A philanthropic foundation focused on improving public health now wants to improve diets by finding ways to juice up Canada’s home-grown fruit supplies. The Weston Family Foundation on Tuesday pledged $33 million over six years for what it calls the Homegrown Innovation Challenge, a prize challenge pitting ideas against ideas with the goal of extending […] Read more
Prizes put up to develop year-round berry production in Canada
Weston Foundation's new challenge backed with $33 million
Peace Country group moves a mountain of vegetables to feed the hungry
Reading Time: 3 minutes They’re a small but mighty group based up in the Peace. Last year, the Peace Country Gleaners grew, harvested and dehydrated about 700,000 pounds of vegetables, which were made into a soup mix distributed to organizations feeding the poor both in Canada and abroad. “We had 11 acres of carrots and 11 acres of beets […] Read more
Schoepp: Technology can be used to create new opportunities in Canadian agriculture
We can not only grow more veggies and fruits here, but also create new value-added sectors
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s food guide encourages putting fruits and vegetables at the centre of the plate. But to do this the nation is heavily dependent on imports, particularly from California. In 2019, Canada imported US$4.3 billion of vegetables, fruits and nuts from California. In total, Canada imports nearly US$6 billion in fruits and US$4 billion in vegetables […] Read more
High food prices hurting India’s poor
Inflation pain expected to persist for months yet
New Delhi | Reuters — India’s retail inflation may stay elevated for at least three more months after hitting a six-year high in October, as excess rain has damaged standing crops and seedlings, while edible oils that the country imports have become expensive. The high prices are a particular cause of concern for India’s hundreds […] Read more
Alberta sugar beet growers seeing turnaround
Reading Time: < 1 minute After a terrible harvest in 2019, sugar beet growers in southern Alberta are hoping to have two successful ones this fall. The first “mini” harvest was conducted earlier this month, with about 180,000 tonnes to be delivered to the Lantic-Rogers processing plant in Taber. The early delivery will allow the plant to ramp up to […] Read more
Newfoundland farmers may shoot problem moose at night
Province to provide permits to qualified farmers
Moose causing crop damage on farms in Newfoundland and Labrador may now be shot by farmers at night under a new special permit system. Farmers dealing with “problem moose” can now apply for permits for night shooting, via provincial agriculture development officers in their areas, the provincial fisheries and land resources department said Thursday. The […] Read more
Local, diverse veggie varieties part of food security, says seed group
SeedChange promoting wider use of local vegetable varieties, including in home gardens
Reading Time: 2 minutes SeedChange, a non-profit that works with farmers in Canada and around the world to save seeds and grow food sustainably, is launching a campaign for a more resilient post-pandemic food supply. “It’s no secret that the coronavirus is impacting Canada’s food supply,” said Jane Rabinowicz, executive director of SeedChange. “COVID-19 has revealed the importance of […] Read more
Major Quebec hothouse grower seeks creditor protection
One of Quebec’s best known greenhouse propagators, who in recent years launched an aggressive expansion into organic vegetables, is seeking creditor protection. Les Serres Lefort, which operates almost 50 acres of greenhouse facilities at Sainte-Clotilde in Quebec’s Monteregie, announced Sept. 10 it had filed a notice of intention on Sept. 6 to file a proposal […] Read more
Eat plant-based foods more often, new Food Guide says
Health Canada unveiled a new Canada Food Guide today that ends the era of the ‘four food groups,’ no longer refers to serving sizes nor specific amounts of food to eat daily, and replaces the former iconic rainbow with a dinner plate comprised mostly of plant-based foods. This new guide is all about proportion rather […] Read more
Organic doesn’t need to be ‘so expensive,’ says Dutch farmer
Farmer alliance’s relentless focus on efficiency aims to take organics to the next level
Reading Time: 4 minutes In Canada, we might call them hippies or tree huggers but in Holland, organic farmers are called “grey woolly goat socks.” Gerjan Snippe, managing director of Bio Brass, doesn’t wear his grey woolly goat socks anymore, but he carries them in his back pocket. They’re a reminder of why he got into organics in the […] Read more
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