Reading Time: 3 minutes There are many food and consumer trends that keep farmers grappling with providing the right product. Buying food is based on many things: health consciousness, price, flavour and taste, smell, and presentation. From packaging to ‘gastrophysics,’ there are some basics to understand about our ever-challenging task of producing and selling food. I listened to a […] Read more
Eating with our eyes — our perception of food isn’t a simple thing
What consumers perceive as tasty and nutritious is proving to be a lot more complicated than we ever thought
Put a skip in your step — it will make life better in many ways
You may think you’re too old or feel silly skipping about the farm, but it will fill you with energy — and joy
Reading Time: 3 minutes Gripping the skipping rope in my hands for the first time in five decades, I quietly wondered if it was possible. Under the gaze of four sapphire-eyed girls I knew I had to try. Two hundred and sixteen skips later I rested to the chorus of, “How did you do that?” How indeed? What makes […] Read more
Innovation with the most unlikely material shows all is possible
Human waste has always been a problem, but it is increasingly seen as a resource and that’s spurring the creation of new technologies
Reading Time: 3 minutes I still spend a lot of time in airports and love to use that time to read interesting stories on people, places, politics, science, and technology. It brings to light all that is possible in our world. A little writeup caught my eye in regards to human waste which is a growing problem. In many […] Read more
In the quest for ever-more production, have we lost our way?
Farmers in the developing world are impoverished while producers here are taking on ever-higher levels of debt
Reading Time: 3 minutes I strongly believe that our focus in the future should be on the nutrient density of plants and biodiversity. Pushing our soils to produce more is terminal because there is burnout of the soil and the plant, along with financial harm to the farmer. Instead, we should look at soil health, seed health with nutrient […] Read more
A letter to a mother from a very grateful daughter
In ways great and small, we learn to live, laugh, and persevere through the example of those who inspire us
Reading Time: 3 minutes Dear Mom, I am so proud to say that my strength of character comes from you. It must have been so overwhelming to lose your own mother at an early age. I know you worked hard at university, only to leave your profession once you married a farmer. From the city you moved to rural […] Read more
Feeding the planet is challenging, dealing with its waste is even harder
Earth is becoming an urban planet and that raises a host of issues we’ve never had to deal with before
Reading Time: 3 minutes The migration of rural persons to cities hit a historical milestone in 2008 when urban residents outnumbered those in rural areas. The result has been congestion in cities that were ill prepared for this growth and an intense pressure on rural areas to produce more food with less people. The United Nations claims six out […] Read more
If it is happening in research, it is happening here in Alberta
The list of research centres is long and varied — and all of them are part of our competitive advantage
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta is a hive of exciting and interesting research activity that is a benefit to agriculture and society. From bees to bovines, we employ world-class scientists who work with enthusiastic producer groups. Livestock (under the federal definition) includes bees, and the National Bee Diagnostic Centre is in Alberta, a partnership between the Grande Prairie Regional […] Read more
Choosing to laugh along the way can, umm, lighten the load
Inspired by a return to school, columnist Brenda Schoepp decides there are a few other things she wants to change in her life
Reading Time: 3 minutes As I write this, it is week four of my master of arts in global leadership program at a university near Victoria, British Columbia. After 40 years of being out of school, I can honestly say that I have met my challenge. So tired by day’s end, I collapse on my foam bed. Not one […] Read more
Will agriculture and food processing finally take centre stage?
A new report says these two sectors are key to Canada’s future prosperity — and that recognition is a welcome development
Reading Time: 3 minutes A recent report from the Advisory Council on Economic Growth highlighted agriculture and food processing as keys to economic growth in Canada. The advisory council called on Ottawa to create a growth strategy for what it calls “agfood,” which it defines as everything from “field to fork.” Its report says that could generate another US$30 […] Read more
We take them for granted, but how would we manage without them?
Travelling in poor countries makes you appreciate a pair of good boots, and the generous spirit of those who can only dream of such luxuries
Reading Time: 3 minutes When I was a child mother would call out to us, ‘Leave your boots at the door!’ — and we would topple upon each other, kicking off the seemingly unimportant footwear, unaware of the value or the privilege of those boots. Even in the leanest of years, some kind of footwear was always provided, despite […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
