As Thanksgiving approaches, many students across the country will be making plans to head home for family celebrations. The ones that are unable to make it home though, may be looking at this upcoming holiday with a sense of impending loneliness. This fall, Think Turkey, a partnership between Turkey Farmers of Canada and the Canadian… Read More
Category: Local Food
Sarah Strautman didn’t just have to navigate learning to parent; her motherhood journey included having to figure out how to nourish her kids who had food sensitivities. What started as finding safe foods for her kids to eat, ended up leading her on a whole-food journey, from field to plate and features some neat products,… Read More
Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced the launch of the new School Food Infrastructure Fund (SFIF) and the next phase of the Local Food Infrastructure Fund (LFIF) this week. As part of the $62.9-million announcement in Budget 2024, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will deliver these two programs aimed at supporting community-based not-for-profit organizations… Read More
Thornloe Cheese may have a new lease on life, after its announced closure in October 2023. Owner Gay Lea Foods has announced the plant is set to be purchased by Triple “A” Cheese, a Mississauga, Ontario-based cheesemaker. The co-operative says it has entered into a letter of intent with Triple “A” Cheese, so the deal… Read More
Unless you count volcanic eruptions out at sea (and we don’t), every year there are fewer and fewer acres available for growing food, building houses, or setting aside for habitat. The decision of what should be built where or how land should be used is a complicated, complex, and controversial topic. In this episode of… Read More
Fourteen winners and 11 honourable mentions of the Ontario Excellence in Agriculture program were named this past weekend during an awards ceremony held in conjunction with the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair at Toronto, Ont. “I am very proud to present the 2023 Excellence in Agriculture Awards at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, where it is… Read More
Most Canadians have noticed a serious run-up in grocery bills in the last 18 months. Inflation has hit consumers at checkout lines, even at the most discount of discount stores. Which begs the question, how do you save money on food? This week, the RealAg team had its regular Tuesday meeting where we kick off… Read More
Fourteen of Ontario’s agriculture organizations are collectively asking the provincial government to pause forward momentum of the proposed Bill 97 and the Proposed Provincial Planning Statement. “We stand in strong opposition to the 3 lot severances per farm parcel proposed in prime agricultural areas as well as other measures that weaken local farmland protection. We… Read More
Tucked into the Ontario Progressive Conservatives’ Bill 97 is a proposed change to severance allowances of farmland that the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) says could make siting of livestock farms much more difficulty. What’s more, the bill carves out increased power for Ministerial Zoning Orders in the name of housing; however, Peggy Brekveld, president… Read More
Canola is a Canadian-made and developed, home-grown crop. With canola oil being grown and produced locally, why is this resource no more widely discussed and utilized? Lynn Weaver, a registered dietitian and the market development manager at SaskCanola, spoke with RealAg’s Atley Hamlin about the nutritional and culinary benefits of canola when compared to other… Read More