16.8 million acquisition of all the issued and outstanding shares of truLOCAL Inc., a direct-to-consumer, locally sourced meat subscription service in Canada. The company was recently ranked as Canada’s 14th fastest growing company for 2017-2019 by the Globe and Mail, and is expanding into the U.S Ghassan Halazon, EMERGE founder and… Read More
COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns, distancing, and cancelled learning events have had a profound impact on so many. Our food systems, food processing, and focus on local economy may be forever changed by this pandemic. Marty Seymour, director of industry and stakeholder relations with Farm Credit Canada, joins our host Kara Oosterhuis for today’s LIVE!… Read More
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