Reading Time: 3 minutes They’re a small but mighty group based up in the Peace. Last year, the Peace Country Gleaners grew, harvested and dehydrated about 700,000 pounds of vegetables, which were made into a soup mix distributed to organizations feeding the poor both in Canada and abroad. “We had 11 acres of carrots and 11 acres of beets […] Read more
Peace Country group moves a mountain of vegetables to feed the hungry
Smoothie cubes pulled for raw elderberry use
Quebec company's 'Immunity' smoothies under recall; illnesses reported
Federal food safety officials say a Quebec company’s new line of frozen smoothie cubes, sold online, is being recalled over its use of raw elderberries and a resulting potential risk of cyanide poisoning. Montreal-based Evive Nutrition, known in part for its pitch on CBC TV’s Dragons’ Den in 2019, is recalling its Evive brand Immunity […] Read more
On The Run operator to buy M+M Food Market
Parkland Corp. to pay $322M for frozen-food retailer
A well-known Canadian food retailer selling flash-frozen meals, entrees, side dishes and desserts direct to consumers is headed to expansion-minded new owners. Calgary-based Parkland Corp., which operates fuel and convenience retail chains and bulk fuel distribution businesses in Canada and elsewhere, announced Tuesday it’s signed an agreement to buy M+M Food Market for about $322 […] Read more
Manitoba names new ag minister in shuffle
Derek Johnson replaces Ralph Eichler
Another MLA from Manitoba’s Interlake region has been named to handle the province’s farm file in Premier Heather Stefanson’s latest cabinet shuffle and portfolio restructuring. Stefanson, who replaced Brian Pallister as premier in November, on Tuesday named Interlake-Gimli MLA Derek Johnson as minister of agriculture, replacing Lakeside MLA Ralph Eichler, who has been dropped from […] Read more
Last year was world’s sixth-warmest on record, U.S. scientists say
Heat content of oceans at record level, NOAA says
Reuters — Last year ranked as the sixth-warmest year on record, causing extreme weather events around the world and adding to evidence supporting the globe’s long-term warming, according to an analysis on Thursday by two U.S. government agencies. The data compiled by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA also revealed that […] Read more
Ontario to extend labour-related crop loss coverage
Losses due to COVID-19-related labour disruptions covered
A temporary crop insurance expansion that covers Ontario farms against crop losses due to “on-farm labour disruptions” caused by COVID-19 will be held over for yet another year. Agricorp, the province’s farm program delivery agency, announced in late December the feature first introduced in 2020 will be included again in 2022, at the same coverage […] Read more
Canada resists pressure to drop vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers
Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pushing ahead with a vaccine mandate for international truckers despite increasing pressure from critics who say it will exacerbate driver shortages and drive up the price of goods imported from the United States. Canada will require all truckers entering from the U.S. to show proof […] Read more
Nutrien makes surprise CEO switch again despite strong profits
Abrupt change 'mighty perplexing' to analysts
Reuters — Canada’s Nutrien, the world’s biggest fertilizer producer by capacity, surprised investors by replacing its chief executive on Tuesday for the second time in eight months, even as the company rakes in strong profits. Nutrien said in a statement it named Ken Seitz, the head of its potash business, as interim chief executive after […] Read more
Food aid volunteer group in the Peace gets a boost
Reading Time: < 1 minute Peace Country Gleaners, a non-profit in La Crete that helps feed hungry people around the world, has been awarded the $25,000 grand prize in the BASF Community Challenge. The nine-year-old organization processes locally grown vegetables, which are then dehydrated, used in soup mixes made by a sister group in B.C. and distributed by food aid […] Read more
The next farming frontier: an industrial park in Calgary
Indoor farm operation backed by McCain Foods will produce a million pounds of leafy greens annually
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta has never seen a farm like this: small but big; pesticide free but also bug free; using just a small fraction of normal water use; and with half the workers bearing titles such as “automation technician” or “data architect.” Site work is already underway for construction of a 74,000-square-foot indoor vertical farm that GoodLeaf […] Read more