Category: Food

Forbes recently published an article asking the (rehtorical, I assume) question, "Is Organic Agriculture Affluent Narcissim?" My answer? Of course it is. I thought we all knew that. I find myself in an interesting position these days. I consider myself rather neutral — I'm happy we're all free to choose what we put in our... Read More

For a bit of a change of pace, Shaun Haney and Anne Wasko sat down face to face for this edition of the Beef Market Update. Filmed at the International Livestock Congress held last week in Calgary, Alta., this Beef Market Update covers several good news topics in stark contrast to last year's discussion at... Read More

So, it seems we don’t just have an issue eating our horses, but also our hens. A recent article by Sarah Boesveld of the National Post, brought my attention back to a rather interesting consideration: “the urban chicken movement.” You’ve heard of it, yes? The desire many urbanites have, to produce their own food? Well,... Read More

In what is being described as a “momentous occasion” by its chairperson, the Board of Directors of Cigi (Canadian International Grains Institute) has approved a new governance model for the institute, according to a press release. The change, approved at its annual general meeting on June 18, will see board membership expand to include representation... Read More

Pollinators, including honeybees, are essential to food production all over the world. It's why farmers are always encouraged to chose insecticides that are as pest-specific as possible and to avoid applying them when pollinators are flying. Pollinators are not just good for bumping yields, they are necessary for some crops to even set seed. Recent... Read More

With the recent flooding that’s plagued Alberta, cattle producers understandably have other things on their mind besides new technology. But at some point, when the situation settles down, they’ll find themselves in a delicate position – that is, heading for the front lines of science, promoting irradiation for beef. Irradiation would help kill nasty E-coli... Read More

Farm Credit Canada launched a massive, industry-wide PR campaign last year not for itself but for the entire agriculture industry. Yes, agriculture — farming, food, the industry, farmers — for everyone. The Agriculture More Than Ever movement has since been joined by several partners, including RealAgriculture.com, with a goal of connecting consumers to agriculture and... Read More

Purebred cattle operations rely largely on DNA for parentage verification and identifying potential genetic defects, but where is the rest of the industry at with genomics? Is there a role for genome mapping in commercial herds? How will it help the industry as a whole? "There's genomic tools for every sector of the value chain... Read More

For food product businesses, marketing and distribution is a major cost and time commitment, but it's a necessary element of success. For small-scale or start-up businesses, letting the world know what you have to offer can be especially difficult. Sask Made Marketplace is working to help bridge the gap between consumers and small-scale Saskatchewan-based food... Read More

A few weeks ago, I visited Mike Dugan, meat lipid scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, to ask about feeding flax seed to pigs to increase omega-3s in pork, and thus diversify the consumer base. But, one may ask, where's the beef? Well, a current study at the Lacombe Research Centre in Alberta is looking... Read More