At some point, likely every farmer has been frustrated with markets and pricing, and thought about moving past commodity production and up the value chain. But as many quickly learn, direct marketing, dealing with processors, or even becoming a processor is not for everyone. In this episode of Mind Your Farm Business, Jeff Nonay, a... Read More
Category: Local Food
Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited has confirmed its acquisition of Thornloe Cheese from EastGen. Located in Northern Ontario, Thornloe Cheese has been a local producer of cheese and cheese curds near Thornloe, Ont., for over 75 years. Employing about 30 people, Thornloe is known for its speciality cheese and recently introduced the first butter and... Read More
October 7 to 13th marks Ontario's Agriculture Week — a week to enjoy the produce, meat, and food that Ontario farmers grow and produce. A celebration of the fall harvest season, Agriculture Week is also intended to raise awareness of the economic impact of farming and agriculture in the province, recognizing those who work in... Read More
Canadians may not be optimistic about agri-food becoming a primary topic for the upcoming election, but they are thinking about some perhaps surprising agriculture and food-related issues. A survey of 1,524 Canadians, conducted Sept 9 by Angus Reid Global and Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab, looked to gauge Canadians' opinion on where they ranked agriculture... Read More
What do honey, olive oil, and organic food have in common? They're high on the list of food fraud cases in Canada. Food fraud, defined as mislabeling and misrepresentation of food products to deceive consumers or create unfair competition, may cost the global food industry between $10 and $15 billion per year, affecting about 10%... Read More
While attending the Council of Dairy Farmers of Quebec's annual general meeting, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the federal government is providing $376,668 to the Cheese Expertise Centre (CEC). This money will go into two projects to keep Canadian cheese makers "competitive and innovative," according to Bibeau. "With the assistance provided by... Read More
Following the recent release of Canada's Food Guide, Dalhousie University launched a survey to judge awareness, understanding, and affordability of the new guide. Led by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, senior director at the Dalhousie University Agrifood Analytics Lab, the study suggests that although more than one-quarter of those surveyed say the new Food Guide recommendations are... Read More
By Jeff English Canada’s Food Guide was updated this week and, not unlike anything done by government, it was met with a mixed reaction. The changes were not so big. We’ve gone from four food groups down to three. Given the year they’ve had on the trade front, it is easy to forgive our dairy... Read More
If you've heard or seen the term "buy local" get ready to see and hear it a bit more in Wild Rose Country. Back in May of this year, Bill 7 was passed in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The bill's purpose is to encourage the development and success of a local food sector throughout... Read More
When I am completely overwhelmed with the task at hand (which is often), I sit down, make a to-do list, and break the task down into smaller, more achievable steps. I prioritize the most pressing issue first, or the one that simply must happen before the other pieces can fall into place. My hope, in... Read More