Wednesday evening was exciting for more than just Halloween in the town of Churchill, Manitoba. For the first time in more than a year residents heard a train whistle coming from the Hudson Bay Rail Line. The rail line was badly damaged by flooding in the spring of 2017 and, with no year-round roads into… Read more »
Category: Food
How willing are Canadians to trade meat for plant-based protein?
Many of us are full-fledged carnivores, but fewer and fewer Canadians are cutting into a barbecued steak. That’s the conclusion of a new Dalhousie University study looking at Canadian attitudes toward plant-based protein alternatives. According to the study, 6.4 million Canadians say they are limiting the amount of meat they eat, and the number will likely… Read more »
Inaugural meeting of Alberta’s Local Food Council sets path forward
If you’ve heard or seen the term “buy local” get ready to see and hear it a bit more in Wild Rose Country. Back in May of this year, Bill 7 was passed in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The bill’s purpose is to encourage the development and success of a local food sector throughout… Read more »
Kingston baby formula plant moving ahead “on schedule”
Reports last week that Kingston’s Canada Royal Milk plant, owned by Chinese company Feihe International, might be in jeopardy following the signing of USMCA, were alarming and confusing, says the head of Kingtson’s economic development corporation. “There is no immediate impact on Feihe Canada Royal Milk’s investment in Kingston or the forecasted job creation,” says Donna… Read more »
A mobile parlour and traveling cows — cheese making in the Swiss Alps
Seasonal milking sure isn’t common in Canada, and it’s limited in the United States, but in some European countries, it’s not just common, it’s a key part of their culture. Marion Studhalter, who normally calls Ontario home, spent the summer making cheese in the Alps. The production system she was a part of is rather… Read more »
Non-hybrids with hybrid vigour just one goal of biotech research
The joke in Saskatoon is that you come for the weather, but stay because you can’t get a flight out. Kidding aside, Saskatoon is actually a hub of biotech research and development with findings and products with the potential to benefit farmers all over the world. Because of this, Global Biotech Week is an event… Read more »
An anthem for the dairy farmer in your life
Let’s face it — when it comes to food marketing and advertising, companies get it so very wrong most of the time. Every now and again, though, companies get it so very right. In case you haven’t seen it, American dairy co-op Land O’Lakes recently released its fresh take on the Old McDonald nursery rhyme,… Read more »
Farm visit connects culinary art students to their food
What do you do when two busloads of students come to your farm? Well, of course you welcome them, show them around, and feed them lunch. On a rainy day during harvest, students from Saskatchewan Polytechnic came out to the farm of Doyle and Val Wiebe near Langham. All of the farm equipment was lined… Read more »
Are we in the golden age of organic production?
Do you ever look back, “Those were the good old days?” We all have periods in business when there is a golden age. A period when competition might be reduced, margins are great, demand is strong, and we perhaps assume the good times will roll forever. Realistically, we know that they don’t. The Wall Street… Read more »
Recall of U.S. ground beef spurred by E. coli-related death
One person has died in the U.S. from Escherichia coli O26 contamination linked to ground beef, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Seventeen others have also become sick after eating the potentially contaminated beef. More than 132,000 pounds of ground beef from Cargill has been recalled due to the outbreak, as a result of… Read more »
National Food Policy should focus on Indigenous peoples first
When I am completely overwhelmed with the task at hand (which is often), I sit down, make a to-do list, and break the task down into smaller, more achievable steps. I prioritize the most pressing issue first, or the one that simply must happen before the other pieces can fall into place. My hope, in… Read more »
Government releases findings of National Food Policy consultation
Close to 45,000 people responded to an online survey and hundreds of people attended in-person meetings last year to weigh in on the topic of a national food policy for Canada. The government has compiled that feedback into a report, entitled “What we heard report – A Food Policy for Canada,” which was released this week…. Read more »
Food fights likely to just get more contentious
For much of our human history, we’ve toiled to simply meet our most basic of human needs — having enough to eat to survive and raise a family. It’s only in recent history, really, that the bulk of North America has moved up from the basics to the privilege of abundant food choices. Last week… Read more »
McDonald’s serves up its first sustainably-raised Mighty Angus burgers
As promised earlier this summer, McDonald’s Canada has officially rolled out its Mighty Angus burger line made with Canadian verified sustainably-raised beef. Complete with a new advertising campaign and sporting the Canadian Roundtable on Sustainable Beef (CRSB) Certified logo, McDonald’s Mighty Angus line is the first major product offering with a completely verified beef supply… Read more »
Simplot acquires access to CRISPR-Cas9 gene technology
One of the largest potato processors in North America has acquired access to new gene-editing technology. J.R. Simplot company has secured a deal with Corteva Agriscience (the agriculture division of DowDuPont), the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard for the license of CRISPR-Cas9, along with other gene-editing tools. Along with potatos, Simplot produces a full… Read more »