Reading Time: 3 minutes Gas and diesel prices are heading into record territory, while producers are facing shortages of basics such as seed, herbicide and fertilizer. With costs increasing, the question becomes one of field performance. Are there ways to hold the yields without compromising the environment while on the journey to better climate behaviour? One could argue that […] Read more
Schoepp: Rising input costs offer a chance to rethink our approach
The benefits of biodiversity are increasingly well known and offer an alternative to the status quo
Schoepp: The cost of climate change action shouldn’t fall on the few
Big changes are being contemplated — farmers should be part of the planning and be fairly supported
Reading Time: 3 minutes Climate consciousness has been replaced by a sense of urgency, much of it focused on Canadian agriculture. Before we begin the climate conversation, let us go to other areas of the world. Recently I spoke at length with friends in Europe where the momentum on climate action in Germany had resulted in embracing wind power. […] Read more
Schoepp: The food sector is much bigger than you might imagine
We’ve seriously underestimated how big the sector is, and its ability to be an even bigger economic engine
Reading Time: 3 minutes As the world of agriculture and agri-food evolves, so too does its workforce. Capturing just who is engaged in this massive economic engine has been difficult as previous statistics have focused on who works ‘on the farm’ rather than who is employed ‘in the food system.’ Perhaps never before in history has there been such […] Read more
Schoepp: Hunger doesn’t just happen to people in far-away places
You can see telltale signs in our grocery stores and the streets of cities and towns
Reading Time: 3 minutes While recently spending several months travelling in and out of a major city, I often ran out of time to eat in the evenings and whenever I shopped, it was late at night. Buying groceries was something I could do on the way back to the farm, without the worry of crowds or traffic. On […] Read more
Schoepp: When did food producers become the bad guys in movies?
‘Clifford the Big Red Dog’ is the latest offering that looks to the food sector to find a villain
Reading Time: 3 minutes A chance to hang out with my granddaughters during New Year’s was celebrated with treats and a movie. We watched “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” a new film based on the 1963 book of the same name. Clifford and his friend Emily Elizabeth are always on an adventure. In the movie, Clifford’s size attracts more […] Read more
Schoepp: Pitting one farming practice against another benefits no one
Dismissing regenerative agriculture — or synthetic fertilizer — out of hand is not the way forward
Reading Time: 3 minutes The use of synthetic nitrogen is being debated around the world by farmers and scientists. Stirring the discussion further last month was an opinion piece titled “Nutrient Claims are Crap” written by Jaqueline Rowarth in a New Zealand publication called Rural News. In it, the agrologist took a run at regenerative agriculture, describing it as […] Read more
Schoepp: The narrow definition of a farmer is far from the whole story
The full story of farming needs to be told more often, and we should be proud to do that
Reading Time: 3 minutes A farmer is defined by Merriam-Webster as a person who cultivates land or crops or raises animals. I find the definition too narrow as it does not portray the depth and breadth of food production. From the tiny fields where mulberry is grown to feed the silkworms and the pots of herbs on a windowsill […] Read more
Schoepp: Does sourcing ingredients from around the world really make sense?
It’s time that consumers were offered the chance to buy truly Canadian food products
Reading Time: 3 minutes Have you ever felt betrayed when you bought a food product? I am fascinated by brand claims and food sources. One day I simply emptied the nearest cupboard to see where the food came from and what was in the manufactured products that now were scattered on the counter. The pure Atlantic Sea Salt I […] Read more
Schoepp: It’s harder for women to put food on table when they’re paid less
Many women make one-third less than men doing similar work
Reading Time: 3 minutes One in seven Canadians is food insecure. I wondered: Just who are the food insecure throughout this vast nation? Where do they live and what is the relationship between food security, location, culture or income? Those persons who are the most food insecure in Canada live in remote places. The population of Nunavut is 57 […] Read more
Schoepp: The pandemic brought stress but also something empowering
A lot of the burden fell on farm and ranch women, but struggle also brought a new strength
Reading Time: 3 minutes Women have multiple roles on Alberta’s farms and ranches, and navigating the pandemic has taken courage, determination, innovation and forgiving grace. I asked some of them to share their experiences. At first, the fact that the country home was remote seemed a blessing as it reduced the potential exposure to the virus. But as time […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
