|  She was the winner of the Golden Apple Award for industry service and leadership at the 2011 OFVGA annual meeting. Now, in 2012, Cathy McKay will also be a calendar model.
She is the first-ever apple grower to be featured in the popular Faces of Farming calendar, produced annually to promote awareness of food and farming in Ontario. Thirteen Ontario farmers or farm families are featured in the calendar every year, nominated by the project’s sponsoring organizations. Continue reading Apple grower featured in Faces of Farming calendar A new survey shows that our love affair with food and farming in Canada is intensifying. Personally I’ve long been an advocate but now some new Ipsos Reid numbers are showing that I’m not alone – the Canadian public’s positive perceptions of agriculture are on the rise. More than half – 57 percent – of Canadians surveyed have a positive impression of agriculture in this country, a figure that has risen 16 per cent since the survey was first conducted four years ago. In 2006, only 41 per cent of Canadians had a positive impression of Canadian agriculture and 52 per cent reported a positive impression in 2009. Continue reading Canadian love affair with food and farming heating up  Curious about where our food comes from? Wondering about hormones, antibiotics, GMOs and other things linked to modern agriculture? Worried about environmental impacts of agriculture? Looking to connect the dots between the food we eat and our health?
A new national publication promises the answers to all these questions and more as it tackles the issues head on and unveils the “real” dirt on Canadian farming – straight from Canada’s farmers. Continue reading Unveiling the “real” dirt on Canadian farming  That’s our count down to the kick off of the 2011 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists’ annual congress.
In case you’re wondering why I’m interested – I’m co-chair of this event and we’re going to be hosting it in Canada, Guelph and Niagara Falls to be exact, for the first time in over 40 years! As part of our marketing efforts, my colleagues Kelly Daynard and Sarah Andrewes, Chairs of the Registration and Promotions committees respectively, have launched a monthly newsletter about the event full of great info, facts and tidbits about Canadian food and farming. Continue reading Only 336 days to go! I’m not usually one for shameless self-promotion, but in this instance, I can’t help but share some very good news. I was totally thrilled to learn this past weekend that I was the winner of not one but two writing awards at the Canadian Farm Writers Federation (CFWF) annual banquet on Saturday night. Continue reading Awards from the Canadian Farm Writers  We’re in the middle of prime fruit and vegetable season. The heat and sun of the summer bring with them roadside stands, farmers markets and local food stores brimming with fresh, Ontario-grown produce. I, for one, as someone who supports local food production and values Ontario’s farmers, am in my element as I’m revelling in the seasonal bounty of our fields.
But this season also annually gives new life to the ongoing debate about whether or not we should be using crop protection materials in our food production. Earlier this summer, a U.S. activist group released its yearly list of fruits and vegetables they say consumers should avoid because they contain the highest levels of pesticide residues. Continue reading Reports on pesticide residue may be misleading  Eggs are a Canadian breakfast staple. They’re also popular at other mealtimes and as ingredients in countless recipes. But do you ever wonder how eggs are made and where they come from?
I had the chance to find out first hand a couple of weeks ago during a visit to an egg farm north of Guelph, Ontario. Owner Len, who farms together with his wife Brenda, runs this typical Ontario egg farm of about 128,000 hens that produce approximately three million eggs per year. Continue reading A visit to a Canadian egg farm | |
