Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay kicked off the second leg of his “Growing Canadian Agriculture” tour today in Mara, B.C. by meeting with organic farmers. MacAulay announced an $8.3 million commitment to the Organic Federation of Canada at his first stop. The organic research cluster, which will receive an additional $4.4 million in industry contributions, will focus… Read more »
Category: Organic
City kids connect farmers to consumers in ‘Before the Plate’
What do you get when you connect two ‘city kid’ filmmakers, a world-class chef, and nine farmers and their families? You get Before The Plate, a genuine behind-the-kitchen-door, on-the-farm look at how food is produced in Canada, and the passion and commitment chefs and farmers apply to their craft. The driving force behind the film… Read more »
TechTour: Culti Cam system offers automatic cultivator positioning in row crops
In another move towards automation, Claas has unveiled a system for automatic steering of cultivators in row crops. The Culti Cam uses a high-resolution camera to detect rows, and then adjusts the position of the implement, centring it between rows, independent from the tractor’s steering. Using colour and 3D surface information, Claas says the camera software… Read more »
Changing minds by changing yours: influencing consumers’ opinions on agriculture
Are you willing to change your mind when you discuss agriculture and food issues with people who don’t agree with your point of view? On some level, most people in agriculture engage in conversations with family, friends, and colleagues on a range of issues – everything from conventional versus organic agriculture, to the right to… Read more »
Federal funds allocated to update Canadian organic standards
The Canadian organic production industry received confirmation today that the federal government will provide financial support for updating organic standards. Today in Guelph federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay annouced the Government of Canada’s commitment to provide the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) the “necessary funds to cover costs associated with the 2020 Canadian Organic Standards… Read more »
Inside ‘The Real Dirt on Farming’
Where can Canadians find everything they need to know about farming all wrapped into a neat 60-page package? It’s all in The Real Dirt on Farming. Farm & Food Care Ontario officially unveiled the newest version of its flagship public outreach publication last month. This new Real Dirt is the fourth edition since the project’s inception in… Read more »
Efforts intensify in Ontario to regulate organic products
Recent efforts to address consumer questions and confusion over certified organic food production have taken a step forward in Ontario. On Wednesday, MPPs Peter Tabuns and Sylvia Jones announced a co-sponsored private member’s bill for organic products regulation in Ontario. “This bill will provide further transparency and help ensure that the growing organic industry continues… Read more »
Fight for GMOs hits the big screen in ‘Food Evolution’
It’s easier to scare people than reassure them. That’s how environmental activist Mark Lynas frames the debate around the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs have their supporters and their detractors, all fighting for or against the technology, and in the middle is a very confused and distrusting public. That’s the narrative director Scott… Read more »
Should ‘vertical’ factory farms get a free pass?
In a recent Fast Company magazine article there was a feature on the benefits of using technology to produce food. The article praised the efficiency gains made by implementing the latest in what technology could provide. The farm in the article is located in San Francisco. That’s right, it’s a vertical farm. The company’s name… Read more »
Are Western Canadian Farmers Missing the Boat on Organics?
An op-ed column by Brenda Tjaden Lepp Over the past couple of years, I have been developing and promoting new marketing tools to help farmers prove the concept of sustainability to consumers, and to use that to their advantage in pricing. Most recently, my efforts have targeted helping those transitioning into organic. I have always… Read more »
Dear Environment Canada: Please Use Canadian Stats
You’ve likely seen Environment Canada’s Tweet celebrating #WorldFoodDay and thanking farmers…well, some farmers. If not, here it is: Today is #WorldFoodDay. Thanks Farmers! Let’s help keep the planet healthy and productive. Tips here: https://t.co/D4WBHIjjU8 — Environment Canada (@environmentca) October 16, 2016 Seems nice enough, yeah? Well, then you follow the link. It doesn’t lead to… Read more »
Wallbridge Named Thompsons Limited Organic Specialist
Thompsons Limited has announced that Rob Wallbridge will join the company as Organic Specialist. Wallbridge grew up on conventional dairy and cash crop farms in Central and Eastern Ontario. He comes to Thompsons with more than 15 years of experience in organic crop certification, production and marketing. Wallbridge is a registered Certified Crop Advisor (CCA-ON)… Read more »
Why Don’t You Grow Organic?
The Organic Council of Ontario (OCO) wants to understand why the province can’t seem to attract farmers and processors who want to fill the growing consumer demand for organic food. The organic market has seen tremendous growth in recent years. Ontario has more than $1 billion dollars in sales alone, about 30% of total Canadian… Read more »
Canada’s Largest Mushroom Business Bought by Fyffes
Leamington-based mushroom producer Highline Produce has been sold to Irish fruit and fresh produce company Fyffes for a reported C$145 million. Founded in 1961, Highline is the largest mushroom business in Canada and largest organic mushroom producer in the world, marketing around 58 million pounds of mushrooms annually from four production facilities in Leamington, Kingsville… Read more »
Tips for Hosting Your Own Farm Day
Last month, I stopped in for the annual Organic Alberta Conference in Olds to hear what’s new in the world of organics. I was a little later than I intended, but happened to sneak into the first concurrent session of the day just in time to hear Blake Hall of Prairie Gold Meats addressing an intrigued… Read more »