Billing itself as a company ready to transform Canada’s food industry, Local Leaf Farms has opened a vertical farm in Barrie, Ont., with plans to launch 20 locations across the country by the end of 2025. Vertical farming is “always presented as the future, and I’ll state right off the top I don’t see it… Read More
As the COVID-19 outbreak disrupts processing in Canada and the U.S., more consumers are looking to buy beef direct from ranchers. In response, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) is creating a directory of members offering direct sales of beef. “We know there’s absolutely no shortage of beef cattle,” says Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association president… Read More
We are a long way from getting through the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as provinces and states begin to relax restrictions, we know that a return to “normal” is possibly months away, and that’s not even accounting for the unknown of whether or not this re-opening of the economy will lead to a second wave of… Read More
Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) will make an additional donation of $100,000 and up to 200,000 litres of incremental milk, the producer group has announced. This is in addition to the over 1 million litres donated to food banks annually in partnership with the Ontario Dairy Council (ODC) and the Ontario Milk Transport Association (OMTA)… Read More
The Government of Ontario, in partnership with the federal government, has launched a $2.5 million initiative to expand the agri-food sector online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) is earmarked for food producers, farmers markets, retailers, garden centres, greenhouses, nurseries, and agricultural associations to develop an online business, providing… Read More
The far east of eastern Ontario is set to host a brand-new federally inspected livestock and food processing facility as of 2022. The United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) has announced the creation of a food hub, in partnership with the private sector. The UCPR will build a federally-inspected slaughterhouse, for both red meat… Read More
There are some really great things happening during this COVID-19 pandemic. Families are eating dinner together and reconnecting over board games and puzzles; people are learning new hobbies and skills, such as cooking and baking; and, people of all walks of life are sewing and welding whatever they can to help the health industry fight… Read More
Canada’s domestic food and agriculture supply chains have been put to the test and (the hoarding of toilet paper, flour, and meat notwithstanding) held up exceptionally well under the sudden panic-buying ahead of the COVID-19 self-isolation directive. Al Mussell, research lead with Agri-Food Economic Systems, says that these supply chains have proven to have a… Read More
While we are in the midst of a huge unknown as the world hunkers down to fight a common enemy in COVID-19, significant questions are being raised about food supply chains and economic resiliency. An event like this is known as a “black swan.” It’s an unpredictable, large-scale, huge impact event that fundamentally shifts how… Read More
At some point, likely every farmer has been frustrated with markets and pricing, and thought about moving past commodity production and up the value chain. But as many quickly learn, direct marketing, dealing with processors, or even becoming a processor is not for everyone. In this episode of Mind Your Farm Business, Jeff Nonay, a… Read More
Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited has confirmed its acquisition of Thornloe Cheese from EastGen. Located in Northern Ontario, Thornloe Cheese has been a local producer of cheese and cheese curds near Thornloe, Ont., for over 75 years. Employing about 30 people, Thornloe is known for its speciality cheese and recently introduced the first butter and… Read More
October 7 to 13th marks Ontario’s Agriculture Week — a week to enjoy the produce, meat, and food that Ontario farmers grow and produce. A celebration of the fall harvest season, Agriculture Week is also intended to raise awareness of the economic impact of farming and agriculture in the province, recognizing those who work in… Read More
Canadians may not be optimistic about agri-food becoming a primary topic for the upcoming election, but they are thinking about some perhaps surprising agriculture and food-related issues. A survey of 1,524 Canadians, conducted Sept 9 by Angus Reid Global and Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, looked to gauge Canadians’ opinion on where they ranked agriculture… Read More
What do honey, olive oil, and organic food have in common? They’re high on the list of food fraud cases in Canada. Food fraud, defined as mislabeling and misrepresentation of food products to deceive consumers or create unfair competition, may cost the global food industry between $10 and $15 billion per year, affecting about 10%… Read More
While attending the Council of Dairy Farmers of Quebec’s annual general meeting, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the federal government is providing $376,668 to the Cheese Expertise Centre (CEC). This money will go into two projects to keep Canadian cheese makers “competitive and innovative,” according to Bibeau. “With the assistance provided by… Read More