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 moreWestern Canada’s only gardening annual turns 75
Digital exhibit brings history of Prairie food to your homes
Items selected from the University of Alberta’s Bruce Peel Special Collections Library show the history of cookbooks in Western Canada
Reading Time: 3 minutes Compiling a food history is complicated — it has to include culture, economics, politics, gender roles — and of course, recipes for chiffon pie. “Culinaria — A Taste of Food History on the Prairies,” a new digital exhibit by the University of Alberta, has it all. Co-curator Caroline Lieffers says she’s certain others will be […] Read moreLive in the past. Reject new ideas. Watch community die
A marketing strategist warns local leaders of what comes from rejecting change and acting ‘dumb’ so less is expected of them
Reading Time: 3 minutes Revised, Dec. 13, 2013 — All small-town coffee shops should have a designated ‘be happy’ section, says Chris Fields. Coffee shop critics with all their “nattering and chittering” are part of what’s killing rural communities, says Fields, a senior marketing strategist with the Alberta-based Twist Marketing Firm. “Coffee shops are horrible places for that. They’re the […] Read more
The beer facts — beer drinking is good for Canadian economy
Study says ‘almost every industry in Canada is supported in some way by the beer economy — from grain production to retailing and serving’
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you’re an average beer drinker in Alberta, a new report pegs your consumption at about 260 bottles a year. That’s the fourth-highest per capita consumption of beer in Canada and slightly higher than the national average 235 bottles, according to a new report from the Conference Board of Canada. From Farm to Glass: The […] Read more
New report says improved food literacy key to a healthier life
Conference Board of Canada says too many people can’t understand nutrition labels, make a meal in their kitchen, or stick to a food budget to reduce waste
Reading Time: 2 minutes Improved food literacy would improve the health of Canadian adults and children, says a new report from the Conference Board of Canada. The number of books, television programs and websites dedicated to food — not to mention diets — continue to multiply, but our understanding of food isn’t necessarily getting better, says the 46-page report. […] Read moreOntario farmer earns top award in world cheese competition
Reading Time: 2 minutes Newly crowned the winner in a global cheese competition, a small Canadian company is proving it doesn’t take centuries to perfect a fine cheese. Lancaster Ontario company Glengarry Fine Cheese walked away with the top prize in the prestigious Global Cheese Awards held this fall in Somerset, England, the birthplace of cheddar. Glengarry’s Lankaaster aged […] Read more
Canadian miller receives international award
A familiar face at Cigi, Ashok Sarkar is also well known internationally and was recognized this spring for outstanding contributions to the industry
Reading Time: 2 minutes Many work quietly behind the scenes on farmers’ behalf, ensuring the work they start in the field produces optimum results for the dinner table. None more so than Ashok Sarkar, head of milling technology at Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi), who helps make sure Canadian wheat customers get the optimum results from the flour they […] Read moreCCA hopeful resubmitted irradiation petition will succeed
Reading Time: 4 minutes The waiting has begun all over again for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) as it renews efforts to persuade Health Canada to approve irradiation for beef. The CCA submitted paperwork in early May asking the federal agency to restart the approval process for beef irradiation in Canada, repeating a similar request in a 1998 petition. […] Read more
National 4-H museum comes home to Roland, Man.
4-H capped off its celebration of 100 years in Canada this past weekend by coming home. Like a good old-fashioned rally, dignitaries, clubs and alumni joined with local residents here May 31 to celebrate. If how the venerable organization honours its past is any indication, 4-H has no worries about its future. It was on […] Read more
Biofuels will continue to be a game changer, says renowned economist
Reading Time: 2 minutes For good or ill, oilseed and grain growers now have their fortunes tied to the energy market, says a renowned international trend watcher. The rise of biofuels has fundamentally altered the business of agriculture and not just by pushing up market prices, economist James Fry, chair of LMC International, a leading international consulting firm, told […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
