Reading Time: 2 minutes Back in the pioneer days, April was known as “starvation month” because this was when food stores started to run out, and the new growing season hadn’t started yet. This isn’t a concern for most people today, unless you’re living off the land, like the Ruzicka family. The Ruzickas have pledged to spend a year […] Read more
Family living on the land makes it through ‘starvation month’
Educate consumers through Open Farm Days
Reading Time: < 1 minute Registration for Open Farm Days 2016 is now open. Last year’s event had more than 70 participating farms; 18 farm-to-table culinary events; 10,000 visits to farms; and almost $100,000 in food and on-farm sales. The event, which runs from Aug. 20-21 this year, provides an opportunity to support local food producers, educate consumers about agriculture, and […] Read more
Low dollar won’t necessarily make 2016 a banner year for local produce
Cash-strapped produce consumers may go for ‘most bang for their buck’ in beleaguered Albertan economy
Reading Time: 3 minutes Some might think the low Canadian dollar might make 2016 a good year for local produce growers. Not necessarily, say two experts in the field. “The talk I’ve heard is that high food costs will normalize farmers’ markets or direct-market sales. These might have cost a little bit more before. Our cost of production is […] Read more
Living large — and eating only local — in a land of bounty
It’s a huge shift to eat only foods produced in Alberta, but the members of the Ruzicka family consider themselves ‘so lucky’
Reading Time: 3 minutes In a season where most people spend more, the Ruzicka family is learning to live with less. Shannon and Danny Ruzicka and children Madalynne, Joshua and Molly have been living on local foods since August. “Our experiment is to live off the Albertan land for a year — we live off what we grow, raise […] Read more
Calgary baker makes pita bread a hit with Albertans
People had ‘no idea’ what to do with pitas 40 years ago, but Byblos Bakery now makes 1.8 million a week
Reading Time: 2 minutes Calgary’s Byblos Bakery has found the sweet spot: consumer-pleasing quality, a diverse product line, efficient production, and rigorous food safety. The bakery produces 18,000 pita bread per hour, 20 hours per day, five days a week. But things were much different in 1975, when George Daklala first introduced Albertans to pita bread. “When we first […] Read more
The secret of success can be found in a simple breakfast spread
The man behind Nutella shows how simple ideas can be very powerful
Reading Time: 3 minutes I was first introduced to Nutella while travelling in Europe as a young woman — the thought of chocolate for breakfast was just too good to be true! Today, the sweet treat remains a frequent visitor to our home, disappearing in the early hours shortly after waking. The man behind the mysterious blend of hazelnuts […] Read more
Getting on the menu
Reading Time: < 1 minute Getting Into Local Restaurants takes place Feb. 9 at the Agri-Food Business Centre in Leduc. “You will meet two chefs and the local producers who supply them, discover what chefs look for in a local food product, explore techniques for getting in the restaurant door and establishing a strong business relationship, and learn about plate […] Read more
Food hubs a hot new trend
Reading Time: < 1 minute Food hubs are growing in popularity as an alternative marketing option for Alberta’s smaller producers and processors, says new-venture specialist Christine Anderson. Most food hubs serve as a drop-off point for several farms in a region and a pickup point for customers. Along with marketing, they may “also offer a number of additional services including […] Read more
Tap into local food demand with ‘Explore Local’
Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers with an interest in tapping in to the local food markets are encouraged to get to know Explore Local. “We’re trying to help Alberta producers and processors build their knowledge and skills to successfully meet the demand in the local food area,” says Carmen Andrew, manager of Explore Local with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. […] Read more
Local food movement continues to soar
Visitors spent an estimated $878 million at farmers’ markets in Alberta in 2012, a jump of more than 50 per cent from four years earlier
Reading Time: 4 minutes Jered Serben never planned to become part of the local food scene, but is glad he is. The fourth-generation farmer grew up on a traditional hog operation, which transitioned to grain and then exited pork production when hog prices plummeted in the early 2000s. But his heart was never in it. “We got into more […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
