If you believe the headlines this week, Canadians will soon not be able to afford to eat. Fruit and vegetables will be beyond an ordinary person’s capacity to pay and consumers wanting to chomp down on a piece of meat will have to order horse, bison or ostrich because beef and pork will break their… Read More
Significant changes are coming to Ontario’s rules regarding small-scale chicken production. Until now, any individual could raise up to 300 birds per year under the Chicken Farmers of Ontario small flock program, a program with the intention of allowing families to raise a few chickens for themselves without requiring the purchase of production quota. Expanding… Read More
I hope you have time to take a look around at the agricultural landscape this holiday weekend, and celebrate Food Day Canada as we’ve known it over the past decade or so. Because in another 12 months, our nation’s agri-food culture could feel much different. Food Day Canada is described by its founder, culinary pioneer… Read More
I always get a kick out of stories about the aging farm population, stories that begin something like “Canadian farmers are getting older…” It makes you wonder if, in some other occupations, people are actually getting younger. Of course they’re not. It’s all about average age. And further, it’s not a measure of quality, which… Read More
To its peril, Canada’s agri-food industry – and indeed, all of Canada — has chugged along for more than a century without a comprehensive agri-food strategy. You’d think whoever is running Ottawa would have made it a priority, given we are active internationally exporting food and so dependent on imports. Consider the consequences if the… Read More
Ontario politicians should prepare for a little heartburn as they embark on this summer’s farm BBQ circuit. The circuit is a staple in constituencies with rural components. It provides photo opportunities and lets politicians see first hand what a farm looks like. On the business end of things, it gives farmers a chance to air… Read More
Not that I’m getting old (!), but back in the 1980s I was long into adulthood when the craft beer movement started, at least as far as I see it now. That’s when the spirit of the West led an entrepreneur outside of Calgary to create Big Rock beer, which remains one of my favourites…. Read More
If you’re keeping tabs on Ontario’s beef industry this Local Food Week, you’ve seen how a company’s profile can grow when it markets its brand effectively, promotes itself tirelessly, and stands on values instead of gimmicks. A prime example is VG Meats, which seems to be popping up everywhere. VG stands for Van Gronigen, a… Read More
Next week, June 1 to 7, 2015, marks the second annual local food week here in Ontario. What’s local food week? Announced as part of the “Local Food Act” passed in 2013, the first week of June is a time to shine the light on all things locally grown for Ontario. While this might bring… Read More
“It’s what the consumer demands.” Whether it be new products on store shelves, changes to government regulation, or new on-farm protocols, this has become the trumping selling point for whatever it is that needs selling. “The Consumer” is demanding oversight. “The Consumer” wants a more sustainable product. “The customer (read: consumer)” is always right. But… Read More
In the last few years, we have seen incredible innovations in food and agriculture, often inspired by environmental improvements, the push for more local food and increased global food security. Urban agriculture is cropping up in cities, insect farms are crawling out of the wood work, and cafes are repurposing would-be waste. In an effort to… Read More
Food is growing in importance, but rural Canada is losing its influence. How can that be? Former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Joe Clark has a few ideas. They came to the fore last month for 700-plus participants at the Grain Farmers of Ontario popular March Classic, in London, ON. The organization made a good choice… Read More
Remember seasoned sergeant Phil Esterhaus (actor Michael Conrad) in Hill St. Blues, who warmly but firmly reminded the squad “Let’s be careful out there!” as they filed out of his daily briefing? Well, the same applies to farming – it’s safer than police work, but it certainly has its hazards, not the least of which… Read More
Agriculture’s global profile got a boost last year thanks to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization deeming 2014 the International Year of Family Farming. Journalists wrote enlightening stories about the fact that nearly all Canadian farms are family owned. Politicians spoke in glowing terms about the economic, social and cultural contributions made by family… Read More
The ongoing quest — or battle — to feed the planet is not solely a foreign affair. Nor is it a product of war or natural disaster. Take Ontario, for example. In one of Canada’s most affluent provinces, more than 375,000 people use food banks every month. The underlying causes of Ontarians’ hunger are different… Read More
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