Beyond Meat’s ‘latest iteration’ of its Beyond Burger gets to carry a Made in Canada label. (Photo courtesy Beyond Meat via Globe Newswire)

Beyond Meat lines up Canadian patty co-packer

U.S. company launches 'latest iteration' of burger line

One of the names tied closest to the plant protein-based meat substitute sector has enlisted an unnamed Quebec operation to make its beef-similar patties for the Canadian retail market. Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat on Wednesday launched the “latest iteration” of its flagship Beyond Burger, billed as “produced locally at a co-manufacturing facility in Canada” and […] Read more

Bayer’s cross symbol hangs in a terminal at Frankfurt International Airport. (Typhoonski/iStock Editorial/Getty Images)

Bayer launches carbon capture pilot for U.S., Brazilian farmers

Chem and seed firm expects to expand plan to other countries

Chicago | Reuters — Bayer launched a pilot program in the United States and Brazil on Tuesday that will pay farmers for capturing carbon in cropland soils, making it the latest agriculture company to capitalize on environmental initiatives. The company seeks to enroll about 1,200 row crop growers in its Bayer Carbon Initiative in the […] Read more


Loveday mushrooms on a 2016 episode of TV cooking show “Great Tastes of Manitoba.” (Great Tastes of Manitoba video screengrab via YouTube)

U.S. mushroom giant buys major Manitoba grower

Loveday Mushroom Farms joins South Hill Champs

A major player in the North American mushroom business expects to expand its reach in the U.S. Midwest and Canada’s Prairies with a deal for a storied Winnipeg producer. South Mill Champs, formed in 2018 from the merger of Philadelphia-area producer South Mill and Aldergrove, B.C.-based Champs Mushrooms, announced Tuesday it has expanded to include […] Read more

This device, developed by Manitoba Agriculture, compares run-off (collected in the top row of jars) to water that seeps through soil. Management practices can significantly increase the ability of soil to absorb water — but water retention, organic matter, aggregation, soil structure compaction and nutrient cycling are all interconnected, says Farming Smarter researcher Gurbir Dhillon.

Soil health is a whole meal deal, says researcher

The properties of healthy soils are interlinked and good management addresses all of them, says Gurbir Dhillon

Reading Time: 2 minutes Your soil is a little like a supply chain — an interconnected series of chemical, physical, and biological interactions that help make your lands productive and your crops profitable. But just one weak link in that chain can cause problems on your farm. “Soil is irreplaceable, so it has to be sustainable,” said Gurbir Dhillon, […] Read more


‘Report card’ aims to raise awareness of soil health

‘Report card’ aims to raise awareness of soil health

Handing out marks on topics such as organic matter and cover cropping is meant to raise awareness


Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers in Western Canada received good marks for increasing organic matter in their soil but a grade of D when it comes to cover cropping. The Soil Conservation Council of Canada released its first national soil health report card this spring — the first attempt to evaluate the state of Canada’s soil since the 1980s. The grades […] Read more

Plaintiff Dewayne Johnson listens as attorney Brent Wisner, not shown, speaks about his condition at trial in San Francisco on July 9, 2018. (File photo: Josh Edelson/Pool via Reuters)

Bayer loses California appeal of Roundup verdict

Damages payable to plaintiff are further reduced

Reuters — Bayer AG failed to persuade a California appeals court to overturn a verdict favouring a school groundskeeper who claimed its Roundup weed killer caused his cancer but reduced the amount of damages by 74 per cent, to US$20.5 million. The decision by the California Court of Appeal came after a San Francisco jury […] Read more


One of the centrepieces of Burger King’s #CowsMenu campaign is a video directed by Michel Gondry featuring U.S. singer and yodeler Mason Ramsey. (Burger King video screengrab via YouTube)

U.S. beef ranchers sour on Burger King lemongrass ration

RBI arm launches '#CowsMenu' program, 'Reduced Methane' Whopper

A new U.S. sustainability campaign from one of the world’s biggest fast food chains, training its lens on beef cattle passing gas, has “disappointed” some cattle producers while also proposing its own new feedlot ration as a way to help cut emissions. Burger King, owned by Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International, on Tuesday launched the “#CowsMenu” […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Bayer puts Roundup future claims settlement on hold

Judge questions proposal for third-party scientists to rule on chemical's carcinogenicity

Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer was forced on Wednesday to delay part of a proposed settlement of allegations that its widely used herbicide Roundup caused cancer after a U.S. judge questioned its plan to deal with future claims. The German company said that lawyers representing those preparing a class action had withdrawn a request for […] Read more


Sales of his farm’s organic produce have risen during the pandemic, says Andrew Mans.

Organic sector sees strong demand even as pandemic batters consumers

COVID has challenged province’s organic growers but their customers have remained loyal

Reading Time: 4 minutes Demand for organic food hasn’t been slowed by the pandemic even though many consumers have struggled with job losses and reduced income. “The thing that’s been most surprising is seeing that the demand for organic continues, despite the income level people are at,” said Tia Loftsgard, executive director of the Canada Organic Trade Association. “Organic […] Read more

(Photo illustration: Reuters/Dado Ruvic)

Bayer, Corteva among companies stepping off Facebook

Major firms pledge to pause advertising for July

A couple of major players in the agriculture sector are on an expanding list of major companies pausing advertising on Facebook for the month of July in pursuit of policy changes at the U.S.-based social media giant. Bayer and Corteva Agriscience recently announced they have joined the #stophateforprofit campaign, backed by organizations including the Anti-Defamation […] Read more