Health Canada unveiled a new Canada Food Guide today that ends the era of the ‘four food groups,’ no longer refers to serving sizes nor specific amounts of food to eat daily, and replaces the former iconic rainbow with a dinner plate comprised mostly of plant-based foods. This new guide is all about proportion rather […] Read more
Eat plant-based foods more often, new Food Guide says
Eastern Manitoba ice cream maker closes shop
An eastern Manitoba dairy farmer who began producing a specialty ice cream with the farm’s own milk in 2013 has closed shop citing rising production costs. Lisa Dyck, owner of the Cornell Creme ice cream brand, began producing a line of hand-crafted ice cream in 2013, using milk from the family dairy farm northeast of […] Read more
Alberta farm groups support grain safety initiative
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta Pulse Growers and Alberta Wheat Commission along with the Canadian Canola Growers Association and Prairie Oat Growers Association have committed $120,000 to the Grain Safety Program. The program, an initiative of the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association, will educate farmers, farm workers, and farm families about the dangers of grain handling and storage. “The Alberta […] Read more
Farm groups say even limited sale of GM alfalfa seed poses too high a risk
Farm groups say the release will begin a ‘spiral of uncertainty’ for producers and their customers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Fifteen Canadian farm groups have called on the federal agriculture minister to stop the sale of genetically modified alfalfa seed in this country. In a letter to Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, the groups state they also want variety registration removed for all GM alfalfa until a full economic impact assessment is conducted. They are also […] Read more
VIDEO: Down to earth jewelry made in Manitoba
Provincial soil turned trinkets travel the world
Reading Time: < 1 minute Manitoba Soil Sciences Society members have been using Newdale Clay Loam to make a series of pendants/keychains, bracelets, earrings and rings since Manitoba proclaimed it the provincial soil in 2010. MSSS members Marla Riekman and John Heard explain how the idea originated, how the jewelry is made, and the intent behind the ongoing initiative. All […] Read more
The British are coming! And taking precision tillage to a new level
U.K. machine is pricey, but organic grain grower says it will easily pay for itself
Reading Time: 2 minutes Jeremiah Evans has a new high-tech hand helping him control weeds on his organic farm. Last fall, Evans took delivery of a custom-built U.K.-manufactured Robocrop InRow Weeder, which uses cutting-edge video image analysis to identify and target weeds, leaving the crop behind. After seeing what the cultivator could do to his wild oats, thistle and […] Read more
Organic is booming — and the push is on to get more growers
Demand for organic grain is growing at a sizzling pace and the sector fears it will lose market share if it can’t up production
Reading Time: 4 minutes Steven Snider was just 16 years old when he realized conventional farming wasn’t for him. “I was spraying a wild oat herbicide on a field, and I got drift poisoning,” said the Edberg-area farmer and owner of Little Red Hen Mills. “For three days, I was sick as a dog. That kind of changed my […] Read more
The money’s good. But is organic for you?
Reading Time: 2 minutes There’s money to be made in organics, says the executive director of Organic Alberta. “From a business perspective, organic production does make sense,” said Becky Lipton. “If you’re looking on how to expand your operation, organics do provide a lot of opportunities on that end.” While yields can be substantially lower — as much as […] Read more
UN declares 2014 International Year of Family Farming
Proclamation aims to put family farming higher on policy agendas
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has declared 2014 as International Year of Family Farming. The declaration aims to “help reposition family farming at the centre of agricultural, environmental and social policies in the national agendas,” an FAO news release said. The declaration aims to broaden discussion and co-operation at all […] Read more
Western Canada’s only gardening annual turns 75
The Prairie Garden remains the go-to resource for learning to be better gardeners in a short-season climate
Reading Time: 4 minutes It may be -25 C outside but gardens are already growing — at least in gardeners’ minds. Early January is time to plan, if not plant, and gardeners on the Prairies spend this time thumbing through The Prairie Garden, learning how to become a better gardener for the short growing season ahead. The 2014 release […] Read more
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