MarketsFarm — Canada’s hemp acres are set to double in 2019, according to the most recent principal field crop acreage report from Statistics Canada. The hemp industry is experiencing somewhat of a boom as hemp products of all stripes enter mainstream consumer markets. “Health Canada is running at least double the number of hemp license […] Read more
Hemp acres expected to double due to crop versatility
A plateful of advice offered in new national food guide
But that plate has less meat, more plant-based protein, and water is the ‘drink of choice’
Reading Time: 3 minutes “Don’t see a lot of meat or dairy!” That tweet from a University of Guelph food expert summed up the reaction of many farm groups in the country following the unveiling of the revamped Canada’s Food Guide. As expected, Health Canada’s new edition of the guide — last revised in 2007 — recommends Canadians eat […] Read more
When it comes to food waste, the system is broken
An astonishing amount of food spoils or is thrown out — it’s time to take action
Reading Time: 3 minutes Between my home and the Victoria airport is a big sign urging “Let’s reduce food waste.” If you are reading this column from your farm table, you may already be an expert at the preservation of food and the use of leftovers. Typically, we eat all we grow on the farm. In the store however, […] Read more
Canary seed market seen as dull, static
CNS Canada — Prices for canary seed over the last 15 months have fluctuated between 20 and 23 cents/lb. delivered in Western Canada, and there’s little chance that will change any time soon. To David Nobbs, managing partner of Canpulse Foods in Saskatoon and a director with the Canaryseed Development Commission of Saskatchewan, the canary […] Read more
There’s a new brand on Canadian beef
Beef from certified ranches or products containing 30 per cent of that beef can use new CRSB logo
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s already in use by McDonald’s Canadian division, but now other sellers of Canadian beef can use the official sustainable beef logo if they source that type of meat. Having an official logo is a significant milestone in the lengthy journey to make Canada a world leader in the certified sustainable beef movement. Over the […] Read more
Building the foundation for a sensible food policy
We need to have strong and unbiased science to create approaches that are sensible and sustainable
Reading Time: 3 minutes Food prices are expected to stay low for the next decade or so, according to recent reports from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. That is good news to people who eat, which, of course, includes farmers. But it does remind us that farmers […] Read more
National food policy council needed
Reading Time: < 1 minute A coalition of more than 50 farm groups and food companies want Ottawa to create a national food policy council. The council “would bring together key stakeholders from across the food system to work collaboratively with the government,” said the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Among other things, it would address food insecurity; high levels of […] Read more
Listen to your crops — the plants are talking to each other
They’re also ‘foraging’ for nutrients, deciding where to put their roots, and calling for help when under attack
Reading Time: 3 minutes You might think it’s crazy — but plants talk to each other and act in ways that are similar to animals and humans. “Step away from the idea of plants as factories and start to think of plants as individuals,” biological sciences professor JC Cahill told attendees at the Western Canadian Soil Health and Grazing […] Read more
It’s tiny now, but fledgling hops sector is taking flight
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s no doubt that the craft brewing industry in Alberta is hot — and that’s sparking a mini-boom in growing hops. “We know of 12 producers in Alberta, but that does not account for farmers who haven’t engaged with us,” said Wade Bendfeld, president of the Alberta Hop Producers Association, which was formed in March […] Read more
Food insecurity is not just a Third World problem
The situation in a country like Sudan is much more dire, but there are parallels to our own country
Reading Time: 3 minutes The United Nations has developed 17 sustainable development goals. The second one is “zero hunger.” This includes a mandate to end not only hunger but poverty everywhere and to achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. I would like to focus on food security in this column. Food security was defined at the […] Read more
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