After I wrote an editorial piece on Kathleen Wynne's absence at the GFO meeting last week (click here for that), many people agreed with my take. In the true spirit of Realagriculture.com, some readers thought I was incorrect and called me out on it. Long-time RealAgriculture follower Stewart Skinner contacted me and said, "Slow down,... Read More
Category: Food
My daughter Kate and I headed out last Sunday afternoon to Kitchener to hear about a new – and what I consider very different – food service being debuted at the storied Walper Hotel. Up the staircase through the doors of the second-floor terrace ballroom, 250 curious guests were lining up at more than a... Read More
We're all consumers. We buy cars and trucks, clothes and electronics, seed and fertilizer, food and drinks. About 2% of the population, farmers, also create a very personal consumable — food and food ingredients. Roughly 8% of our population, that is the amount of us involved in the agriculture industry, have a pretty good handle... Read More
100 years ago, Norman Borlaug was born. An American scientist and researcher, Borlaug won the Noble Peace Prize in 1970 for his lifetime of work aimed at feeding the hungry through advancements in agriculture. Today, dubbed AgDay in the U.S., Borlaug will be honoured with a statue unveiled in the nation's capitol, and research organizations... Read More
Soy-based personal lubricant, biodegradable wound care and an antimicrobial food film won top prizes in this year’s Project SOY (Soybean Opportunities for Youth) competition for University of Guelph students. The 18th annual event, held last week, showcased 16 projects from 26 U of G students from the Guelph, Alfred, Kemptville and Ridgetown campuses. Students won... Read More
If agriculture is going to work towards providing quality food for informed consumers, we can't be throwing each production system under the bus. Conventional agriculture needs to respect organic production as a valid production system (and a valid consumer choice), and organic producers need to stop vilifying conventional production and using misleading and down-right false... Read More
When I buy beef from my neighbourhood butcher in Guelph, I don’t chisel him on price. He sells excellent beef, and he and his suppliers deserve decent money for connecting with the cattle farmers who produce it. If I have to cut corners, I’ll save on some other part of the meal — for example,... Read More
Shaun Haney talks to Kevin Grier from the George Morris Center about the demand challenges for retail beef in 2014. Kevin has been doing some interesting research on how much beef is featured in grocery store fliers and he is not liking the trend. One of the big indications for beef demand is always the... Read More
Beef Advocacy Canada has launched its advocacy and education program. Canada Beef and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) along with funding from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Association (ALMA), have brought together industry partners to develop a comprehensive program that will walk future beef advocates through the entire industry from gate to plate, a press... Read More
The picture to the left was shared with me by Cami Ryan. Several thoughts and rants come to mind as I look at this marketing campaign. Has marketing always been this dishonest? Have consumers always been so led astray? Are we all just pawns in the game of food marketing? I find it quite ironic... Read More