|  Growing mesclun mix As an unabashed advocate for local food and farming, I was thrilled to see that here in Guelph we have an officially recognized local food champion in our midst. Leslie Carson, of St. Joseph’s Health Centre, was honoured in the 2011 Local Food Champions Report, part of a series of initiatives by the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and the Greenbelt Fund to connect Ontario’s farmers and food producers with public institutions. Schools, universities, hospitals, day-cares and other public sector facilities are large-scale buyers and consumers of food. This represents a significant market opportunity for Ontario farmers — but one that currently isn’t being filled to its potential. Continue reading Bringing local farmers and food buyers together We’re almost a month into the new year and some of us have already lost sight of the lofty exercise and weight loss goals we set for ourselves on Jan.1. We all start the year with good intentions — overflowing parking lots at most gyms during the first few weeks of January will attest to that — but as the weeks wear on, many of us fall off the proverbial wagon and end up straying from those resolutions. Overall, most of us think we’re in pretty decent shape. The numbers say otherwise, though. Continue reading Let’s take those new year’s resolutions seriously  Over the last week or so of everyone’s back to school preparations, I’ve been noticing a lot of coverage about school lunches and the dilemna of what to send with your kids. I didn’t realize this was such a problem – I’ve been out of school myself for quite some time and don’t have any kids in the system, so I didn’t realize how complicated a task making a lunch could be.
The biggest problem seems to be nut allergies, specifically to peanuts. So many kids are allergic – in some cases deathly so – that many schools have banned all peanut products from their premises. This includes peanut butter, a great, low cost protein source that together with jelly has been an iconic staple of school lunches for generations of Canadians. Continue reading Solving the peanut-free school lunch problem Wind farming is blowing up controversy in many parts of Ontario these days. On the one hand, it is being promoted as a green alternative to traditional energy sources that we desperately need to lessen our dependence on less environmentally-friendly supplies we have been relying on to date. It is also credited with bringing good jobs to rural areas struggling with employment issues, keeping people in small communities and maintaining infrastructure. Continue reading Weighing in on wind energy It seems even birds are weighing in on the debate over the nutritional benefits of organic food. A newly released study by Newcastle University in the UK showed that wild garden birds preferred the more protein rich regular bird seed over that which was organically grown. Lead researcher Dr. Alisa McKenzie says this is because protein is [...]  An innovative residue extraction process for Ontario ginseng is poised to open up new market opportunities for the high value crop.
The new method allows for the removal of crop protection residues without affecting the structure and quality of the ginseng, a pilot project has shown.
Continue reading New markets for Ontario ginseng  We all know diet and nutrition are directly linked to health, and we’re often told we can help make that link by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Yet, as a population, we seem to be getting fatter and unhealthier – a trend that is most alarming in young people as we see childhood obesity rates march steadily upwards.
Continue reading Fruit and veg snack program a no-brainer | |
