Visitors to Newest Poultry Farms Inc. don protective footwear on Open Farm Day.

Opinion: How open is Open Farm Day?

Livestock industry is risking its social licence

In many ways, Open Farm Day is an oxymoron. As much as it tries to help the public understand modern farming, it often reinforces just how inaccessible it has become. Lured by the promise of a chicken farmer’s barn and broilers, I headed out early on Sept. 20 to see the only poultry operation on

Chantelle Genkow walks with daughter Chyler and son Conner at Grenkow Holsteins during Open Farm Day 2011.

Ag societies take the lead on Open Farm Day

The Manitoba Association of Agricultural Societies can help widen scope of farms involved

Open Farm Day Sept. 20 marks the last time Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development will be directly involved co-ordinating the event. The association representing this province’s 59 agricultural societies will take the helm for future events, and will look after finding host farm families, co-ordinating and promoting what has become a popular one-day trip


knife cutting into a steak

Canadians love meat, but don’t take them for granted

Demand should stay strong despite higher prices, but cases of meat fraud 
could undermine consumer confidence

What do Confucius, Albert Einstein and Leonardo Di Vinci have in common? Well, not much professionally, but they were all vegetarians. Einstein once claimed that, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” With recent record meat prices, some might

Editorial: The votes that matter

Editorial: The votes that matter

There was a field day a few years back where organizers asked the 20 or so people in attendance to introduce themselves by sharing something they’ve learned about agriculture in the past year. “Be careful what you say about the competition, because tomorrow you might be working for them,” piped up an employee for one


People are shopping farmers’ markets and joining food co-ops at record numbers because they enjoy knowing who grows their food.

Big-box backlash one reason for growth in farmers’ markets

Once thought threatened, U.S. farmers’ market numbers have soared from 340 in 1971 to 8,268 in 2014

More Americans than ever before are supporting their local food markets, and it’s not just because they believe the food is fresher and tastes better. According to a new University of Iowa study, people are shopping farmers’ markets and joining food co-ops at record numbers because they enjoy knowing who grows their food. These so-called

GMO labelling may not discourage consumers: Vermont study

GMO labelling may not discourage consumers: Vermont study

Study finds labelling actually increased 
support in some demographic groups

A new study reveals that GMO labelling would not act as warning labels and scare consumers away from buying products with GMO ingredients. The five-year study of Vermont residents focuses on the relationship between two primary questions: whether Vermonters are opposed to GMOs in commercially available food products; and if respondents thought products containing GMOs


Outright repeal of COOL defies consumer sentiment

Outright repeal of COOL defies consumer sentiment

It was how the meat-packing industry applied the law that caused the negative effects on imports

The fate of the U.S. COOL (country-of-origin labelling) program for beef, pork, and poultry hangs in the balance as Congress goes on its Independence Day recess. Given the May 18, 2015 WTO (World Trade Organization) ruling against COOL, the threat of $3 billion in retaliatory tariffs being imposed on U.S. products by Canada and Mexico,

non GMO sign

Politics and the revenge of the food consumer

The USDA has decided to act on growing pressure and establish a voluntary program 
to label food products with non-GMO content

What was unthinkable a few years ago is now happening. In an unprecedented move, the United States Department of Agriculture has established a voluntary program to label food products with non-GMO content. Non-GMOs already exist in the marketplace, but none of them are sanctioned by the government. At the request of a global food company,


After Washington GMO label battle, both sides eye national fight

Both sides of the costly and high-stakes GMO labelling battle in Washington state say they see an even bigger national fight ahead despite the apparent defeat of the mandatory labelling measure by Washington state voters this week. The measure died 47.05 per cent to 52.95 per cent, according to results updated Nov. 7 night by