Popular herbicide may be linked to increased pathogen virulence, says Huber

Emeritus professor from Purdue University and former U.S. army bioweapons expert points to 
growing evidence of potential harm from genetic engineering and herbicide “abuse”

Don Huber may not be a big fan of organic agriculture, but he’s become a hero among organic farmers with his contention that glyphosate is less benign than its promoters crack it up to be. Huber an emeritus professor of Plant Pathology from Purdue University, isn’t backing down, even though some dismiss him as a

Entz receives award of excellence

University of Manitoba agronomy researcher Martin Entz is among four people honoured recently at the Organic Connections Conference in Regina for their contributions to organic agriculture. Entz was recognized for the more than three decades of research work into improving organic farming systems by studying crop rotation, green manure management, intercropping and comparing long-term organic



Bad news for XL Foods is good news for organic beef

Smaller, independently operated production, slaughter and marketing channels 
paying off in higher prices and increased consumer confidence

Some Manitoba ranchers aren’t losing any sleep over the problems faced by the XL Foods beef recall. That’s because their beef is certified organic, and marketed through channels that operate totally independent of the big players. “I think we are definitely starting to see demand perk up, not that it wasn’t hot already,” said Allan


Is soil fumigation worth it in Manitoba potato crops?

Should Manitoba potato growers be following the example of their counterparts south of the border and begin incorporating soil fumigation with Vapam into their management practices? Mario Tenuta, a soil scientist with the University of Manitoba, has been looking into the question, but says drawing conclusions would be premature. “We’re really just starting to get

Oversights on seeds and fertilizers chopped

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is cutting back its oversight on laws governing seeds, fertilizers and other sectors that impact farmers. While it has yet to announce the measures, changes in the administration of the Seeds Act and the Fertilizers Act are already under development. The agency wants to introduce plans, some of which have


On rural romanticism and “natural” foods

The proliferation on our grocery shelves of foods with “natural” claims shows no sign of abating. With the growing recognition that organic food is not any safer, tastier, more nutritious or more sustainable, in spite of the higher price, consumers now want foods that are produced the old-fashioned way on the small family farm. Not

Joint study sheds light on debate over organic versus conventional agriculture

Researchers at McGill and the University of Minnesota are calling for combining best of both approaches

Can organic agriculture feed the world? Although organic techniques may not be able to do the job alone, they do have an important role to play in feeding a growing global population while minimizing environmental damage, according to researchers at McGill University and the University of Minnesota. A new study published in Nature concludes that


Organic forage seed a hot market

The market for organic forage seed is currently undersupplied and offers large and growing demand over the next few years. It’s such a good business, said Laura Telford, a MAFRI organic specialist, that even people who hate organic can’t resist its allure. In preparation for her presentation on marketing opportunities at the Portage Food Development

CSA pioneers say market gardening works for them

Most of the local food grown 
by Theresa and Geoff Dyck is 
consumed in Winnipeg 
but they would love to 
sell to the cottage crowd

Geoff and Theresa Dyck drop tiny pepper plants into pressed earth squares with the ease of people who have done it before — many, many times before. “We always remind ourselves when we are tired or cranky and there are mosquitos… that we are not punching a clock,” says Theresa. “We are making our own