Reading Time: 2 minutes The term ‘functional foods’ has been around for decades, but what does it mean? “While there is no legal definition for functional foods, a common definition is that a functional food provides health benefits beyond basic nutrition,” said Ava Duering, an analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. This is because they contain bioactive food compounds […] Read more
Just what are functional foods, anyway?
Here’s a brief primer on the health benefits that functional foods are supposed to deliver
Input costs to chip away at farmers’ shrinking income
CNS Canada — An anticipated downturn in farm income and higher input costs mean Canadian producers will be in a tough financial position this year, the head of the National Farmers Union (NFU) predicts. Farmers’ net cash income is expected to move lower in 2016, declining nine per cent to $13.6 billion in 2016, according […] Read more
Manitoba hunters, ranchers seek rural night-hunting ban
Manitoba’s hunter and rancher groups are calling on the province to tighten its enforcement against night hunting and ban the activity among all hunters in the province’s populated rural areas. The call Tuesday from the Manitoba Wildlife Federation follows a Sept. 10 near-miss in which a couple near Winnipegosis, about 60 km north of Dauphin, […] Read more
Burger King, Tim’s owner says 2016 off to ‘great start’
Reuters — Restaurant Brands International said it was off to a “great start” this year, after new product launches at its Burger King and Tim Hortons chains in 2015 helped boost sales in a highly competitive market. Shares of the Ontario-based company, which reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday, rose as much as nine […] Read more
Jobs minister ‘uninformed’ about ag labour crisis
MaryAnn Mihychuk says packers should step up recruiting, but there are 1,000 jobs that Canadians don’t want
Reading Time: 4 minutes The new federal jobs minister simply doesn’t understand the labour crisis faced by the country’s meat-packing industry, says the co-chair of an industry labour task force. Employment Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says meat packers don’t need temporary foreign workers because there are tens of thousands of laid-off workers who could be recruited. “In the present circumstance, where […] Read more
The three common traits of profitable farms
Know your costs for every enterprise, spend money to make money, and never run short of working capital
Reading Time: 2 minutes What makes a farm profitable? “Recently, farm management expert Professor Eric A. DuVuyst of Oklahoma State University shared three traits common to all successful producers, drawing on observations and experience gained from working within five U.S. land grant universities,” said provincial farm management specialist Rick Dehod. “We definitely see these same three common traits in […] Read more
Nominees sought for Agriculture Hall of Fame
Deadline for nominations is April 30
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to the province’s agriculture and agri-food industry, and to the development and sustainability of rural life in Alberta. “Every two years, Alberta’s Agriculture Hall of Fame recognizes up to three Albertans whose outstanding leadership, innovation, and business […] Read more
Chipotle shuts for staff food safety meeting
Reuters — U.S. burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill shut its stores for four hours on Monday to hold a nationwide staff meeting, where CEO Steve Ells apologized for E. coli and norovirus outbreaks and laid out the company’s recently developed food safety program. Chipotle also said it would spend about $10 million to help local […] Read more
Year-over-year same-store sales climb for A+W
Canadian burger-and-root beer chain A+W’s recent moves to boost the profile of its ingredients in a crowded quick-service playing field has pushed its sales past the billion-dollar mark in 2015. The A+W Revenue Royalties Income Fund on Friday reported net income of $21.32 million on $1.061 billion in reported sales from the 814 restaurants in […] Read more
Egg farmers to phase out cage housing over 20 years
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada’s egg farmers plan to replace conventional hen cages with more humane conditions over the next 20 years, amid growing pressure from consumers, restaurants and food companies. The plan — announced Friday by Egg Farmers of Canada, an industry group that manages nearly all of the country’s egg supply — comes […] Read more