The netted skin of a cantaloupe can harbour contaminants.

Take care with cantaloupe

Prairie Fare: Here are some tips for avoiding foodborne illnesses

Just get it started and it will practically roll out of its skin,” the man doing the knife demonstration assured his audience. I was thinking about those knife ads from years ago. The knives cut through tin cans and shoe leather, then through ripe tomatoes, making slices so thin “your relatives will never come back”

A family picnic is a great way to build and sustain familial bonds.

Create family meal memories with picnics

Prairie Fare: Eating together as a family has many physical, mental and emotional health benefits

I always looked forward to picnics when I was a child. We would visit friends who lived on lakes or, sometimes, we went to a park. Getting ready for our picnic was quite a production because we had salads, fruit, meat, fresh buns, potatoes and dessert. Homemade lemonade was in a gallon-sized thermos container. We


There are U-pick operations around the province getting ready to greet 
the season’s visitors.

It’s fruit-picking time

Prairie Fare: Make the most of Manitoba’s short season

We are fortunate to have an incredible variety of fruit here on the Prairies. We have apples, cherries, choke­cherries, crabapples, currants, gooseberries, grapes, has­kaps or honeyberries, melons, pears, plums, raspberries, saskatoons, strawberries and many more. It’s enough to make one’s mouth water. Our beautiful, jewel-coloured fruit is high in antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients making it

The rhubarb plant is a staple of many farm gardens — and summer menus.

Make the most of rhubarb season

This tart seasonal favourite doesn’t have to be confined to desserts

Mom, how did they figure out we could eat rhubarb, anyway?” my older daughter asked me. I had cut some stalks of rhubarb and was disposing of the large green leaves. A wilted leaf caught her attention and soon she had it draped over her head like a large green scarf. Of course, she snapped


Follow a few basic food safety rules for an incident-free outdoor eating season.

Keep it safe this summer with food

Don’t let foodborne illness spoil your outdoor cooking and dining experiences

The other day, I wiped off and arranged the outdoor furniture on our patio after the furniture finally came out of storage. Then I sat down at the table to enjoy the warm breeze and admire the flowers I just planted. After a long, cold winter and spring, I was beginning to wonder whether warm

Editorial: Gluten-free bacon?

It was enough to spoil my breakfast. As I opened a package of bacon to cook while camping on the holiday weekend, I learned from the label that it was “gluten free.” Gluten-free bacon? I was confused. Since when does bacon, which comes from animals, contain gluten, which is one of the components of the


Almost 60 per cent of all Canadian consumers consider price as one of the top three decision criteria when grocery shopping.

Opinion: ‘Shrinkflation’ is a thing

Ingredient prices are rising but Canadians stubbornly won’t pay more at the till

Most consumers are always concerned about the cost of food. We constantly look for bargains and the food industry knows it. According to a recent survey, almost 60 per cent of all Canadian consumers consider price as one of the top three decision criteria when grocery shopping. Price is key, no matter what. Pricing in

Planning ahead is one of the keys for preparing nutritious meals for the busy seasons on the farm.

Food for farmers in the field

Prairie Fare: Chickpea Salad Sandwich or Wrap or how about Crunchy Oats & Honey Bars

Feeding farmers on the field and feeding them well is no easy task. You want to provide nourishing, tasty food that’s quick and easy to prepare, transport and eat. You also want to offer variety and make sure hot food stays hot and cold food stays cold. That’s a tall order, especially when you’re likely


young boy eating vegetables reluctantly

From picky to healthy eater

Avoid the temptations of grocery store marketing strategies

I suppose this is going to be a column,” my son said as I pushed a grocery cart and he added items to it. We had paused in the produce aisle and he added bananas, oranges, strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, onions, potatoes, several types of peppers and other colourful produce items. He examined the items

McDonald’s Canada’s senior marketing manager Jean-Guillaume Bertola spoke to the CAMA meeting April 26 about the company’s efforts engaging with customers.  PHOTO: LORRAINE STEVENSON

‘We are all responsible for earning public trust,’ food and ag industry leaders say

Canadian Agri-Marketing Association hosted a two-day Winnipeg session focused on best practices and skills for nurturing public trust

Earning public trust is about doing the right thing, and being able to show and tell others why and how you do it. But in the noise of social media-spread myth and misinformation, being heard, believed and trusted has never been more complicated or challenging. The food industry is now in a veritable “pressure cooker”