Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications for the 2016-17 Beef Cattle Research Council’s Beef Researcher Mentorship Program are now being accepted. Four researchers were selected for the program last year and paired with mentors — innovative producers and industry experts — for a one-year term, which ends on July 31. They have reported very successful and valuable experiences, including establishing […] Read more
Beef researcher mentorships available
Application deadline is June 1
Canada, U.S. to collaborate on food safety controls
Food safety officials in Canada and the U.S. have formally recognized each other’s respective food safety controls under a cross-border co-operation pact. The two countries last week announced their new food safety systems recognition arrangement, reached during meetings of the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Co-operation Council (RCC) held Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, D.C. The two countries […] Read more
We no longer have the luxury of time in making changes
When consumers decide a livestock practice is wrong, they expect changes to be made immediately
Reading Time: 3 minutes We used to believe — and many companies still do — that we could maintain consumer trust by going through the exercise of a food safety or production protocol. We have discovered in this very tribal age of transparency, this is not sufficient. Consumers are expecting actions to be taken and are moving away from […] Read more
Getting ready to deal with consumers’ expectations of the food system
New research shows the public expects farmers, food companies, grocery chains, and restaurants to work as partners
Reading Time: 3 minutes Siddhartha Gautama, the Indian fellow who we in the western world refer to as Buddha, once said: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” And in this he was right, for when we are ready to learn or seek some form of knowledge, someone comes into our life to enlighten us. Enlightenment has […] Read more
Budget to boost ag research infrastructure, rural broadband
Funds to fix up Canada’s agricultural research stations and food safety labs and a new program to boost rural broadband coverage are among the nuggets for the farming sector in Tuesday’s federal budget. Overall, the Liberals’ first budget is based on $287.7 billion in revenues for 2016-17, against $291.4 billion in program expenses and $25.7 […] 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
Opportunities abound in horticulture, says provincial specialist
The financial startup costs are typically lower and a host of information resources is available
Reading Time: 2 minutes More people are interested in a career in agriculture these days and horticulture offers many opportunities, says a commercial horticulture specialist. “Increased interest in local production as well as the desire to know where and how food is grown means more people are looking to get into agriculture and primary production,” said Dustin Morton. Horticulture […] Read more
Science lacking in alarmist report on beef safety
The numerous misleading statements in a new report are no reason for consumers to lose confidence in the safety of Canadian beef
Reading Time: 3 minutes Consumer Reports’ Food Safety and Sustainability Center released its Beef Report last month. A number of questions, concerns and criticisms have been raised by the North American Meat Institute, the International Food Information Council, Business Insider, and others. Rather than answer the specific questions raised, Consumer Reports encouraged people to read the report more closely. […] Read more
What Consumer Reports said about beef safety
The organization claims that drug-resistant bacteria pose a serious and growing health threat
Reading Time: 3 minutes The following is excerpted from The Beef Report produced by Consumer Reports’ Food Safety and Sustainability Center. The full report can be found here. The danger of superbugs Foodborne illness caused by drug-resistant bacteria, such as the antibiotic-resistant strains of salmonella that have caused beef-related outbreaks in recent years, are also a major cause for […] Read more
Workshop offered for selling at farmers’ markets
The day long workshops will take place on April 21 and April 28
Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers wanting to sell at farmers’ markets can learn about the basics at the Getting into Farmers’ Markets workshop. Farmers’ markets in Alberta had more than $700 million in sales in 2012 and continue to see rapid growth. Topics include food safety culture and best practices, product pricing, and regulations. A panel of experienced vendors […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
