As Canadians gather (in small groups) for Thanksgiving this weekend, several arguments are sure to happen. No, we don’t mean about COVID restrictions or the outcome of the latest election, we mean the real, hard-hitting debates, such as ham versus turkey, pumpkin versus apple pie, and if cranberry jelly from a can should even be… Read More
Over the next year, Walmart Canada will source 1.5 million pounds of beef sourced from CRSB Certified sustainable farms and ranches. To qualify, farmers and ranchers must be certified through a third-party audited system, in accordance with sustainability standards set by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). Walmart says this is just the first commitment,… Read More
Maple Leaf Foods says it has completed a $182 million expansion at its prepared meats plant in Winnipeg, Man., creating a “Bacon Centre of Excellence.” The 73,000 square-foot addition to the facility on Lagimodiere Boulevard will significantly increase the company’s capacity for making pre-cooked, microwaveable bacon. “We are very excited to see this project come… Read More
Protein Industries Canada (PIC) is announcing the Food Convergence Innovation (FCI) Canada – Food and Beverage Supply Chain Project. The FCI-Canada Project will focus on creating a national, sector-wide platform with enterprise-to-enterprise connectivity capabilities, which will help strengthen Canada’s domestic food supply chain. Linking food and beverage companies across the country, the project will make… Read More
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Marie-Claude Bibeau, along with Élisabeth Brière, MP for Sherbrooke, Que., has announced a $100-million top-up for the Emergency Food Security Fund. Minister Bibeau says that the COVID-19 pandemic has meant even greater uncertainty for Canadians who are unsure of where they will find their next meal. “Even with… Read More
Manitoba Harvest is partnering with a consortium of industry leaders through Protein Industries Canada (PIC) to develop new hemp and pea varieties with increased protein content, differential starch content, and improved texture. Manitoba Harvest will lend its expertise in food innovation, product development, and formulation, to improve the potency and functionality of hemp and pea… 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
Unbelievably hot temperatures recently hit parts of B.C., the Pacific Northwest, and into California, injuring fruit and trees alike. Glen Lucas, general manager for the B.C. Fruit Growers Association based at Kelowna, B.C., recently joined Shaun Haney to talk about how orchards are affected by the recent heatwave. “The first thing that was of note… 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
Chop Steakhouse & Bar recently announced plans to become the first full-service restaurant chain in Canada to offer steaks featuring certification that recognizes sustainable beef practices. “The most exciting part of that menu is our new mass balance certification through the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef,” says Stephen Clark, executive chef for Chop Steakhouse & Bar…. Read More
Protein Industries Canada (PIC) announced a co-investment into pea, canola, and blended pea-canola protein ingredients in new plant-based products. Merit Functional Foods, TWC Nutrition, Daiya Foods, and Grand River Foods are partnering to product the new plant-based products, which could include alternative meat products, alternative dairy products, or other beverages. “Adding value to our crops… Read More
A while back, RealAg’s Shaun Haney was joined by Mike Nailor, interim CEO of Chicken Farmers of Ontario, for a RealAg LIVE! Haney had a hard-hitting question for Nailor: what’s the best chicken wing flavour? “Hands down, hot butter from a place in Guelph called Fat Duck,” said Nailor. For years he had been trying… 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
After three years of operation, the Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta (PPAA) is shutting its doors. The organization’s goal was to “raise awareness and create connections to help realize the endless opportunities the plant protein and plant-ingredient industry offer Alberta,” but didn’t receive funding from the provincial government for the current fiscal year, and therefore… Read More
Plant Response, Inc., a biologicals focused company headquartered at Raleigh, N.C., recently announced its acquisition of WISErg. WISErg is a Seattle-area startup that has created a system for upcycling nutrients from food scraps. The nutrients can then be used in fertilizer and nutrient efficiency products that can enhance plant and soil health. The company has… Read More