This December, to recognize the year that has passed, and to look to the start of 2018, we decided to create a short questionnaire for a few of our many, valued contributors. Andrew Campbell is a dairy farmer, owner of Fresh Air Media, and a contributor to the site, often writing on advocacy and marketing.... Read More
Tag: Owen Roberts
It almost sounds too good to be true, with farmers often feeling the general public is uninformed and uninterested in agriculture, but urban media outlets are realizing stories about farming and food resonate with their audiences. Whether it's the 'wow' factor, interesting personal stories, great visuals, or top-of-mind topics related to our own health or... Read More
Just like farmers have farm groups, agricultural journalists also have their own organizations. And we're proud to have one of our contributors and a good friend here at Real Agriculture take the helm of the international association representing ag journalists from around the world. Owen Roberts, who writes a regular column on this site, was... Read More
Noble efforts have been made to try bringing rural and urban Canadians closer. And now, with the Trans Pacific Partnership being signed, expect those efforts to intensify. Agricultural journalists and communications professionals are paying attention to this imperative. “Fixing Fences: Bridging the Rural-Urban Divide” was the theme of the 60th annual Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation... Read More
Sweeping changes are taking place in crop protection, especially when it comes to traditional chemicals. I believe these changes are for the best, but they’re going to take some explaining to consumers. Here’s what’s happening. At the BASF media summit in North Carolina this week, the company announced it was introducing an eye-popping 20 new... Read More
If you have any Farmers Feed Cities memorabilia hanging around, treat it with respect. As of Monday, it became collectible. Just as the first ever Local Food Week was getting underway in Ontario, Farmers Feed Cities, one of the most successful agriculture awareness programs in recent memory, wound down. The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO),... Read More
When it comes to nutrition, it’s safe to say modern farmers are diet conscious about their animals. Farm animals have a whole industry looking after their best interests. Professionals such as animal nutritionists make sure livestock don’t make bad nutrition decisions. How many humans can say the same? Granted, that option’s mostly taken away from... Read More
A sea change takes some impetus. In horticultural research in Ontario, that change happened eight years ago when the Vineland research station reinvented itself as the partner-driven Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. And it got a boost earlier this week when Ottawa and the Ontario government announced they were combining forces to give the centre... Read More
My daughter Kate and I headed out last Sunday afternoon to Kitchener to hear about a new – and what I consider very different – food service being debuted at the storied Walper Hotel. Up the staircase through the doors of the second-floor terrace ballroom, 250 curious guests were lining up at more than a... Read More
When I buy beef from my neighbourhood butcher in Guelph, I don’t chisel him on price. He sells excellent beef, and he and his suppliers deserve decent money for connecting with the cattle farmers who produce it. If I have to cut corners, I’ll save on some other part of the meal — for example,... Read More