The COVID-19 pandemic, and Canada’s response to it, have highlighted how rural communities need different strategies than their urban counterparts to provide social services on which the public relies. The Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph hosted a virtual panel in May to discuss COVID-19’s social impacts, in which researchers from a variety […] Read more
Pandemic may strain rural community resources, panel warns
Enthusiasm for telecommuting could later benefit rural areas, if 'digital divide' can be bridged
Don’t forget threat of invasive aquatic species
Reading Time: < 1 minute Albertans eager to get back onto lakes and irrigation reservoirs shouldn’t forget about the threat of invasive aquatic species, says the association representing the province’s 13 irrigation districts. “All watercraft owners have a part to play in preventing aquatic invasive species from being introduced into Alberta waterbodies,” the Alberta Irrigation Districts Association said in a […] Read more
Watch for these invasive plants
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Canadian Council on Invasive Species are urging Albertans to watch for five invasive species and remove them if spotted on their property: Common tansy: Has yellow, button-like flowers and can grow 1.5 metres tall. It impacts stream banks and native grasslands and outcompetes native plants. It also produces […] Read more
Saving a jewel — and the setting it’s placed in
Easement protects pristine valley — and the farmland above it
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s a little slice of paradise nestled in the Rosebud River Valley. Along its craggy cliffsides, golden eagles and peregrine falcons nest, while moose and deer leave their own marks on the native grassland that surrounds the river’s edge. But these lands are home to more than just the wildlife. On top of the river […] Read more
India to let farmers sell produce directly to traders, retailers
Current system seen reducing farmer bargaining power
New Delhi | Reuters — India is to allow farmers to sell produce directly to bulk buyers such as trading companies, food processors and large retailers, the farm minister said on Wednesday. This would obviate the need for farmers to bring their produce to India’s more than 7,000 regulated wholesale markets and let buyers buy […] Read more
Dutch to cull mink at farms hit by COVID-19 outbreak
Order follows mink-to-human virus transmissions
Amsterdam | Reuters — The Dutch government on Wednesday ordered mink culled at nine farms where animals have been infected with the coronavirus, fearing they could form a reservoir of disease infecting humans after the country’s current outbreak has passed. “Clearing the infected farms is in the interest of both human health and animal health,” […] Read more
Planning for success can also help you in a time of crisis
Large-scale Saskatchewan farm says it has found some financial positives during pandemic
Reading Time: 4 minutes Hebert Grain Ventures might just be the closest thing to pandemic-proof a farm can be. “From a pandemic standpoint, the farm really hasn’t felt it. It’s kind of business as usual,” said Evan Shout, chief financial officer of the 22,000-acre grain operation in southern Saskatchewan. “We probably came out of this a little bit better […] Read more
Pandemic creating waves and surprises in food sector
Lockdown has roiled the food industry and normal is a long ways off, says food trends guru
Reading Time: 2 minutes There’s been a lot happening on the food front during the pandemic — some of it surprising. While the closure of restaurants has been blamed for a drop in milk sales, it’s actually one segment — coffee shops — that had the greatest impact, said food trend expert David Hughes. “About half the milk we […] Read more
From faux meat to fake milk, the plant-based trend still going strong
It’s not making news during the pandemic, but consumer interest in meat and dairy alternatives hasn’t waned
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s not making news during the pandemic, but the popularity of plant-based foods is still growing, says an expert on global food trends. “Because of COVID-19, it looks like plant-based food has gone off the boil because you just hear less about plant-based food,” David Hughes said during a webinar hosted by the Plant Protein […] Read more
Electronic signatures now accepted on health certificates
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) have come to an agreement on electronically signed health certificates. Under the agreement, which went into effect June 1, the U.S. will accept electronically signed certificates (i.e. certificates that are requested and issued via My CFIA) for […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
