It’s unlikely that University of Toronto researcher Richard Bazinet will include on his resumé the fact that he had a whole room of farmers holding their noses. But it was actually an effective demonstration of good taste, not smell. Bazinet passed around jelly beans and asked people to plug their noses as they placed one
Studying the benefits of grass-fed livestock
Cinderella crop is the child of immigration
Early Polish settlers were the first to grow rapeseed, near Shellbrook, Sask., spawning the multibillion-dollar industry of today
Much of the attention focused on newcomers to Canada these days is laced with fear that they will bring change. What is often overlooked however, is that change can bring good things to a country — including economic growth. Canada’s canola story — a stunning success by any measure — is a case in point.
Is Ag in the Classroom a corporate shill? Far from it
What one group sees as education, another views as propaganda
Classrooms across the country were getting some special visitors in March as volunteers for the non-profit organization Ag in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) did their bit to promote Ag Literacy Month. In this province, those volunteers included Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler and fellow cabinet minister and Portage la Prairie farmer Ian Wishart, who took turns
Farmers’ markets drive food sector innovation
They offer valuable insights into changing consumer tastes and preferences
While many view farmers’ markets as an enjoyable and quaint, albeit inefficient, place to buy food, few would characterize them as cutting edge. But small-scale farmers and farmers’ markets are an important source of innovation in the food system because they are a source of direct consumer feedback, Gialuca Brunori, a professor with the department
Malnutrition has many faces
Overweight people now outnumber the hungry
The issue of malnutrition makes feeding the world decidedly more complicated than boosting the amount of grain farmers grow or the number of calories in people’s diets. Undernutrition affects nearly 800 million people, accounting for approximately 12 per cent of deaths worldwide. In developing countries, 60 per cent of deaths in the under-five age group
Radical transformation of food system needed
The focus of future investments in the food system must be on nutrition — not calories
From its offices overlooking centuries-old ruins of the fallen Roman Empire, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is grappling with an issue many consider a threat to modern civilization. Global rates of malnutrition are growing at an unprecedented pace, despite progress that has been made reducing hunger and poverty. Sandwiched between the two extremes
Telling people they’re wrong won’t win their trust
Organic farmers have an opportunity to be leaders in agriculture
The organic sector must tread carefully or risk getting caught in the crossfire in the growing debate over social licence in agriculture, the president of the Canadian Organic Trade Association says. Dag Falck told the recent Organic Connections conference in Regina that while organic farmers are rarely targeted by consumers who have concerns over how
Carbon key to building resilience on farms
Building soil carbon supports soil biota and makes for a healthier farming system
Farmers often see themselves as feeding the world, but farmers attending the Organic Connections conference here recently were told the first step towards that goal is feeding the “starving and homeless” micro-organisms in their soil. “Your job is to feed them and maintain their habitat,” Kristine Nichols, the chief scientist with the Rodale Institute told
Editorial: Hedge your risks: go underground
The dust is settling in the wake of last week’s U.S. election but it will be a while yet before we understand what the results mean for Canadians, including farmers. It’s an understatement to say Donald Trump’s election win came as a surprise, quite possibly even to him. The fact that his opponent received more
Remembering fallen soldiers closer to home
Legion members in Holland, Man. want geographical landmarks named after lost soldiers to be accessible
Members of the Royal Canadian Legion in Holland, Man. are asking why a provincial program that honours fallen soldiers by naming a geographical landmark after them can’t remember them closer to home. Les Ferris, who heads up the local branch, said they have been working with the local municipality and the provincial government in recent
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
