Globally, the big question in food production – the one that reverberates in any discussion about the future – is who will feed the increasingly hungry world, and how. Most of the focus is on Africa, and the growing population there. So the question goes: Who will feed Africa? Well, after spending two weeks with… Read More

Thirty-five vegetable growers in Manitoba are facing uncertainty after Canadian Prairie Garden Puree Products (CPGPP) entered receivership in late March. Court documents show the company owes over $9 million in debts, including over $1.5 million to the federal Agriculture Innovation Program and nearly $150,000 to the Food Development Centre at Portage la Prairie, Man. Earlier… Read More

What happens when a supplier and a processor can’t agree to a contract? In some cases, the parties walk away from the deal. In others, such as is usually the case between Ontario’s processing-vegetable growers and processors, there’s a set out and agreed upon mediation process. If that doesn’t result in a deal, the parties… Read More

Activist attention coinciding with the launch of Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month has served as a “wake-up call” for Agriculture in the Classroom-Canada and its partners. Several anti-GMO activist organizations, including the Canadian Biotech Action Network, Kids Right to Know and the Council of Canadians, sent a letter to education ministers across the country asking them… Read More

Change is good. Change is the only constant. Be the change you want to see in the world. There’s no shortage of sayings that reference change. Michael Barrett, president and CEO of Gay Lea Foods, prefers, though, to use imagery when discussing change and being ready for it. In his words, there are lines in the sand,… Read More

Today marks International Women’s Day, and McDonald’s Canada is marking the occasion with a new commercial celebrating the farm women who play a role in bringing home the beef in Canadian agriculture. In the commercial, you’ll likely recognize Alberta’s Jill Harvie (@BrightPasture) from a previous McDonald’s commercial, and also featured for this Old MacDonald-themed sing-a-long is… Read More

The Canadian Sheep Federation (CanSheep) has announced the launch of the Canadian Verified Sheep Program (CVSP). A rebranding of the Food Safe Farm Practices program, this new program adds two additional modules on animal care and biosecurity. Sheep farmers who have already completed the Food Safe Farm Practices program will only need to complete these… Read More

Oxford dictionary defines “post-truth” as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” We’re seeing this term thrown around by the media in the context of recent politics, but these “post-truth” conditions are really nothing new for agriculture. “This has… Read More

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is one of the cornerstones of food safety in Canada. Federal inspectors monitor meat and food processing plants, feed mills, and even farms. But beyond what we tend to hear in the media about inspections, the CFIA has much larger responsibilities, some of which need to be separated from… Read More

Recognizing irradiation as a safe and effective treatment to reduce bacteria in ground beef, Health Canada has published new regulations allowing the sale of irradiated fresh and frozen raw ground beef. The final regulations were published in Canada Gazette, Part II on February 22, and take effect immediately. Irradiation involves exposing food to low levels… Read More

How easily could your farm business absorb an added $120,000 bill? That’s approximately what Jan Vanderhout, co-owner of Beverly Greenhouses, says the new Ontario carbon tax will cost him this year, or just over $6,000 per acre of greenhouse space. Vanderhout, a third-generation greenhouse grower and the chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’… Read More

The inaugural “Canada’s Agriculture Day” is slated for Thursday, with celebrations of Canadian agriculture planned in communities across the country. In Alberta, organizers of an event called “Meet in the Middle” are bringing together 150 millennials for a five-course meal and conversation about food in the Willow Lane Barn near Olds. As Terry Andryo, ATB Financial’s senior… Read More

It’s pretty hard to beat food. We need it, we like it, and it can be an incredibly significant part of who we are. As any shopper knows, though, food can also be expensive. The good news for us Canadians is our national food dollar isn’t actually that high. Despite what our grocery bills suggest,… Read More

Why are celebrities so influential when it comes to trends? Turns out, we may actually be programmed to follow prestige. But, as Timothy Caulfield explains, we may not always recognize this behaviour in ourselves, claiming instead that “everyone else” falls for such things, but not us. Caulfield, a professor with the University of Alberta’s law… Read More

Have you seen the Dairy Farmers of Canada newest ad? (Scroll down to view) The latest television commercial and billboard campaign has received critical acclaim from advertising big wigs, but at least some of the farmers the ad represents aren’t exactly thrilled with the “crying over spilled milk” commercial calling it “horrifying,” “dark,” and “confusing.”… Read More

 

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