Cigi CEO JoAnne Buth says Canada has an opportunity to sell more wheat.

Government should do more to support agricultural science

Agriculture needs to respond to consumer demands for more information

The global production and demand for wheat are rising in a lockstep that leaves low carry-over stocks and an opportunity for Canadian farmers to cash in, says JoAnne Buth, CEO of the Canadian International Grains Institute. Wheat is second only to rice as a dietary staple and shows no signs of losing its consumer desirability,

How to start a food business in Manitoba

Prairie Fare: Turkey Salad with Orange Vinaigrette and Apple Wheat Berry Turkey Salad

Perhaps the biggest mistake budding entrepreneurs make when starting their own business is miscalculating how long it will take and how much it will cost to get it up and running. Just ask Kelly Beaulieu, the founder and chief operating officer of Canadian Prairie Garden Puree, who now has food industry giants lining up for


Lutz Goedde

Canada could do better in agri-food

Trust and transparency will be key to Canada’s export competitiveness in the future

Canada shouldn’t be content with its status as the world’s fifth-largest food exporter because it could be setting the global export pace, a conference on the future of the Canadian agri-food industry has been told. “Canada is a laggard in the world food trade,” Lutz Goedde, of Denver-based McKinsey & Co. and a former CEO

Food Fight winners for 2015: (l-r) Glenda Hart, Carly Minish and Cori Poon along with Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn.

Food developers compete at Food Fight

Ten competitors squared off October 14 for prize money at annual Great Manitoba Food Fight

Three Manitobans making speciality food products are this year’s prizewinners at the Great Manitoba Food Fight competition held in Winnipeg on October 14. Two women, both originally from the Swan River area, took home the gold and silver prizes. The third-place winner is owner of a Grand Marais company producing birch syrup. Cori Poon of


Wheat seedlings growing in Petri dishes

Balance needed in agri-food research in Canada

Agri research in Canada is hamstrung by a shortage of financial and human resources

The pursuit of basic science in agriculture and agri-food has been squeezed out of federal priorities in recent years, speakers told an Agriculture Institute of Canada conference. “Funding remains a challenge for us,” Robert Gordon, dean of the Ontario Agriculture College (OAC), told the delegates to the AIC conference, which was crafting a research policy

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,


A farm employee pulls out cornstalks on an 18-hectare operation owned by a retired educator near Livingstone.  hotos: Shannon VanRaes

A mix of pragmatism and fear keeps GMOs out of Zambia

While the debate over GMO labelling continues in North America, Zambians take it for granted that they aren’t consuming products made with genetically modified ingredients

In Zambia, it’s practically everywhere. Maize is in tiny garden plots, on small farms, huge estates, in markets and on dinner plates. Since its introduction to Africa by the Portuguese in the 16th century, maize has become the main staple crop in this region. Two megalithic-size cobs even flank the entrance to the Zambia National

Jeff Eastman is MAFRD’s new small-farm development specialist. His office is based at the University of Manitoba’s Livestock Knowledge Centre. Teulon-based MAFRD business development specialist Jayne Kjaldgaard is Manitoba’s new specialist to work with small-scale processors.

New production and processing specialists’ positions assigned

The new extension positions will be focused on reducing the intimidation factor for startup businesses

One of the most intimidating aspects of direct marketing a farm-grown product is knowing the rules for safe food handling and other regulatory and production requirements. Last week, the province announced it has reassigned two business development specialists with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development staff to roles that will avail them to processors and


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,

Lisa Dyck with her ice cream product

Program helps more Manitoba companies reach markets

A spring launch at Red River Co-ops puts 60 new products from 17 companies on store shelves

More niche and specialty made-in-Manitoba products will catch the eye of customers with the launch of 60 additional new products through the provincial Buy Manitoba program. The Manitoba Food Processors Association (MFPA) has helped Red River Co-op stores in Winnipeg link up with more than a dozen local food companies. It means new exposure for