The last Ford I owned outright – and lived to tell the tale — was a 1972 Pinto. To me, at the time, it was a beauty, silver-grey with a thick black stripe along the rocker panels. I thought it was cool, but, in truth, I was an idiot to drive it. I was lucky… Read More
Category: Food
Health Canada announced this week that products containing ground or milled flax may now sport a shiny new health claim on the label — that consuming milled or ground flax has been proven to lower levels of blood cholesterol. Elevated blood cholesterol levels have been identified as a major risk factor for developing heart disease…. Read More
“It’s an atrocity to block the humanitarian gesture of improved nutrition,” says Kevin Folta, scientist and associate professor at the University of Florida, referring to opposition towards Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). We saw incredible public interest in food in 2013, with polarizing discussions often centred around biotechnology. Many, including Folta, argue the current debates are largely… Read More
January 9, 2014 – The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) announced its new target for Canada’s canola industry earlier today, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The CCC aims to increase the demand for canola, create a stable and open trade environment and sustainably and profitably increase production of canola to 26M tonnes by 2025. The CCC’s new targets have… Read More
Consumers want food that’s as cheap as possible. True, they want safe food, too, and all those other features such as wholesome, nutritious and environmentally sound food. But mainly, they want food cheap. The huge increase in grocery items at big box stores and discount outlets bears that out. Exceptions exist, particularly with the growing… Read More
Competition to get you to a grocery store is higher than ever before. With a fierce marketplace and incredibly diverse set of consumer demands, grocers are working hard to get you to their store and make you a loyal customer. Retailers’ most common weapon in the battle for loyalty seems to be providing murky information… Read More
Inspired by the Masters of Beef Advocacy program offered in the United States, Canada’s Beef Advocacy Program will be available to the public in the new year, and will be comprised of two levels. The first level will be for anyone with interest in the beef industry, providing information “right from genetics and breeding all… Read More
By Rob Wallbridge, Songberry Farm, Bristol, QC. The story of how I came to be touring Monsanto starts back in late April and a blog post where I questioned the current tenor of the GMO debate. It caught the attention of Janice Person, a Social Media Director for Monsanto, who commented, “if you ever want… Read More
The ready-to-eat cereal manufacturing plant at London, Ont., is set to close by the end of 2014, according to the Kellogg’s company press room. The plant employs about 500 people. This announcement is the second of its kind for Ontario’s food manufacturing industry, as Heinz announced the closure of its ketchup plant in Leamington last… Read More
The business of food retailing is undergoing significant changes. There is significant consolidation happening, new entrants like Whole Foods, the growth of WalMart and all of this is happening while the consumer market is not growing overall. Just like farming technology is allowing food retailers to lower costs and gain more insight into its operations… Read More
If you’re still wondering if local food is a fad, and whether you should build a local food component into your crop and livestock production, take heed of the latest consumer food price outlook from the University of Guelph. The outlook, produced annually by a team led by Prof. Sylvain Charlebois, shows consumer interest in… Read More
Rob Saik, founder and president of the Agri-Trend Group of Companies, brought along his camera on his recent trip to Kenya, which is lucky for all of us, as we get to share in the journey, see the sites and get a sense of the struggles that Saik encountered along his way. As you’ll see… Read More
This morning at the Ontario Federation of Agriculture Annual General Meeting in Toronto, the Premier and Provincial Ag Minister, Kathleen Wynne, talked to the delegates about the state of agriculture in the province. Wynne talked about job growth, the opportunity for young people and more. When the meeting was handed off to the question and… Read More
The Lancet Infectious Diseases published an editorial entitled Antibiotic resistance—the need for global solutions to mark Antibiotic Awareness Week (which is this week, FYI). The article is as long as the situation is complicated. With twenty-six contributors and nearly 400 references, it looks to address the concerns around antibiotic resistance, factors that cause resistance, and recommended strategies… Read More
I feel for the good people of Leamington as they struggle to prepare for life without Heinz. The company, which has been a huge part of their lives and their community for more than a century, will close next June. Some say they could see the end coming when Heinz was sold to Americans a… Read More