A new ‘Stop at Subway for Ontario Grown’ program will see local tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers featured at the restaurant chain’s 1,300 Ontario locations during the 2016 harvest season. The announcement comes in the midst of Ontario’s Local Food Week, with funding from the Ontario government’s three-year, $6 million Local Food Investment Fund and... Read More
Category: Local Food
In a move that surprised many in the Canadian cattle industry, Earls Kitchen + Bar announced Wednesday that the chain will source as much beef as possible from Alberta. "We are listening to Canadians, and primarily out of Alberta, we're listening to the industry," corporate executive chef Phil Gallagher told RealAgriculture's Shaun Haney in an... Read More
Contents: Interview with Terry Andryo, Photos, Podcast Options Who doesn't love some great food and a cold pint of one of the greatest local craft beers? I have been very fortunate in the last year to attend two great events hosted by ATB Financial and partnering organizations. The basis of these events was to showcase... Read More
Move over Ellen, Dr. Phil and Dragons' Den. A cooking show about food and farming is ranking higher than many network television shows on CTV in Manitoba. Currently airing its 26th season, "Great Tastes of Manitoba" is a partnership between eight commodity groups representing Manitoba farmers, Manitoba Agriculture and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. Each episode... Read More
If you believe the headlines this week, Canadians will soon not be able to afford to eat. Fruit and vegetables will be beyond an ordinary person’s capacity to pay and consumers wanting to chomp down on a piece of meat will have to order horse, bison or ostrich because beef and pork will break their... Read More
Significant changes are coming to Ontario's rules regarding small-scale chicken production. Until now, any individual could raise up to 300 birds per year under the Chicken Farmers of Ontario small flock program, a program with the intention of allowing families to raise a few chickens for themselves without requiring the purchase of production quota. Expanding... Read More
I hope you have time to take a look around at the agricultural landscape this holiday weekend, and celebrate Food Day Canada as we’ve known it over the past decade or so. Because in another 12 months, our nation’s agri-food culture could feel much different. Food Day Canada is described by its founder, culinary pioneer... Read More
I always get a kick out of stories about the aging farm population, stories that begin something like “Canadian farmers are getting older…” It makes you wonder if, in some other occupations, people are actually getting younger. Of course they’re not. It’s all about average age. And further, it’s not a measure of quality, which... Read More
To its peril, Canada’s agri-food industry – and indeed, all of Canada — has chugged along for more than a century without a comprehensive agri-food strategy. You’d think whoever is running Ottawa would have made it a priority, given we are active internationally exporting food and so dependent on imports. Consider the consequences if the... Read More
Ontario politicians should prepare for a little heartburn as they embark on this summer’s farm BBQ circuit. The circuit is a staple in constituencies with rural components. It provides photo opportunities and lets politicians see first hand what a farm looks like. On the business end of things, it gives farmers a chance to air... Read More